Versailles
After getting some train tips from Margaret, our expert tour guide, we made our way to the luxurious palace of Versailles. It was rainy again and before we left, I bought a sturdy and quite fancy umbrella from the gift shop in the hopes that it would ward off rain for the rest of our trip - it worked like a charm! - and it also served as a welcome shade from the intense sun in Venice.
It was easy to find our way from the train station in Versailles to the actual palace...we just followed the enormous crowd! We were dismayed to find that Roland had forgotten his Paris Pass, which we had been planning on using to keep admission costs down and, more importantly, to bypass the huge line at the main entrance. It turned out not to matter, however, because so many people had group passes that the actual ticket line was very short, and we bought a guided tour to bypass the entrance lines. We passed the time before our guided tour by exploring the gardens of Versailles, which had no line to enter. Using - you guessed it! - our Rick Steve's audio tour, we walked through the shrub-lined passageways, imagining Marie Antoinette waltzing around in her lavish clothes and eating fancy petits fours.
It was easy to find our way from the train station in Versailles to the actual palace...we just followed the enormous crowd! We were dismayed to find that Roland had forgotten his Paris Pass, which we had been planning on using to keep admission costs down and, more importantly, to bypass the huge line at the main entrance. It turned out not to matter, however, because so many people had group passes that the actual ticket line was very short, and we bought a guided tour to bypass the entrance lines. We passed the time before our guided tour by exploring the gardens of Versailles, which had no line to enter. Using - you guessed it! - our Rick Steve's audio tour, we walked through the shrub-lined passageways, imagining Marie Antoinette waltzing around in her lavish clothes and eating fancy petits fours.
We stopped for a lunch of Orangina and baguette sandwiches by the pond. We saw young members of a rowing club toting their boat off into the water. Can you imagine having rowing practice with the most luxurious palace in Europe as your background??? Sometimes, I really do wish I were French!
We took the tram back up to the main building and met with our Versailles tour guide, Kelly. Kelly had impeccable English, and easily responded to questions from a British gentleman that even I had trouble understanding! The group was small, I'd say twenty people at the most, and we got quite a treat being away from the crowds and seeing a part of Versailles only available on private tours. We learned that many of the paintings originally at Versailles are now hanging in the Louvre, and that the workers of Versailles are constantly advocating for their return. We were also afforded an up-close view of King Louis's personal desk, with a secure cover and a spout through which one of the palace minions could refill the inkwell without having access to important state documents.
We took the tram back up to the main building and met with our Versailles tour guide, Kelly. Kelly had impeccable English, and easily responded to questions from a British gentleman that even I had trouble understanding! The group was small, I'd say twenty people at the most, and we got quite a treat being away from the crowds and seeing a part of Versailles only available on private tours. We learned that many of the paintings originally at Versailles are now hanging in the Louvre, and that the workers of Versailles are constantly advocating for their return. We were also afforded an up-close view of King Louis's personal desk, with a secure cover and a spout through which one of the palace minions could refill the inkwell without having access to important state documents.
After our private tour, we rejoined the masses and toured the enormous Hall of Mirrors, Marie Antoinette's bedroom, and other rooms with the help of Rick Steves. Versailles is an ornate masterpiece that deserves a whole day. By the end, we hopped on a train back to Paris and ate dinner at a restaurant near Place de Vosges, where I gave our waiter and ourselves a chuckle by promptly asking for a "maison pour deu," confusing the Spanish word for table and the French word for house. While my French leaves something to be desired, our bellies were quite satisfied with the escargot and steak frites. Next: Beaune.