That’s the last
French you’ll hear from me today. I had booked Versailles online for our first
day in Paris as I’ve wanted to visit it since I was a teenager, and didn’t want
to miss it again!
I was awake early
(4am), but didn’t get out of bed till 8am- breakkie time! Maguy had prepared us
a delicious breakfast of fresh baguettes from her favourite boulangerie, with
real butter, three Bonne Maman jams, honey as well as juice and coffee- what
more could an exhausted traveller want?
After breakfast,
we started to head off to Versailles, but didn’t have a clue where we were
going so asked Maguy, who wrote down exactly how to get there. First we walked
down to our nearest Metro station, Charonne and bought a book of ten tickets for
€13.70, and caught the metro to Alma-Marceau.
I actually asked for two books (in French) so obviously my French is not up to
scratch! We had to change here and take the RER to Versailles. What she didn’t
tell us was when we emerged from the Metro, we would be right across the river
from the Eiffel Tower! What a wonderful surprise! The top of the tower was
shrouded in cloud but it was still beautiful. We found a board with a map and
found the RER was across the river, so off we went across le Pont de l’Alma to
the station and bought tickets to Versailles. €3.45 one way! Bargain!
A while later, no
idea how long, we pulled into Versailles Rive Gauche station and followed the
sings to Versailles. First impression: disappointment. It was nothing like I had imagined it to be!
Nevertheless, we continued up to the gate all the while being hassled by guys
selling crappy Eiffel tower key-rings, scarves, etc who wouldn’t take no for an
answer. Not a good introduction to Versailles!
Everything was being
put through the scanner, except they saw my stick and waved me straight
through. Obviously, the old and decrepit
cannot possibly be terrorists.
We wandered through
the Royal Apartments, and the Hall of Mirrors before having a bite to eat and
heading out to the gardens, all of which left me unimpressed. Have I seen too
many palaces lately? Yes, it was huge and decadently royal, but I wouldn’t want
to live here even if I were a queen! Maybe it’s all about expectations. I’m
always telling myself not to have high expectations and you’ll never be
disappointed. Since I was a teenager, I had very high expectations of
Versailles and consequently suffered huge disappointment.
Lunch at the Café
d’Orleans was equally disappointing. It was the cheaper option of the two
eateries, Angelina Restaurant looked posh and expensive. Keeley ordered a donut
for €2.50, the cheapest thing in the cabinet, and judged it the worst donut she
had ever eaten, including the stale ones I used to get reduced at Coles! It
must have been bad. Pies were also on
offer for €9.90, obviously for British visitors! An American sat down beside us
with two donuts. We didn’t wait till he bit into them- we were outta there!
The gardens- oh my-
how do I begin to describe the smell? What’s the worst smell you can imagine?
Pure unadulterated cat piss! It wasn’t just me. Keeley wrapped her scarf over
her nose and breathed through her mouth, but couldn’t escape the all-pervading
odour. I am sick now just thinking of it. No one else seemed to be suffering so
we must both have an acute sense of smell and recognize cat pee when we smell
it. Anyway, enough negativity. Oh, not quite. On our way, back to the station,
we called into Macca’s as they had a huge sign outside saying wifi now
available here, and we thought we’d have a coffee and check in. Keeley ordered
the coffees. I got not one, but two espressos, neither of which I could drink.
Keeley drank her hot chocolate, which was supposed to be iced chocolate, after
asking for wifi. I’d love to repeat her conversation asking for wifi, but it
left us both in hysterics- the upshot of it being there WAS no wifi!
Keeley picked up a
Paris map from the Bureau de Tourisme, and read it on the train home. We
decided we might as well stop off at the Eiffel Tower since it was only
3.30pm. We hopped off the train just
before the Eiffel Tower, tried out a free automatic toilet, and lined up to
wait for the lift to the top. And wait we did- for over two hours! My feet
started to get cold, and finally went numb. I was alternately leaning on my
stick, and running on the spot. Keeley stood a little distance away- I don’t
blame her!
At long last, it was
our turn to enter the lift. Now, those who know me, will know I don’t like
lifts, chairlifts, cable cars, or funiculars of any sort and this was no exception.
I HAD to do it though, as there was no way I could walk up those stairs in the
freezing cold and pitch black!
It was totally
terrifying and Keeley’s monologue didn’t help at all. I got close, but I didn’t
cry. At last we reached the first platform, obly to have to get in another lift,
more terrifying than the first. This one went straight up! 78 seconds of hell,
it was all I could do to not scream! I am so brave! I wanted to buy a T-shirt
saying I made it to the top of the Eiffel Tower!
Amazing view from the
top, which I looked at for a few seconds, walked around the platform, was sure
I could feel it swaying, before wanting to put my feet on terra firma.
So down, down, down
we went. This time I just closed my eyes. Bugger the view! Totally exhausted
both physically and emotionally by this time, we trudged back to the Metro via
the David Ben Gurion Esplanade, a lovely walking bridge across the Seine.
And what do you know?
To end a perfect day, the Metro was chock-a block. We couldn’t even squeeze
onto the first one, and waited for another, which was no better, but managed to
hop on, and squeeze our bodies out of the way of the closing doors.
We found our way back
to our airbnb even though we both thought it was in the opposite direction,
went straight to the supermarket to buy dinner: mac and cheese for me,
tortellini for Keeley. We bought a
bottle of wine, but neither of us had the energy to take the cork out! We had
pineapple juice with dinner instead. Not the best day, all in all, but if you
asked me if I enjoyed Paris more than I did last time, my answer would be an
emphatic yes!
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