FRANCE - HOLIDAY - VERSAILLES!!

2/9/2010

We stopped at Vernon for 2 nights because we wanted to visit Versailles and Giverny (which was 5 minutes away). The first day we decided to go to Versailles because its such a huge place we thought we may as well spend the day there, and then have a couple of hours at Giverny the day after and before heading off to La Mothe.

Best breakfast ever!

After our incredible breakfast (which was served in out rooms), we set of towards Paris and the Palace at Versailles. After and hours drive we got there and after a rather pesky dalliance with a parking metre we walked up the massive drive to the Palace. We approached Versaille from the garden first so our first impression of the place was of the huge landscaped gardens and masses of nearly naked statues with strategically placed robes/fig leaves that were spread all over the garden. As first impressions go it wasn't a bad one! From the top of the steps you look down the grande promenade to the two square lakes at the bottom, its an incredible view, I'm glad I'm not one of the gardeners who works there!

We then walked around the front of the Palace and queued up to go inside, the best part was that because we were under 26 we count as students and so got free entry, thus saving ourselves about 12 euros - woo! The palace is huge (as it should be the king of France did live there after all) and they are restoring all the gilt/gold fixtures on the top of the roofs and the gate. In all honesty I think it looks horrible, far too bright, but hey its not my palace so who am I to complain.

Lucy and Ellen outside the front gates

Versailles

The mirror gallery

The Hall of Battles

After we had walked all the way around the palace and visited the gift shop ( the best part!) and tempted Ellen away from the macaroons, we walked through the garden and down to the lakes at the bottom. Lucy had pretty sever sun stroke by this point so went to sit in the shade while Ellen and I decided to be adventurous and rented a rowing boat.

One of the lakes

Its fair to say I am a bad rower. I'd never rowed before, so we went round in circles for most of the time, and when we got stuck at the edge, had to have advice yelled at us by a friendly maybe american tourist. He did offer to row us back across the lake though.

After that we went home as Lucy was quite ill.

Me in a rowing boat