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Published: April 2nd 2009
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I almost did not go to Versailles.
After I awoke in Rouen, I decided I had plenty of time to catch my train back to Paris and then Metro it to Gare Austerlitz, where I would catch a train to Versailles. Well, as I walked up the boulevard to get to Gare Rouen I looked up at the huge clock on the station tower.
Hmmmm, that is odd. The clocktower says 9:05...My watch has 8:05. How can that be??? Oh well. I get to the train station and ask the lady at the ticket window when the next train leaves for Paris, hoping I would get an earlier one than my planned 8:59 from Rouen.
Well, guess what. They switched time last night and of course, I had no idea!!!!! Way to go!! I did some quick math in my head. Next train leaves in an hour.. I have to get to Gare Austerlitz. That is 35 minutes by Metro. Crap...No way I make the train to Versailles and have time to do anything fun there.
Oh
man, I know I have been to Versailles, but it is still such a cool place to go. Oh well. I guess I will just go on to Strasbourg and start some studying or something. Crap!!!
So, I wait for the train. I hop on and to make matters worse, it is not even an express.. This train is stopping everywhere!!!!! You have to be kidding!!!! It will take two hours to get to Paris.
Well, I have nothing else to do. So, I grab my book and start reading. About two hours later, I get to Gare St. Lazare and figure, with nothing to do, I will just take a leisurely walk back to Gare du Nord and then two blocks over to Gare d'louest.
Then something...and I am not sure what... made me go back into the train station and look at the schedule.
So, after walking maybe a block, I come back to the station and check out the other destinations. Lo and behold...I see "Versailles Rive Droit"...
Hmmmmm. I wonder..could it be??? I go into the accueil room and ask if that is the stop for the Chateau. The guy there says yes it is. So, I got to thinking. Why would they send me all the way to Gare Austerlitz when I could take a local train way faster??
At this point, who cares??? I hop on the local train, which is actually leaving right then, and in 30 minutes I am in Versailles. Damn!!!! What a fine place Versailles is!!!! It has to be one of the wealthiest suburbs in France and it is so beautiful. It is just awesome. It is way better than I remember it.
Washington DC was modelled after Versailles. The streets are all grids and just beautifully landscaped. It is just so gorgeous. So, I walked from the train station to the Palace grounds.
In the meantime, they are having what has to be one of the coolest outdoor markets in the world. Farmers and ranchers and all sorts of people who make the
neatest foods you will never see anywhere else come here and sell their stuff.
I bought a jar of Tripous. I will let you look it up. But, I have had it here in Strasbourg and WOW!!!! that is some real fine eating!!! I don't think you could eat it everyday but, every once in a while...go for it. Another thing, I don't think you want the container it is in to break in your back pack either. I do believe it would ruin anything it touches...at least until it is cooked thoroughly....Hey Mary, shall I bring some home????
Also, I just had a great time chatting with some ladies in what I call "French". Although I am not sure anyone else calls it that!!! Most people really get a kick out of my blundering through their language. I just had a wonderful time at that market.
Well, after spending 30 minutes there, I decided I would take my tripous and head on over to the Palace. It was only about 20 minutes or so before
I got there. WOW!!! The line to get in was about two hours long. It was already about 1 pm so, I figured by the time I got a ticket, there would be no way to see much of the Palace at all. You have no idea how huge this place is. It is incredible. In a week of walking, it would be difficult to see much of the Palace.
So, I decided to just rent a bike and ride around. The last time I was here with hot...I mean Mary...there was a huge storm that blew over some trees. Some people were killed and they shut down all the roads around the chateau. I saw the bikes back then and suggested we rent them for a ride.....It was great fun....Today, it was a great idea because of how large the property is. There are huge parks, canals, lakes and ponds. There are several chateaus on the property. As well as the house of Marie Antoinette.
I spent about two hours on the bike and only saw a small part of the
grounds. I would love to come back and spend much more time here. This is truly one of the neatest places you can go. I could not recommend it higher. Oh, and make sure you go to the market. It is almost as good as the Chateau.
I walked back to the train station, hopped onto the train. I ws back in Paris in 30 minutes.. I walked over to Gare d'louest in about 40 minutes. I got lucky and was able to board an earlier train to Strasbourg. After a great weekend in Rouen and Versailles, it was back to reality. Enjoy
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