France - Wednesday (Versailles)

Again I have a bit of catching up to do, because during our stay in Versailles I didn't get much time to update my blog.  So, here goes:

Wednesday, 15 November 2017

Question: Can I really remember that far back???  I think I am going to upload my pictures to refresh my memory and tell my story afterwards.... ;-)

As our accommodation is only a 10 minute walk away it's an easy stroll to the chateau.  Unlike in high season, when you have to line up for an hour to get tickets and an other hour to enter the chateau, we get our tickets straightaway and can just walk in.  We get plenty of time and opportunity to admire all the rooms, the paintings and what else there is to see.  If you can see past the opulence it is a hell of a beautiful castle!

I have not taken many pictures (still more than enough for the blog), as I have visited twice before and took plenty of pictures then.  It gave me time to walk around more relaxed.

Scale model of the Chambre de Roy (the king's room)

The chapel seen from the first floor

At midday Patricia and I create our own opulence and have lunch at a rather expensive restaurant inside the castle. We're not quite dressed for the occasion, but nobody seemed to care. :-)

Soup: Jerusalem artichokes, bread with mascarpone and something like celery, mounted on noissettes (hazelnuts)

The weather may not have been optimal, but it is autumn and we were happy enough that it wasn't raining.  Just a bit overcast and misty.

Another restaurant, built in the former stables.  Time to sit down and take the weight of our feet.

Here we had a hot chocolate, but..... what a hot chocolate that was!  Very dark, very rich and very, very nice. ;-)

And at the end of the afternoon the sun comes out to show off the autumn leaves in their rich golden colours.  Just beautiful.  What a day!

Trying to capture these unusual birds.
Rose-ringed parakeets, accidently introduced in Paris in the 1970s and 1990s resp. 

Finally it's closing time and we reluctantly make our way home.  However, our feet are not as reluctant as the rest of our bodies and we will have so much more walking to do...

On the way home we stop at a merry-go-round and watch the little children having fun.  These merry-go-rounds are a familiar sight all around Paris and surrounds.