Well, I adore the Petit Trianon and stumbled on this story many years ago. My library had only one old copy and, at the time, it was nowhere else to be found, out of print. I actually copied the whole thing on my battered printer before returning it to the library. On a subsequent visit to the Petit Trianon, I actually tried to duplicate their route, just for the thrill of it. Of course nothing happened beyond the ordinary...but one can always dream.
Whatever they saw or thought they saw, their researches into the 1783 state of the gardens, gardeners' house, cottage, grottos and of the little mansion in relation to the Jeu de Bague and the Chapel (particularly as drawn in this book) are all wrong. A simple look at Mique's maps, available online and in other books, or a study of the Petit Trianon's plans will clarify that.
A disconcerting thing for me was "Miss Jourdain's" last visit. She claims that just as she was leaving the same old depression, accompanied by the same change in the surroundings they had experienced in 1901 began to happen...but she immediately decided to stick to her plan, and left (?) - in other words, while she admits a sense of awe at what seems to be happening again, she abandons the chance to experience it again, as in 1901, so as not to miss her tram! Very baffling, considering that they'd spent years trying to understand, if not re-live, their "time-warp" adventure and revisiting and researching Trianon. Never mind! Though I stopped taking it seriously after reading of Miss Jourdain's casual dismissal of this last chance-given opportunity, I'll always enjoy the story.
For an understanding of the gardens circa 1783, I recommend "Views and Plans of the Petit Trianon at Versailles" - essentially an album of views and watercolors Marie Antoinette was in the habit of presenting to important visitors as a souvenir.
Also, "Marie Antoinette and the Last Garden at Versailles" - recently published.
Both books have Mique's maps, and are available in Amazon.
