Versailles

Today started badly. Firstly the Boulangerie was shut, (turns out that May 5^th is a Public Holiday here) so I picked up a couple of pains au chocolat from the breakfast room in the apartments. They proved to be not a patch on Madame’s and reminded me how much tastier the fresh pastries are than the packaged ones we get at home.

Ping arrived late, having gone to the wrong Citadines apartments, so we didn’t get started until getting on for 10am, when I’d hoped to be underway for 8:30.

Today was our day in the Palace of Versailles. I knew from my trip here with the family some years ago that there was a huge amount to see and wanted to have the most time available for it.

The palace is fairly easy to get to from the centre of Paris, as their suburban rail network runs virtually to the gates. The package ticket that we bought from the station also saved us from the worst of the queues, as it gave priority entry to pretty much everything and I don’t think it cost us any more than regular tickets would have done.

I was well hacked-off when we arrived to find that the advertised guided tours didn’t take place on public holidays (nice of them to tell you that in advance!) but we still had plenty to do.

We spent the morning in the gardens. One advantage of it being a public holiday is that they have the fountains running and music playing throughout, which adds a certain something to the experience. You could easily imagine you were at the Bourbon Court, in attendance on the Sun King as he strolled through the gardens.

Last time I was here, we only walked down to the Grande Canal. This time we went on to the Grande Trianon and realised that there was a whole other section to the gardens that I hadn’t even suspected existed. By the time we’d explored the Grande Trianon itself though, we were feeling in need of a break, so took the little train back to the restaurant ‘Little Venice’ that we’d seen by the Grande Canal. It all looked very smart and stylish – and Brett and I had a nice starter – but the food generally was very poor and had obviously spent some time under a heat lamp, keeping warm, before being served.

After lunch we assayed the Chateau itself and managed to complete tours of both the State and Private Apartments which were only slightly distinguishable in terms of their magnificence. Further annoyances here: I tried to leave my day-sack at the bag-check before starting the State Apartments tour but they wouldn’t let me, because it didn’t contain any food or drink! Later, at the Private Apartments, I was forced to surrender it because the security scan spotted the penknife I carry. Truly bizarre organisation! Does the left hand know what the right hand is doing?

Anyway, it was a minor frustration and didn’t spoil our enjoyment of the chateau. By the time we had completed both tours, the castle was closing so we headed back via a café stop for some revitalising crêpes and coffee. The return train journey was equally as efficient as the outbound, although I think we all dozed through most of it.

Once back in central Paris, we headed for the pizzeria that the Chorus had booked for a group meal. Almost everyone on the tour had signed up for it.

As it turned out the meal was pretty poor, even for €20; a basic plate of charcuterie followed by chips and an indifferent, barely luke-warm, minute steak with an unadorned tarte tatin for dessert! I was pretty knackered and fear I wasn’t much company. I left not long after the meal was complete, having said hello to most of the people I knew well.