Getting to Versailles from Paris is simple on the trains, and it’s a short walk to the Palace.  We were fortunate to leave the bad weather behind, at least for the stroll to the gates.  The students were immediately surprised by the size of the Palace, and I knew that their awareness was still just a fragment of the true expanse and luxury.  The best way to move through the rooms is with an individual audio guide.  Keeping a large group together is more frustrating than helpful. We were fortunate to have a day that was less crowded, but that is a relative thing. Select a meeting place and meeting time and allow your members to move through the palace at their own pace.  The large tour groups who follow a leader make it difficult for other guests and probably feel people jostling them throughout their visit.  Seeing the opulence of the Palace made the French Revolution much more understandable for the Villa students.  Visiting the private chambers and listening to descriptions of court life brought the monarchy to life, and students began to feel the place and space as it once had been.   A few were able to visit the gardens, only to be caught in another downpour.  Regardless of the inclement weather, the experience was wonderful and the lessons were powerful.  As we left Versailles behind we began to prepare for the next adventure of the day.  The poor weather was likely to work in our favor now.  We decided we would head to the Eiffel Tower, where the lines were likely to be diminished, yet the clearing weather would give us wonderful views from the top of the tower!