In Marie Antoinette’s faux farmhouse

Behind the grandiose Palace of Versailles lie extensive gardens which range from the fancy and ornate to the plain and homely.

The latter can be found in Marie Antoinette’s faux farmhouse, a long way back from the main palace, and thus rarely visited by the vast numbers of tourists who flock here.

I must admit I preferred its rustic charms to the cold splendour of the main palace – warm, down to earth, and a chance to get a bit of peace and quiet…