We had not pre-registered for the optional Palace of Versailles tour. We talked about it when we were planning the trip and had decided that we could visit Versailles on a future trip to Paris. Our new friends Alan and Lyn were going and said we should join them. We talked about it some more and decided that, since it had never made it onto our previous itineraries to France, it probably wouldn't in the future either, so this was probably the best chance of getting there. So yesterday evening we signed up.
We went by coach early (8 AM) and arrived before the crowds. We had some time to explore the gardens before our scheduled entry time. It was a good thing, too, because after the tour it was raining. The gardens of this UNESCO World Heritage Site were probably the loveliest part of the tour. The site began as the hunting pavilion of Louis XIII and was expanded by his son Louis XIV, who moved the court and government here in 1682. It continued to be embellished by successive kings up until 1792 when the French Revolution forced Louis XVI to flee to Paris. It became a museum in the 19th century.
The outside of the Royal Chapel was being renovated and was draped by a cloth printed as a replica of the inside. We saw only a small fraction of the 2,300 rooms. We began with the King's State Apartments, the Hercules Room, the Royal Chapel, the Mercury Room, the Hall of Mirrors where the Treaty of Versailles was signed, and many more over-the-top rooms.
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| Light fixture in the stairway |
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| Royal Chapel |
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| The Mercury Room |
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| Hall of Mirrors |
We had some free time but it was raining and we had already explored the gardens. No problem. We saw signs for Ladurée and Angelina, two of our favorite shops in Paris. Who knew they would have branch locations at Versailles? We had chocolat chaud at Angelina (still delicious despite the paper cups). We did not have any pastries, tempting though they were.
We had some more time, so I did a quick walk through of Louis XV's daughters' Apartments. The Queen's Apartments and the Dauphin and Dauphine's Apartments were closed for renovations.
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| Madame Victoire's Library |
When we left, the lines were long and the parking lot was full, just as our guide had predicted. We got back to the boat in time for lunch and then left at 2:00 for our included tour: Napoleon's Chateau de Malmaison. This was his final residence in France before his exile to Elba. His wife Josephine purchased it in 1799 and lived there until her death in 1814. Like Versailles, the gardens were what I enjoyed the most.
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| Chambre de l'Empereur |
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| Bedroom of Empress Josephine Bonaparte |
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| Chambre Ordinaire |
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| Salle á Manger |
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| Salle du Conseil |
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| Bibliotheque |
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| Salon Dore |
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| Salon de Musique |
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| Black swans of Malmaison |
We were back on board by 6 before the boat departed Le Pecq for Vernon. We joined Captain Julien and Hotel Manager Alexandra for a welcome toast, followed by the port talk by Lionel. I believe it was this night (but it might have been the next night) that I left early to stake out our table in the restaurant. It seems there are other passengers with the same idea. Funny, it isn't as if there are not enough seats, but I suppose people want to sit by a window. We were more interested in getting Dobo's table. It was a very full day so we opted to forego the evening entertainment in the lounge.
