Category: Versailles

Well, we bought our tickets at the campsite so that we could avoid the queues and travelled by bus to the Palace of Versailles. The weather has changed from nice and sunny to cold and windy hence the use of the bus.

We queued for around 15 minutes to get through the baggage check, then ticket control and finally the real security check before getting into the main building. Having opted for the audio guide, we were relieved to find that the cost of them is included in the ticket.

Wow, what a place. The size and splendour of the place is truly awesome (I don’t use that word often ‘cos it often means ‘ordinary’).

The interior of the palace was rather dark so I didn’t take very many photos, I just gawped in awe at the wealth of the place. Every room was adorned with oil paintings; handmade furniture littered the place; I hate to think how much it all would have cost. All I can say is “comment le autre moitier vecu” (how the other half lived), no wonder the aristocracy were very soon to lose their heads.

Here is a small sample of the photos I did take:

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Off on holidays yet again, and again it’s off to France we go. This time we have decided to be culture vultures, at least for the first few days,  and head for the Huttopia campsite in Versailles from where we will visit the renowned Palace of Versailles.

Locating the campsite was harder than I had thought, but if we will insist on ignoring the  sat-nav announcements, we should expect no better. Driving the van around some of these Paris/Versailles streets is hair- raising to say the least.

Anyway, finally we find the campsite after a journey of around 3 hours from Caen, and we quickly settle in and switch on  the TV and Satellite, only to find that it’s bust. The aerial is stuck in its extended position and will have to be lowered manually. This is a disaster – no CBeeBies to watch, no cringlingly embarrassing interviews with Diane Abbott – how will we spend the evenings without TV reception? Good job we brought the Scrabble and a few books along (as well as the mobile broadband dongle for internet access).

Next morning it’s off to visit Versailles Palace gardens. The Palace building is closed on Mondays, but the gardens are open and it’s free to visit, so we unload the bikes and head there for the day.

The gardens are absolutely spectacular. Here are a few photos of what we saw there:

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