Fontainebleau gardens

This morning we woke early for a little day trip to Fontainebleau, the palace of the kings. It’s about 90 minutes by car from us, but our friend Sharon is staying with us for a few days, so we thought we’d have a little outing and make the trip together. It’s such an easy, pleasant drive. We arrived around 10.30am, and first found a little café for some coffee, before heading into the chateau which sits conveniently just on the edge of the town. The entrance is rather spectacular, with a sweeping, horseshoe style staircase greeting you.

Before we went in though, we hopped on ‘le petit train’ for a lazy little ride around the garden. We thought, as it was drizzling with rain, this would be a great way for us to see the gardens today without getting too wet.

It was a perfect way to see the chateau from the outside. Situated all around the rather spectacular gardens are lots of little quiet secluded seating areas, impressive water features and stunning vistas, that look across the formal gardens and into the parkland beyond.

The gardens are actually free to wander around, and would make a charming visit all on their own.