A Tourist goes to Versailles Palace

I wondered whether it would be cold in Paris in January and whether the cold might hinder my tourist plans.
Before leaving I googled the weather trends in Paris and learned that the expected temperatures were not so cold. In fact, the temperatures were even a few degrees warmer than where I live. Nonetheless one can never be too sure and I wanted to make sure to be warm enough without packing a lot of heavy clothing. In the end I packed some walking shoes which I wore on the plane, some socks, a few long sleeved pullovers, a few pair of trousers, hat, gloves, scarf and a medium weight jacket with hood.  It was just what I needed for the weather we experienced and in the end I didn't wear all the tops I took with me. In my last post here, I mentioned that the hotel I booked was across the street from a laundromat and I made sure to do laundry the day before travelling to Kenya. That way everything in the suitcase would be fresh even though I didn't plan on wearing the same things while in Kenya.

We weren't going to be in Paris long and we quickly determined that we also wanted to take at least one day for a day trip outside of Paris. I suggested Versailles Palace and my nephew was in agreement. He researched the metro and train route and off we went. The fare was much less than taking an escorted tour to Versailles. We also booked our tickets on line. My nephew did all that and all I had to do was tag along. Thank goodness for millennials who operate on smart phones so easily and seemingly with no issues. Whenever I try to do the same it seems like I hit a technical stumbling block of one kind or another no matter how hard I try.

The trip to Versailles was very straightforward. The hard part for me was going up and down stairs at the various stations. In some places one has to go down several levels. This was very difficult for me and I had to really take my time due to my knee issues. Fortunately I had the foresight to take my accelerator walking poles with me and I made sure to take them to Versailles. I had no way of knowing just how much walking I was going to do on the palace grounds and just how useful my poles would become.

It was a drizzling, overcast day the day we travelled to Versailles but we were both excited nonetheless. I was also pleased that we had found our way on the transit system with ease and there were no mishaps along the way. I didn't take any photos during our journey as my hands were full.  The metro and trains were also very full and I didn't want any issues with theft while on the public transit. Unfortunately I was also feeling rather poorly that day and very tired though I had a full night's sleep.  I thought it was jet-lag. I didn't realize until much later that I somehow contracted a very bad cold and flu which would be with me for more than half of my journey abroad.

Reaching Versailles by train is the cheapest option. From Paris, the total cost of a round trip to Versailles is 7,1€ per person all included. The métro and RER have common ticketing. Just go to your nearest métro station, and buy your tickets to Versailles-Château – Rive Gauche. In fact when we purchased our tickets there were a few options. One could purchase from a ticket agent (with added bonus of being able to ask questions first) or purchase from a machine. I remember that the agent gave us a different stop (I cannot recall the name) to the one I gave above (picked from a website). When we got off at the stop we were across the street from a few coffee shops and we stopped to get our first cup at the Starbucks, the well known American coffee outlet. We then had to walk about 10 minutes (perhaps less) at a leisurely pace to get to the parking lot beyond which is the entrance of the palace.

As you approach the parking lot you can see the palace beyond it.  The tower in the middle which is draped with some kind of printed, beautiful covering is where the Royal Chapel is located. It is undergoing some much needed renovations to the roof and other areas.

The Palace of Versailles was declared the official royal residence in 1682 and the official residence of the court of France on May 6, 1682.  It was abandoned after the death of Louis XIV in 1715, however in 1722 it was returned to its status as royal residence.  The palace is one of the most visited historic sites in the world and receives over 10 millions visitors per year.

Land costs around $5,000 (£4k) per square meter in the town of Versailles, so the value of the palace's land alone is $40.7 billion (£33.39bn). The building itself and contents are likely to worth another $10 billion (£8.2bn), so Versailles could in all likelihood be valued at $50.7 billion (£41.59bn). (FAQ Versailles Palace 2016. References are in American dollars and British Pounds).

My nephew doesn't like his picture taken (nor do I like mine taken) but I managed to capture a few for his memory book including this one of him in the parking lot.

