We woke up at 6am this morning (after another very late night) so we could beat the crowds at Versailles this morning. Thanks to Noha's expert advice, we navigated our way through the Metro and the RER to arrive at the correct station. We took the short walk to the palace and then spent the day exploring the palace and grounds.
One note about the Metro/RER passes -- they are VERY sensitive. I am apparently a magnetic person because I wiped out three consecutive passes before asking Maggie to carry mine for the remainder of the trip. Don't keep those passes near any magnets, credit cards, phones, or even money!
Versailles is, in a word, ostentatious. I mean, who DOESN'T need a hunting lodge with 700 rooms?? (I know it was expanded from a hunting lodge to the grand palace it is today, but still... for a place that started as a hunting lodge, it sure has come a long way).
The palace and grounds were amazing:
Look at all that decoration!
Ellie and Maggie got some great shots too:
The king's state rooms led me to the question: Is this a rock concert or a palace tour? The crowds were huge, the space was small, it was all a bit over the top... My conclusion: rock concert.
Marit decided the hall of mirrors would make a great bedroom. In her opinion it offered ample space for indoor biking and great views:
The gardens were beautiful (and huge):
At around noon, the entire party realized food was needed immediately and we found this lovely restaurant on the grounds. Ellie tried a tiny sip of my rose but said she did not like it and stuck with her giant Fanta:
After dropping the others off at their hotel, we headed for our own Metro stop. I have no idea how this happened, but the girls seem to be hugging? Walking while embracing?? Generally showing affection for each other??? It was very sweet and totally unexpected:
Noha made us crepes when we got home (yum!), the girls played (there was so much giggling), and finally we went to bed. Goodnight!
No comments:
Post a Comment