Versailles - Day Three

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Geo: 48.8566, 2.35097

Today was the day we had earmarked for going to Versailles. I was a bit frightened of what I had read of the terrible crowds. The forecast was for rain today. We were undecided at first whether to go or not, but decided to stick to our plan, hoping that the weather would not be too bad.
Fortunately for us, it wasn't.

We had our usual St. Regis breakfast. This time I went for an omelette with herbs. Wow!! I can honestly say that this was the best omelette I have eaten in all my life. I had them on the next two mornings also, they were fantastic. Breakfast most mornings cost around €25 for both us for eggs, juice, coffee and croissant or baguette which was comparable to the hotel breakfast which was €13 per person.

We then headed over to St Michel RER station. We had already purchased our tickets the day before so that we didn't need to waste time in queues at peak hour. It was good that we did as the train arrived just as we got there and we managed to jump straight on. We were at Versailles Rive Gauche
around 40 minutes later. We followed the crowd out of the station and then crossed the street to the McDonalds to use the facilities – along with everyone else on the train I think. We then followed the crowd to the Chateau.

Wow – what a spectacular building and grounds. Obviously we had seen pictures and seen it on television, but that doesn't do it justice. We used the facilities (again!) before heading in with our museum passes. No lines whatsoever! There were not even any lines for people to purchase tickets
There were a couple of tour buses, but really not many people at all. By now the weather had improved out of sight, blue skies and just a few clouds. We picked up our audio guides and wandered around the chateau. We probably only spent an hour or so inside, but the crowds were light and it was very easy to take pictures and wander around – even in the Hall of Mirrors.

We then went out into the grounds and hired ourselves a golf cart. This was terrific fun, a wonderful way to see the grounds, but quite expensive. I think we had the cart for two and half hours, it cost around €80 which is obviously not cheap, but to us it was worth it. We spent a lot of time at the Petit Trianon and Marie Antoinette's Hamlet. They were absolutely gorgeous and I am so glad we saw them. I didn't enjoy the Grand Trianon quite as much but I am not sure why.

We left the Chateau and headed into the town of Versailles for some much needed lunch. It was quite sunny by now so we found a nice cafe with outdoor seating and had a cheeseburger which was great, and of course, some wine. The casual lunch cost €33.

We then caught the next train back to Paris and headed to Place Vendome for a wander around. I was hoping to get to the Opera Garnier as I have never managed to look inside. Unfortunately
I didn't this time either as by the time we got there it was too late for the last tour so we were not allowed inside. My own fault for not looking up the opening times. If I had realised how early it shut we could have gone there before Place Vendome. Instead we wandered to Galleries Lafayette for a look at the view from the terrace and the dome which was quite spectacular.

We headed back to the hotel for a rest. We walked down the street to have a look at the church – Eglise St Louis en L'Ile – an absolutely gorgeous church, and then walked back looking at all the restaurants to decide where to have dinner. We stopped at Nicolas on the Ile St Louis for a bottle of wine. We bought all our wine there this trip as their wine suggestions were always spot on and very reasonably priced.

We made a reservation at Aux Anysetiers Du Roy as they had boeuf bourgignon on the menu, which I was hoping to eat. We absolutely loved this restaurant, definitely the nicest of all our choices (with the obvious exception of Le Jules Verne). We liked it so much we went back the next night, which is something we never do! I had the bourgignon and a tarte tartin for dessert – absolutely delicious and
the bill with wine was only €77.

After dinner we caught the metro to the Eiffel Tower so that we could watch it sparkle from up close. We caught a taxi back as it had been a very long day, but a good one.

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Photos

The Hall of Mirrors
Crowds at Hall of Mirrors

Grounds of Versailles
Grounds of Versailles

The Petit Trianon
The Petit Trianon

Marie Antoinette's Hamlet
Marie Antoinette's Hamlet

The Belvedere
The Belvedere

The Grand Canal
The Grand Canal

The Temple of Love
The Temple of Love

Dome of Galleries Lafayette
Dome of Galleries Lafayette

Eiffel Tower Sparkling at Night
Eiffel Tower Sparkling