En route to Versailles, we were told that there was a strike going on. As a result, some trains weren’t operating for the day. Strikes are common in Europe – you’ll get used to the frustration of knowing it only on the day itself and having to shift your departure time at the very last minute. We walked fast to keep up with the troop because we were already running late and we couldn’t afford to miss our next train, which was due to arrive in minutes.
But at some point along the way, we got separated. We also found that the couple of us who were left behind, were not given the train tickets. Alas, we missed the train we were supposed to be on. Abdul, the guide who was with us, calmly explained the situation to the personnel. And lucky for us, we were allowed entrance without any tickets.
Been quite a morning, but the château and the city awaits.
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| Sprawling greens of Jardins du château de Versailles |
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| Warming our freezing selves up with coffee & gaufres au chocolat |
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| Meet our starving palace aristo-cat. Fed her some meat because she kept rubbing against our legs for food. She lunged towards this piece of ham and pawed through it ravenously like a prized rat. |
We were here during the day to visit the Château de Versailles, which was in all honesty, pretty darn fancy. The only things I know about this city, is that this is where the treaty to end World War I was made, where the nobles, clergy and clerks gather, and where my favourite French band, Phoenix, was born. I was stoked to be there to explore the majestic château and learn more about its history, besides pretending that the entire palace was ours for the day.
We traipsed around the expansive château like royalty as the classical music played softly in the background. My favourite part has to be the gardens, where I felt crushingly small in the middle of the sprawling, resplendent green. I’ve never seen a garden so immense. They even have a train and electric cars we could rent to tour around the garden. But we braved through it all by walking in the cold weather which was dipping to a low 8 degrees, and sauntered around the grounds for the rest of the day.
As the sky steadily swallowed all the grey, we took the train back to Paris, before the proverbial rain could fall on our parade. We left Versailles with a memory of it being a place for the aristocrats and the nouveau riche, a place where my friends and I freezed our butts off and danced to Pharrell’s ‘Happy’ at various spots in hopes of warming ourselves up (and because it’s only apt), and a sprawling garden that could give the hedge maze in Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire a run for its money.
Versailles, you’ve been dazzling, but for now, au revoir!
The Book Jacket 