Saturday, May 23, 2009

Versailles...

Versailles. What can we say about this massive building? First of all, it is massive. Like, ridiculously massive. Yet even so, the throngs of people waiting to get in seem to dwarf it. Erica and I waited in line to buy our tickets for two hours (in the rain!), before being told that we now had to wait in another line just to get in. We were in this line, which included a security check, for about 20 or 30 minutes, and then we waited in another line to get our handheld audio guides of the chateau. It was at this point that we were just ready to be done with the whole experience. But it was only just beginning.


The exhibits were not very well organized, and the audio guides left much to be desired. Consequently, we spent a lot of time just looking around the rooms trying to figure out what the significance of everything might be. To top it all off, the rooms were absolutely packed with people. There were many times when you simply couldn't move from one room to another, and the atmosphere was suffocating. All these things together took all of the enjoyment out of the experience for us, and when it was all over we were just so glad to be out of the place.


While the building was a chore to get through, the gardens that extend out behind it were a different story. By the time we got outside, it had stopped raining and the sun was shining. And it was free to get into the gardens after 5:30 pm (they turn off all the fountains and close off many of the areas). It reminded me a lot of the Schoß Charlottenburg gardens (which were an imitation of Versailles's gardens), but a lot bigger with tons of fountains and sculptures. We took a bunch of pictures, but I'm not sure it is possible to convey the expanse of these gardens in pictures. It was nice to just stroll around this beautiful area and enjoy the centuries-old ornamentations. I even think I fell asleep for a little bit when I laid down by the large lake.


When we tried to enter the metro (subway) on the way back home, Erica had to be let through the turnstiles by a French woman who very nicely let her go through with her. This was because Erica's metro ticket has been malfunctioning ever since she got it. We bought 5-day Paris Visité passes at the train station when we first arrived, and we have to insert them into a turnstile at the entrance to every metro station we enter. Mine always works fine and the doors open, but Erica's hasn't been letting her through. It says her ticket is invalid. We're going to have to talk to a metro person tomorrow and see if we can't get her a new one. Hopefully she won't have to buy another one!


Tomorrow is a big day. In the morning, we're going to visit Sacre Coeur, a church that sits on one of Paris's highest hills and overlooks the city. We're hoping to catch a choir rehearsal at 9:45 am. I read online that this is open to the public, but we'll have to see if this is actually true. Then we're off to the Louvre! We're going to spend tons of time in there, and probably spend the evening in the Jardin des Tuileries, the main garden that extends out from the courtyard of the Louvre, and touring the Champs-Élysées, one of the world's most famous streets. We're very excited!





1 comment:

  1. Hey guys..........just got back from lake tyler...no computer there and couldn't wait to read the blog..............once again I am truly entralled with all your adventures and can't wait to hear more on Thursday.....you guys seem to be having an amazing time....!!!
    Love,MOM

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