Versailles (Last Day)

Well that's it folks last day is almost done.....

The king said "I want a new palace."
Great said the courtiers, where would you like it?

"Versailles"
"Great place you Maj, how about this design"
"Non, do not like that, put it zere"
"But you Maj that's on top of the village"
"I do not care, knock it down"
"But your Maj the peasants, where will they live"
"I do not care, raise the taxes, that should keep them happy"

"Oh, and while your at it, build the Queen a village so she can play at being a peasant"

Seriously this was the beginning of the end of the French Monachary.
Where the Louvre was a sodding great big palace, the Chaetau at Versailles was modest, but the gardens were extravagant!

The main gardens are rather large, and the you find out about where Marie Anntoinette used to play, let's build a whole play village for the Queen to pretent she's not royalty. Not quite so formal as the main palace......

Getting to Versailles was suprisingly easy, buying your entry and train ticket at the metro office is a real bonus. Bea and I were first in line in the "Avec billets" line. What the guide books fail to tell you, other than "Arrive early to avoid the crowds" is that the crowds don't turn up until 12:00 as that's the time the places really opens, until then it's just the Chaetau. I'll tell you Beas was less than amused at this occurance.

The security arrangement vary on a minute by minute basis, one person is told to hand their bag over for storage while in the building, the very next one does not even have it looked at.

Even while looking round the Chaetau you cannot help thinking that the reason the French have no Monarchy is that the King was bloody stupid and thought the only reason the world existed was to serve him. The French people hates this and so chopped his head off...... trouble is they all individually think the world is theirs.

Take crossing the road, do not hestitate as a pedestrian crossing, the average French man, steps confidently out and everything stops, try that as a Pommie, your history, as an Ozzie you'll get away with it.

Places to eat, try this one:
Au Beaulolais
9, rue Gregorie de Tours
75006