Friday, March 12, 2010

Versilles by Bicycle Thursday







































Thursday: Today we had a bike tour of Versailles planned. Now mind you, its much colder than we expected when we planned this trip and booked this tour. But despite the -1 degree Celcius
temperature (I think that's in the twenties) in the morning, we showed up for the tour. I was wearing as many layers as I could find in my suitcase.



Everyone else showed up as well, so we weren't the only crazy American (and Canadian) tourists. We rode through the streets of Paris for about ten minutes (carefully) and then boarded a train to Versailles. Once there, we went to a market to pick up bread, wine, cheese, fruit, and crepes for a picnic lunch.


We then rode around some of the 2000 acres of Chateau de Versailles (used to be 4000). We settled on the bank of the canal (formed in the shape of a cross, see one of my pics that looks like its looking out a bedroom window--that's the king's bedroom view) and ate our picnic lunch and drank our wine. I think our group was about 15-20, it was nice to talk to other Americans/Canadians and tourists like ourselves.


Then we got to go into the Palace. The pictures won't do it justice, just imagine every square inch of a huge palace decorated with the most expensive materials and huge famous paintings everywhere. We saw the famous hall of mirrors and King Louis (the XIV, XV and XVI) rooms, and Marie Antoinette's room. And the Gardens! I regret that it is still winter, but I could close my eyes and imagine the gardens in bloom!! All the more reason to come back to Paris...




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