We take the RER from St Michel to Versailles.
Like London and Rome, the transportation systems are intertwined. The metro/underground will take you to the train you need to take. The trick, of course, is to know what train to take and, therefore, what station you need to be at when the train leaves.
Today, the St Michel station serves both the RER and the Metro. In London, it is stairs. In Paris, it is walking and stairs. Paris Metro makes sense and is logical. Know where you are going and you can get there. The Paris systems run parallel to each other. In London, they are on top of each other.
So, you can have a quarter mile walk to connect to your next train. That is unusual but it can happen. The hike will always involve stairs - up and down. There is always some poor woman with a large, large suitcase trying to pull it up the stairs. I say "woman" because that I saw the most. I cannot think of a reason.
People do offer to help and occasionally it is accepted.
The RER trains are comfortable and do become crowded during peak hours. We leave about 10 AM so we avoid the morning commute. Versailles lies in Zone 4 so separate tickets are required. The automated ticket machines are easy to use. Pick a language and follow instructions. Credit Cards are accepted and recommended. The machines do not always give change.
But - a strong "but" - you have to know your pin number. Europe has had chip cards for years. A European credit card user will either use his pin or in some cases, swipe their card - think Apple pay ,but better and smoother. Only, US cards require signature.
You can speak prefect French, but your credit card will give you away every time.
The problem is that in most cases, your credit card company will not give you the pin for security reasons. Hint: if all else fails, what last 4 digits follow you everywhere you go.
The trip to Versailles is visually more pleasant than the train to Charles De Gaulle Airport. You pass the Eiffel Tower and run parallel to the Seine. The city becomes modern with corporate architecture and residential multi-story buildings. The new "downtown" Paris with high rises is on the horizon to your right.
As you leave the city, the homes become more suburb and middle class. They are charming with a splash of new thrown in.
Versailles is the end of the this line (you want the stop Chateau De Versailles - yep, there are a number of Versailles stops along the way.
We quickly join the flow. When in doubt when a tourist trying to find the attraction, follow the crowds. Only a very slight chance that there is a cliff.
From the station to the gates of Versailles is most likely 800 yards. The main street is offices and souvenir shops and eateries. Turn right at the corner, there is Versailles flanked on both sides by late 1700s buildings.
Versailles is a huge complex of buildings. You follow the signs. The French do not give quarter - Most other countries which attract tourists have their language on the top and English below - the French give no quarter. It is in French - deal with it.
It is really impossible to understand the size of Versailles because you do not see the entire complex. It is expensive to restore and I am sure the stables/kitchens are high on the list of most tourists. (although we saw the Royals Mews (stables in London and Henry VIII kitchens at Hampton Hill).
It is crowded. There are French school groups and a few "flag" groups. Versailles, like most of the French historical sites, are really recreation. The period of 1790 to 1880 was not kind to the preservation of the contents of these great buildings and homes.
So the furniture, paintings, wall coverings and sculptures are not originals, often on loan. The furniture gives you a feeling of the opulence of the period. But, the furnishings do not really do justices to the rooms.
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The "Hall of Mirrors" is impressive. It is smaller than you than expect. The great hall in the Louvre is more impressive in length and height. Compared to a visit the Lamps Plus, the "Hall" is tame .When you remember that mirrors were still rare and expensive in 1700 and these are floor to ceiling.
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It is the history that takes hold. You can sense how these buildings and this hall must have overwhelmed. What can advantage that Louis had when dealing with friends and enemies. Anything was possible for a man who could have this.
The French never lost a war. Or, at least, they never documented any. As you pass into a huge hall with vast paintings of military history (victories), you notice that the early kings were military men. The early kings lead from the front. As the centuries, the kings lead at the end of the conflict. At the end, the generals win the battle.
What surprised me was that Napoleon is so prominent at Versailles . His victories and carination are well advertised. Napoleon did begin the restoration of Versailles and Napoleon is definitely a national hero.
Two distinctly different perspective of Napoleon. The British and French. Greatness is not necessary resolved with time.
Our lunch was at Angelina's. Angelina's is famous for their deserts. Baguettes and desert and an opportunity to sit down. When you visit Versailles plan to stand and walk a great deal. I cannot imagine how crowded and difficult it is too move around in the height of tourist season.
The Queen's chamber are closed. The apartments of two of Louis' spinster daughters are open. If you want a strange and sad story, I would read about Louise and Sophie. To be princesses is not fun.
Finally, we walk the Gardens at Versailles. The gardens live up to their reputation. Size does not describe them. Even on a somewhat cold and windy day, they are beautiful and splendid.
We walk. John leads. We seek the small palace that Louis XVI built in the Gardens for a homesick Marie Antoinette. Styled as an Austrian country home, the retreat is neither small or rustic. Louis built a small Austrian village near by to help Marie feel more comfortable during the transition to the queen of France. And, you thought Walt Disney thought of that first.
We walk the gardens which mover from formal to informal to managed wild. There is crafted "ruin" with water and a trail which apparently leads nowhere since we all get lost.
It is the end of the day, we take our final walk and discover that a portion of the gardens are still part of the real world. There is a park which most likely is adjacent to the Gardens but for practical purposes of the experience. We walk by parents following their kids. Ladies walking small dogs. Men running. They say "bonjour". No tourist would be here.
People live in those buildings. Versailles is obviously upper middle class. People do People things even when the view from the kitchen window is a Palace.
We are home. I fall asleep after a short meal. Kids wake me up at about 10:30 to go for Falafel and Nutella filled crepes.
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