Back to Versailles

Wednesday May 11th

Well, it’s hard to believe but we only have seven (!) days left in Paris.  Just last week it still felt like we had such a long time left.  Katie and I both experienced some home sicknesses after my mom left.  It had been a busy time with Paul here and then Mom here, and then boom we were all alone again.  It felt like such a long time still in Paris, and then all our travels afterwards. But a week has gone by and now we are staring at the end of our time here.  Next Thursday we leave to visit some friends in Germany for five days, then five days in Switzerland, and we finish up with two weeks in Italy.  I think that time will really fly, and Paul will be with us in Italy.  Hard to believe that the time is passing so quickly. We have really enjoyed living in Paris, and I would come back again is a heartbeat.  I feel that with just six more months I could become fluent in French!

We have planned out our last few days here in Paris, with a mix of repeats of favorite activities, and some things we just haven’t gotten to yet.  Today we went back to Versailles.  The gardens are free on weekdays, but there is no music and the fountains aren’t on.  The gardens are definitely prettier with the fountains on, but it was still a very nice place to spend a warm sunny spring day.  We brought a picnic with us, baguettes with jambon and gruyere, chips and a lemon tartlet (that we bought at McDonalds). Really, the McDonalds are quite upscale here. I know our McDonalds at home doesn’t sell tartlets!  We ate dessert first on the banks of the grand canal.

After desert, we were full so we put lunch on hold and wandered around the far reaches of the gardens, walking past Grand Trianon (the retreat from the palace) and Petit Trianon (Marie Antoinette’s abode). We looked for a letterbox outside Petit Trianon, but after searching for a while for the one near Grand Trianon I ended up in the French equivalent of Stinging Nettles and abandoned the search.  Hours later my leg is still irritated and red.

We then went over to the Jardin du Roi (Garden of the King), found the letterbox that eluded us last time,  and ate the rest of our lunch. We were in a remote corner and for over an hour got away with being on the grass under a tree, pretending we were Royal.  Eventually though someone yelled at us to get of the grass and onto a bench.  It wasn’t marked stay off the grass (well at least right there it wasn’t)   but we followed instructions and moved to a bench. That wasn’t nearly so delightful, but we were ready to go anyway so we headed home after a lovely French afternoon.