Saturday at Versailles!

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Geo: 48.8566, 2.35097

Before I continue about the rest of the week, I'll give you a run down on the "steps" we took. Mom was wearing a pedometer and told us how many steps we took for the day. I'll let you know when I did more than the official count :-)... So to catch up on that part we took 20,315 steps on Thursday with both of those walking tours...

On to Saturday and our trip out to Versailles, this was May 31. We were up at 6 am and off to the Pont de l'Alma metro station to catch the RER C (VICK) to Versailles. I had been a bit anxious about this as I had read to MAKE sure we got on the right train that said, Vick... I didn't know what that meant... but lo and behold on the front of the train it says VICK! Wonderful, am on the right track! Initially, my ticket didn't work when I put it in the turnstile machine but happily there was an agent at the info office and she gave me two (one to get there and one to get back) instead of the one (reusable one) I had. We got to Versailles about 9:15 and the tour buses were already there! Had hoped to avoid them and get in there ahead of the crowds, oh well... Picked up the audio guide and paid and extra 7,50 euros to take the 1 1/2 hour English language tour through the private apartments that you don't see on the regular tour that appointment would be at 1. Very well worth it! So before meeting up with the tour guide we walked through and did the regular tour then had lunch in the cafeteria in the basement. I then met the tour and Mom and Dad did their own thing. We met up at 3 and they took the "train" shuttle out to Marie Antoinette's domain / Hameau/ Hamlet while I went through the Dauphins apts then walked through the gardens while the fountains were going on my way to the Grand Trianon, LONG WALK!! was really regretting not taking the shuttle! just kept imagining all the calories being burned off of me as I limped along..... I basically did a quick run through down the middle of the garden, you could easily spend most of a day here exploring all the beckoning features off to the sides that I missed! My feet and back were killing me by the time I got to the Grand Trianon, I looked at 1/2 of it, I really wanted to see the Hameau so off to the Petite Trianon (closed) and went into the Hameau. I walked to it with a lost Korean gentleman as he was having a hard time communicating where he was wanting to go to the gal working there. As I can't communicate either I was the perfect translator! so we made our way and he took my picture when we got there, I tried to find Mom and Dad but they were gallivanting somewhere else! Loved seeing where M. Antoinette went to escape from the court and tried to have a somewhat "normal" life. I am quite a monarchy sympathizer!! :-) I've read a lot about her and she wasn't the villain she's made out to be...
I found the "Temple of Love" in the garden and limped over to a bench to recover some of the nerve endings in my feet before heading out to find that shuttle at all costs, and I didn't care what it cost! This place is big with a big B! I think it's over 600 acres, something like that... got on the shuttle, paid my 3, 50 for a one-way ride and promptly got let off at the Grand Trianon because I couldn't stand to not see the whole thing! Saw it, then stood back in line for 1/2 hour to 45 minutes for another shuttle with space on it to take a bunch of us back to the Chateau. No one was giving up their space let me tell you! so they had to send a special one just to pick up our shivering group as it was getting windy and threatening to rain by now. Got back to the Chateau about 7, met up with Mom and Dad, walked back to the train station and headed for Paris. When we got near to our apt. we noticed lots of riot police in the SWAT gear all over the place. They actually were blocking both ends of our little "alley" of a street. Naturally, we had to find out what was going on so followed the sound of someone on a megaphone (?) around the corner from us and saw flags waving and people clapping occasionally, it looked as if they had some sort of private security and then the official "SWAT" people there also. We think they may have been protesting Sarkozy? not sure.. thought we'd seen enough of the Paris riot scene so off to our apt. (it was actually very peaceful) Not sure if the following was a result of the previous scene but a little while later we heard some disturbance in our little street. I looked out the window to see 3 guys discussing something very animatedly. Two white guys were pushing occasionally and talking loudly to a black guy. A kick was thrown his way a time or two also, very disturbing! I picked up the phone and wondered what and how I would communicate all this to the local gendarme ?? I saw a neighbor gal with her head out the window next to mine with a phone also! hooray! we tried to talk but my communication skills by mouth not being up to par I used my hands instead. We ended up not knowing what the other said but it was nice to know she knew what was going on and it looked like would call the police. A little while later after some more skirmishing, the police came and took care of the situation. Thus ended our days' excitement, we stayed up till after 12, the plan for tomorrow is to visit Monte Cristo, Archaeological National Museum in St. German-en-Laye, and St. Denis... we'll see...
16,944 steps + another 10,000 for me? remember the garden!

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