The photo below was taken as we walked up to the gate of the Palace. We were supposed to enter on Side A which turned out to be on the left side as we entered the main gate. Many others were lined up at Gate B. If I recall correctly this was the line for the people who signed up for guided tours. Our admission included audio guides. Security check was straightforward and I was let through with my walking poles with no questions asked. However as I made my way through the palace I was stopped more than once by various security officials and questioned about my poles. Thankfully they didn't raise a fuss when they realized I needed them for walking.

  

There is no way I can do justice to describing the palace and everything in it. I will simply show you the splendour through the photographs and some of the details that caught our eyes as we made our way through the palace. There is just so much to look at. I was mainly interested in the private areas of the palace, that is where the King would sleep or do his work and I will try to highlight those areas when I get to them (hopefully I will remember them).  Overall my nephew and I both thoroughly enjoyed seeing the grandiosity of the palace. It is nothing like I've ever seen before.

I was very happy to discover that we were visiting the palace during a special exhibition. I found this description from a Press Release

For the first time the Palace of Versailles is devoting
a major exhibition to Louis-Philippe, who turned the
former royal residence into a museum open to all and
dedicated “to all the glories of France”.
It is an important moment for the Palace in which the
former royal residence and the historic galleries created

by Louis-Philippe will henceforth cohabit in the South
and North wings The exhibition focuses on the king’s
direct involvement in the project, his interest in history
and his desire to tell the nation’s story in order to
reconcile the French with themselves and make his reign
part of that story.
In a wider sense, the exhibition invites the public to
discover 19th-century Versailles. Part of the decoration
of the Africa rooms, commissioned by Louis-Philippe,
will be revealed. Visitors will be able to discover the
Gallery of Battles, the Crusades Room, the Estates
General Room, the Coronation Chamber and the 1792
room, the last two having been specially restored for
the occasion. One of the statue galleries will be restored
to how it was in 1837. The theatre scenery produced
for the inauguration of the Historical Galleries will also

be erected on the stage of the Royal Opera House.
Finally, in the Grand Trianon, the royal family’s private
apartments, fitted out for the king’s use when he came
to oversee progress with the works to the Palace, will be
restored and refurnished.

Versailles, 7 September 2018
Press Release

These are some of the beautiful paintings that were part of the special exhibit. I believe the room with the huge paintings is called the Africa Room. I tried to temporarily place my poles out of sight under the table but I was quickly and sternly prevented from doing so by the security officials even when I offered an explanation. In retrospect I suppose what I was doing did look like a security concern and these days one cannot be too careful.

This next photo gives a good idea of the sheer size of the paintings. They literally dwarf the people who are there to view them.

This post is quite long so I will end here. More inside the palace and on the palace grounds in the next post.

Our World Tuesday

To Paris!

It's taken me awhile to get back on line to post since I wrote my last post (which you can view here if interested). The snow that fell on my first day back has melted but the forecast calls for a bit more snow.  I haven't been out very much but the sun has been shining daily.

Today I want to share some introductory remarks about my travels.  My main destination for travel was the country of Kenya and the City of Nairobi specifically. I had been planning to return to Kenya for some time but this time I also wanted to see something different either on the continent of Africa or somewhere in Europe.

My very busy nephew and I have been discussing travelling to Paris together for years. After checking the flight itinerary options from Paris to Nairobi I then asked my nephew if a few days in Paris would work for him as it coincided with the new university term.  I didn't expect a definitive 'yes' but he agreed!

Neither of us had many expectations or plans and little time to really prepare for the trip.  We both just really wanted to soak up a bit of atmosphere by sitting at the Parisian bistros and people watching. Of course a visit to the Eiffel Tower was a must for both of us and my nephew said we must visit the Louvre.

Due to his very busy schedule I investigated the travel options to find a fare within his budget and to make sure he had the appropriate insurance.  We didn't travel together. He flew with Iceland Air and I travelled with KLM, my favourite airline.  My flight left very early from Vancouver and I didn't get any sleep since I had to be at the airport  by 3 a.m.

