An unattractive electric

An unattractive electric cabinet turned artworkLes Carrés Saint Louis, market huts turned historic tiny housesthrough the windows in golden shafts as thechoir practised, causing me to lose track oftime. A market is held in the square in frontof the cathedral. Take a few steps to thecrossroads of rue Royale and rue d’Anjou todiscover a charming hidden part of Versailles,Carrés Saint Louis, where small huts werebuilt, meant to host a market in the 1700s.They were converted into possibly the first‘tiny houses’ within 20 years, and these listedhistoric monuments are still lived in.On the other side of town, in the Notre Damedistrict, the church of Notre-Dame is equallyMusée Lambinet, a time warp townhouseNotre-Dame market was laid out in a square formation in 1725, and eachcorner stone pavilions are like covered markets in their own rightimpressive. Close to the fabulous market ofNotre-Dame, on the same site for over 400years, is the second-largest market in France,and one of the best. If the Château is thecrown of Versailles, then this market is itsbeating heart. Pop outside the market squareto the Boulangerie Guignon – a legend withthe locals for their exquisite cakes. And don’tmiss the antique quarter, which featuresquaint shops and cosy cafés on cobbled lanes.If you’re even vaguely curious about old keys,art deco brooches, or seventeenth-centurysoup tureens, you’ll lose hours here.A stone’s throw away, the uncrowded MuséeLambinet is an 18th-century townhouseturned-museumthat feels more like steppinginto a collector’s attic than a formal gallery.Dedicated to the art and history of Versaillesand the French Revolution, this exquisitetime capsule mansion houses a collectionof paintings, antique furniture (including arare harp thought to be owned by Louis XV’sdaughter, which is played twice a monthfor a free concert), curious little objets d’artincluding an extraordinary set of paintedbuttons, and even a lovingly recreatedapartment from the 1700s.And one last thing. You can’t fail to spot thestreet art wherever you go in Versailles. Thecity has two professional schools of paintingand décor, which specialise in trainingstudents for theatre and TV. The Mayorencouraged them to decorate the city’s urban22 | The Good Life France The Good Life France | 23