Fontainebleu visit

Blasted Blogger and the photo upload. I am super busy today with laundry, guests leaving, cleaning and trying to get kitty well. Tomorrow Chad's former roommate arrives and Chad leaves for a few days to visit a site in Egypt. Lucky dog. I would bail on the roomie/guest but flights are super expensive. We already have our super Easter trip of Italy (the Cinque Terre and Rome) planned so need to spare as many euros as possible.
We went out to Fontainebleu, former home to royalty. It was renovated by Francois 1, so it had been there since at least the 12th Century. Francois got his good friend, Leonardo da Vinci, to hang out with him there. Allegedly the first residence of Mona Lisa in France until her final place at the Musee du Louvre. Here is a hint that she was here.

The fountain of Diana had hunting dogs around it. Water from the appropriate place. And they look a bit like my Berli dog in Phoenix. Ah!

Gallery of Diana, Napoleon put most of the books here. Served for kings or emperors whoever was in charge of France.

Sweet window handle. I think I might need one for Chez Nickell. Good enough for the little Napoleon.

Beyond opulence in this bedroom. Designed by Marie Antoinette but she never got the chance to lay her head down here. Sorry for the pun!

Necessary chapel for all rulers to attend service without ever having to leave home.

Those of you who know Chad's old XBOX live name, this is quite appropriate. His name for those not in the know was Boobsrcool. He was playing against 13 year old boys so rather appropriate.

First picture but somehow mixed in the middle. Another pic of Chad and I in front of another chateau. Hee hee!

The devil is in the details. I might not have figured out this was a royal residence without something dripping in gold.

I would have to rank this chateau way higher than Versailles. Not as convenient to the city but worth the extra trek time. It contained much more furniture than imagined. Better to get an idea of scale. Dripping with hints at the fascination with Diana (one of King Henry II mistress). Our guests were equally as impressed. One was rather disgusted when I showed my book of 1000 chateaux that are in France. Really to quote the tour driver from last year's chateau tour "it was never a question of if there would be a revolution, just when." Still fun to visit and gape at the wonder of having so much. Still quite happy with my 73 square meter place in Paris. Makes it much easier to clean!