After checking in this is the first line up in Vancouver on the way to first security clearance.

 The departure gate was at the very end of the international departure terminal, a foreshadowing of things to come.

At the departure gate in Vancouver

My flight was routed through the USA where I made a connecting flight in Minneapolis to Paris. As time got closer to departure I worried what might happen in Minneapolis because of the government shut down. Thankfully all went well and I had no problems.  In fact, I was so very impressed with the staff at the Minneapolis airport, the level of service and the professionalism yet friendliness exhibited by all.  Everyone was just superb and they take customer service seriously there. All airports should follow the lead of this fine airport.

Once at the Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, I had several hours to wait for my nephew. I didn't find any nice place to have refreshment or to relax in the terminal where I alighted.  I waited in the general area for about 30 minutes trying to see if the line at the small cafe would diminish but I eventually left and made my way closer to the terminal where I expected my nephew to arrive. Once I changed locations, I found better waiting areas and services.  Enroute to the "new' terminal I struck up a conversation with a woman from the Cameroon who now lives in Seattle, Washington.  We had a very nice conversation before we parted ways. She was over nighting in Paris and wanted to stay close by the airport before she flew home to the Cameroon for a visit.  Once I found my way to a cafe, I asked a woman if I could share her table due to limited space. She obliged and we struck up a conversation. I learned she was on her way home to her husband in Saudi Arabia after visiting her family in Paris. We studied the transit map together to find my hotel and she advised me to take a taxi to the hotel rather than go by bus and metro (there being no direct route via metro).

Map of the Paris Metro system

I spent some time investigating the transit options to the hotel before leaving Vancouver and didn't wish to spend so much money on a taxi. Neither did I want to ride the bus and metro given the inconvenience of going up and down stairs with heavy luggage and the possibility of being mugged (mentioned in several articles I'd read). When my nephew arrived we decided to take an Uber to our destination. I let him order the Uber and I willingly paid as that was part of our arrangement so he could accompany me to Paris.  The Uber driver was prompt and the ride into the city was very interesting. My nephew and I were both happy and excited to see a bit of the city through the car windows. Our driver wasn't much of a conversationalist but he was pleasant and got us to our destination. Though he got lost very near the end point it didn't take him long to find his way once again.

We booked into the Hotel Boronali a very small, family run hotel in the 18th arrondissment at 
65 Rue de Clignancourt.

 

Not my photo. This is a promotional one.

I chose this hotel because it appeared to be closer to one of the attractions I wanted to see in Montmarte and I'd read that it was one bus ride away to The Louvre.  I also selected the hotel because there was a laundromat across the street.  I planned to do laundry before jetting off to Africa since there are no do it yourself laundromats in Kenya.

We enjoyed staying at the Hotel Boronali.  The hotel was very small but nice and  staff was very professional and helpful.  But in case you wish to stay there one day please note that the hotel has no on site restaurant or bar though they do provide breakfast in the morning and coffee/tea during the day.  There is a lift but given it is a heritage building there is only room for one suitcase and one person at a time (perhaps 2 suitcases if they are stackable). There are many restaurants and bars in the neighbourhood so it isn't a big issue not to have a full scale restaurant in the hotel. There are also several convenience stores, boulangeries and small supermarkets close to the hotel and I felt very safe walking in the area.  Even late into the night though a friend of my nephew's suggested the area is not that safe. For more information about the hotel see here.

While we were there we were so very busy trying to make the most of our short time. We did miles and miles of walking every day (my nephew more than I) and we ate on the run. Thank goodness for the boulangeries.  I did not sit at any bistros as planned except on the last evening when we decided to have a proper French meal before departure. But I did have a version of an American breakfast at a bistro next to the hotel. The café crema was delicious.
 

Sorry for the blurred photo.

Thank you for stopping.

Stay tuned for more travel posts. In the next post I will share some of the things we did in Paris.