12 Oct Sat - Wow! Fantastic day at Palace of Versailles

We had our rail tickets, our wonderful guide for transport (Emma), consumed a hearty breakfast and were off and away to Versailles.
When we were just about to swap from Metro to the RER, Emma suggested we should check we were going to the correct line.  Would you believe the RER was closed for maintenance so we had to back track through the wave of stations and go on another line?  (No drama with our intrepid guide and fantastic interpreter(the other J!))

Then we arrived - not at the 'Pearly gates of Heaven' but at the 'Golden Gates'  of the Palace of Versailles'See link Chateau of Versailles

This was the start of our super wonderful day in probably the most lavish, opulent, extravagant and extensive area that we have ever sighted. We thought we were prepared for it but we severely underestimated what was there.

We thought we had even 'done our homework' before our trip by watching the DVD "The rise and fall of Versailles" Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI..............

Inside the Palace

It was 'just like home' - not ours - but the home of the Sun God.

Of course, we had to rest and have lunch - entree and desserts before leaving the Palace (the main Palace that is).  We had the pleasure of being served by this very amicable French waiter.

For some reason, I suggested that Emma and I pose here - the younger one far more successful than yours truly you was almost falling over:

Then we went out to the Gardens - and the 'smaller' Palaces.  As far as the eye could see - and then there was even more when you arrived there.  It was absolutely incredible!

And of course, we saw a couple more brides - in different places at the Palace of Versailles:

Last night in Paris

We had spent hours at Versailles ( and still hadn't seen everything!) and arrived back in Paris without mishap but really quite exhausted.

In the courtyard of our Hotel

 

No, I had not been drinking at this stage! It was the chair!

After a walk around our suburb we had a main course at a not so great place and then returned to the Acrobatic Cow for desserts - as you do on your last night in Paris!

Brioche in eggy bread style with maple syrup and pecan nuts ( I could have this any day!)

 Chocolate moelleux cake - too rich for Emma and I.  We had to get Jonathan to finish.

Speculoos mascarpone (Again; such a chore that I would undertake again - any time.)

It was a wonderful way to finish our last night in Paris and Emma took this lovely image: