The Queen's Palace!

 Sr. Florine with her father's glasses, which she had been wearing until yesterday...

When she got her new glasses especially made for her own eyes!  (Sorry about the glare).

This is the grandson of Sr. Florine's good friend who took her to the Madrid temple when she visited France.  He just arrived to start serving his mission here!

 The entrance to the Queen's Palace, where the Richards' took us today.  The eagle above the gate was donated by Napoleon.  You have to walk up 12 steps, one for each of the king's 12 wives.

Looking over at the former Prime Minister's Palace which was made into a museum until the queen's crown was stolen, and then it was closed.

                          The cannon was donated by England at the time of George the 4th.

 The Palace was mostly burned down in 1995 and at present there is not enough money to continue its renovation.  It was built in 1867.  The outer stonework was courtesy of  a Scottish missionary and architect, James Cameron.  (Does this sound like it comes from a guide book?  It does!)

                  These houses shelter the Tombs of the Kings and Queens, 7 altogether.

Views of Tana over the wall

Side view of the palace

The gardener is cutting the grass with clippers!

A smaller palace was here

A lizard.  Sr. Florine thought it was a snake.

View of the palace from a smaller guest house next door where the queen and king invited guests for dinner.

This hole in the fence was where zebu put their heads through when they were kept in the pen behind.

                             This is the guest house.  The statue was to guard the queen.

The exit from the inner courtyard.

                                                A Protestant church next to the palace.

 The Queen's swimming pool, with a memorial to the 12 people who translated the Bible into Malagasy.

A renovation put on hold until funds are available.

A view of the tombs from behind.

The church.

 

 A statue of the third queen, made before she went into exile in Algeria.

                                                         The church's bell tower.

                                                       The pulpit inside the church.

 The guide said we could take pics inside the church, though the sign said it was not allowed.

 You can faintly see the winged statue in the middle of the lake which is in the middle of Tana.

                     View to the south of Tana.  The wooded part is the Tzimabazaza Zoo

Toward the Prime Minister's Palace.

One last look back on our way out.

 The road to the palace.  These guys were sprinting up the hill and then walking back down.

 
                                                                                                                                       On the way back down.                                                                       An Anglican church.

 

                                                                                               His daughter is sitting in front of him.

        Notice the great steps

                     And now we're back at the office.  What an interesting trip!