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Published: July 21st 2014
Canadian ladies
Wendy pretended to be taking a picture of the ceiling of the restaurantJuly 12, 2014 - Versailles - Wendy and considered today to be one of the reasons for our trip, and we were putting in a lot of research to get just the right tour to satisfy us. Both of us are very well-read on the history of France that was influenced by this Chateau, and the people involved in this period, so we were wanting a tour that would provide us with a good and knowledgeable guide. We looked at the very expensive tour, 375 euros per person, but decided there was no way we could justify it…We wrote letters, phone calls were made, all options were considered in making the booking, and still we got it wrong. But more on that later…
The tour left from the Tuileries area at 8:45 AM, and we were required to be there at 8 AM to get our tickets. Breakfast would have to wait until after that, and we went across the street for a petit dejeuner. I have found that in the majority of places we have gone, fresh orange juice is served and this is a real pleasure, with me coming from California. We got on the bus, and saw
Hall of Mirrors
You can see, again and again, the number of people there. a group of three women speaking “animatedly” at one of the tour people. We decided to go upstairs, and hope they wouldn’t come up. The time to depart came and went, and then the voices started getting louder and louder, and there was obviously a feeling of dissatisfaction on the part of the “ladies”. We couldn’t hear what was being said, but I heard loud voices and “we paid a lot of money for this tour and…” (I didn’t hear the rest.) I then turned to Wendy and said, these women are giving Americans a bad name, at which point, almost on cue, one of the women mentioned to someone on the bus that they were from Canada. I was HORRIFIED, for all my Canadian friends.
Segue to the gate of Versailles. We were in our little group and again these women started in as though it was their personal tour. We determined it was a mother and two daughters, the daughters in their late 40s and I could be generous here, and they were of Italian descent. It was a continuation of events from earlier and we tried to distance ourselves from them and not get
Chocolate Fondant
Again, I am sucked in to the gooey hot chocolate center of these little cakes. caught up. The tour was mediocre, and the guide was giving the speech by rote. We were not learning anything new. When we asked the guide how many pieces of furniture had been returned to Versailles, he couldn’t even venture a guess. At the break before lunch, the women kept questioning where and when we were to meet (was 3 times answered NOT ENOUGH???) so Wendy and I took off to find the gift shop. I cannot tell you how many people were there, the weekend before Bastille Day (quatorze Julliette for the French), and it was unpleasant. We met up for the walk to the restaurant, about half-way to the Trianons. Upon arrival at the restaurant we were allocated two tables, and the women refused to sit at the one that had room for them, as they had managed to get into a fight with a family at the other table and refused to sit with them. We were over these people. They chose not to join us on the afternoon part which was just fine.
The Grand and Petit Trianons are wonderful and shouldn’t be missed. The Grand Trianon was built by Louis XIV for one of
Selfie
Mirrors give a new dimension to selfies. his mistresses and is beautiful and well-appointed http://translate.google.fr/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://www.chateauversailles.fr/grand-trianon&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dgrand%2Btrianon%2Bversailles%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26hs%3DTFw%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26channel%3Dfflb Next stop was the Petit Trianon, the escape of Marie Antoinette. Unless you got an invite from her you could not come to it, and this included the king. There has been furniture brought back here as well, so that was fun. http://translate.google.fr/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://www.chateauversailles.fr/decouvrir-domaine/domaine-marie-antoinette-/le-petit-trianon/le-petit-trianon&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dpetit%2Btrianon%2Bversailles%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26channel%3Dfflb%26biw%3D1024%26bih%3D447 We were also allowed to see her theatre, which was open for viewing while we were there. Onward to the hameau, Marie Antoinette’s “farm” where she played at being a commoner, with her perfectly coiffed hair and designer gauze dresses. She would come down, change clothes, and milk cows for a couple hours before reversing the actions. I was able to discover that she never slept at the hameau, and, as a matter of fact, the buildings were all empty - much like a stage set. Eerie…
Back on the bus for the ride home with the “ladies”. I was going to say something when I got off the bus, but I knew where it would lead and chose not to go there. It was unfortunate that what I will remember about today will be the three women.
Wendy and I have decided that next time -
Yellow!
One of the drawing rooms in the Grand Trianon, retrieved furniture and furnishings, and fabrics copied. yes, there WILL be a “next time” - that we will spend the big money and do the tour our way.
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