Ham and cheese croissants and Chocat au Pan for breakfast made for a good start. Then it was back to the Metro … and then to a real train for the trip to Versailles. We chatted to an Aussie teacher who was carting a tour group from a high school in Melbourne around France… small world…. and ‘Good Luck!’I say. I do have to say … there are lots of aussies here.
Interestingly, the French call it Versailles Chateaux… but it is much more a palace. A quick reminder of King Louis’ final days and the happenings at Versailles…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StJS51d1Fzg&list=RDStJS51d1Fzg&index=1
We’d had some good advice from Deb’s good friend Julie that the best approach was to wander in the gardens prior to taking the tour. We spent a couple of hours checking out the gardens The gardens are magnificent… although a few areas are under restoration.
On the outside a magnificent set of buildings….
As for the inside the opulence borders on obscene, but full marks to France for preserving their history. There is room after room of magnificence… but here’s a sample.
On the same site is Marie Antionette’s estate… she had a Grand Palace and a petite one… both of which ate considerable … below is a picture from the Grand one. It is not in as good condition as the Versailles buildings, but the point still gets across…
Finally, here’s one of the Petite palace … hrm … not so petite really.
So all in all… it is definitely a full day out… and once again my feet are worn out. I do have to say… as each day passes in Paris, the more I love the vibe of the city… and combined with it’s rich history, I now understand how people fall in love with France and never leave!
Until tomorrow
Rob
Rob's "Beats Working" Blog 