Friday 8th May
Both sleep very well but eventually woken up by the rowdy Dutch who are saying their goodbye’s right outside our motor home – then to cap it all they start singing about a boiler!
Today we are due to go to Versailles – a place I have wanted to go and see for many years. Head off after breakfast and whilst only 12 miles away takes about half an hour to get there.
On arrival we find out that the Palace is right in the heart of the town and have difficulty parking: first of all try the coach car park but get beeped at so carry on round to the car park, but hey guess what; there is a height barrier (2.5m), which we cannot get under. So we carry on round following the other car park signs but the next one is an underground car park. This has all the hallmarks of Freiberg so we decide to go round and try the coach park again. Eventually drive round but it costs €53 for a coach so we decide not to park there and go round to where we saw some cars parked on the edge of the road but no, the kerb is too high and now we are heading out of Versailles, turn around and head back – both of us pretty tense and pissed off, feels like another letter to Sarkozy as neither of us can believe that there is no where for a motor home to park – sacre bleu!
Head round again and find on street parking and manage to squeeze Hymie in the last space, about 300 yards from the entrance to the palace – only problem is we can only park here for a maximum of 2-hours. Really fed up now and start to head back, get caught up in a parade – it appears that 8th May is a national holiday here. Get diverted and follow signs for an alternative car park but end up going down another street and get caught up in the parade again – decide to do a 5 point turn in Hymie, much to the annoyance of the Frenchwoman behind me who clearly doesn’t understand that there’s no where for her to go as the traffic is stopped – hey you know the French see a space they want to get in it.
This finally is it so we decide to head back and go into Paris and go to the restaurant that we wished we had gone to on Thursday – only thing is I’m running out of fuel, fortunately I recall a petrol station on the way in to Versailles.
Pull in to petrol station – height limit 3m and we just squeeze in only to find that it is unmanned and only accepts cards and as we all know English credit cards are not accepted in French petrol stations unless they are on the Auto route – sacre f***ing bleu again.
Anyhow, we have enough fuel to get us back and we then head up to the station – same request as yesterday but get charged more but still receive four tickets.
Train arrives shortly after and head for le Chatelet les Halles, where we change for the Metro to St. Michel.
Arrive and head for the restaurant, slight confusion as to which one it was as today there is no one outside whereas yesterday it was heaving – slight crises of confidence and the maitre’d of the Italian next door tries to tempt us in but we have the courage of our convictions and stick with the French one and sit outside.
With passable French we make ourselves understood and understand the menu and order mozzarella and tomato and mushrooms and garlic, both fantastic followed by steak and scallops and filet of fishy, again pretty magnificent – this is the one redeeming quality of the French and France, sitting outside with a bottle of Sancerre and delicious food.
It is pleasantly warm and incredible relaxing, the only slight downside is the number of French who smoke – sacre bleu – four bikers next to us who not only smoke a lot the two men had a pastis and the best part of a bottle of wine. In the Italian next door there are two women and one of them is chain smoking, no sooner does she put one out then she lights up another. I love people watching.
Well the French bikers all have starters but the woman forgo main courses for cigarettes, and then they all have dessert. We also have dessert profiteroles de maison and crème brulee, followed by café / tea. A perfect lunch, just warm enough to sit outside, great food and a decent bottle of wine.
Don’t intend to do any sightseeing this afternoon so head back to the metro and then RER back to Maisons la-fitte. Oh, the tickets we used on the way in still work for both the metro and the RER on the way back – so what were the other two tickets for?
Intention is to get some bread and cheese for tea but as we mentioned today is a national holiday and the fromagerie and even the supermarche is closed. Fortunately I found a boulangerie / patisserie that has the most fantastic selection of jewel like cakes and macaroons and even though we have already had a sweet buy a tarte citron and a Kani – raspberries and cream in a pink heart shaped macaroon – delicious.
Both sleep very well but eventually woken up by the rowdy Dutch who are saying their goodbye’s right outside our motor home – then to cap it all they start singing about a boiler!
Today we are due to go to Versailles – a place I have wanted to go and see for many years. Head off after breakfast and whilst only 12 miles away takes about half an hour to get there.
On arrival we find out that the Palace is right in the heart of the town and have difficulty parking: first of all try the coach car park but get beeped at so carry on round to the car park, but hey guess what; there is a height barrier (2.5m), which we cannot get under. So we carry on round following the other car park signs but the next one is an underground car park. This has all the hallmarks of Freiberg so we decide to go round and try the coach park again. Eventually drive round but it costs €53 for a coach so we decide not to park there and go round to where we saw some cars parked on the edge of the road but no, the kerb is too high and now we are heading out of Versailles, turn around and head back – both of us pretty tense and pissed off, feels like another letter to Sarkozy as neither of us can believe that there is no where for a motor home to park – sacre bleu!
Head round again and find on street parking and manage to squeeze Hymie in the last space, about 300 yards from the entrance to the palace – only problem is we can only park here for a maximum of 2-hours. Really fed up now and start to head back, get caught up in a parade – it appears that 8th May is a national holiday here. Get diverted and follow signs for an alternative car park but end up going down another street and get caught up in the parade again – decide to do a 5 point turn in Hymie, much to the annoyance of the Frenchwoman behind me who clearly doesn’t understand that there’s no where for her to go as the traffic is stopped – hey you know the French see a space they want to get in it.
This finally is it so we decide to head back and go into Paris and go to the restaurant that we wished we had gone to on Thursday – only thing is I’m running out of fuel, fortunately I recall a petrol station on the way in to Versailles.
Pull in to petrol station – height limit 3m and we just squeeze in only to find that it is unmanned and only accepts cards and as we all know English credit cards are not accepted in French petrol stations unless they are on the Auto route – sacre f***ing bleu again.
Anyhow, we have enough fuel to get us back and we then head up to the station – same request as yesterday but get charged more but still receive four tickets.
Train arrives shortly after and head for le Chatelet les Halles, where we change for the Metro to St. Michel.
Arrive and head for the restaurant, slight confusion as to which one it was as today there is no one outside whereas yesterday it was heaving – slight crises of confidence and the maitre’d of the Italian next door tries to tempt us in but we have the courage of our convictions and stick with the French one and sit outside.
With passable French we make ourselves understood and understand the menu and order mozzarella and tomato and mushrooms and garlic, both fantastic followed by steak and scallops and filet of fishy, again pretty magnificent – this is the one redeeming quality of the French and France, sitting outside with a bottle of Sancerre and delicious food.
It is pleasantly warm and incredible relaxing, the only slight downside is the number of French who smoke – sacre bleu – four bikers next to us who not only smoke a lot the two men had a pastis and the best part of a bottle of wine. In the Italian next door there are two women and one of them is chain smoking, no sooner does she put one out then she lights up another. I love people watching.
Well the French bikers all have starters but the woman forgo main courses for cigarettes, and then they all have dessert. We also have dessert profiteroles de maison and crème brulee, followed by café / tea. A perfect lunch, just warm enough to sit outside, great food and a decent bottle of wine.
Don’t intend to do any sightseeing this afternoon so head back to the metro and then RER back to Maisons la-fitte. Oh, the tickets we used on the way in still work for both the metro and the RER on the way back – so what were the other two tickets for?
Intention is to get some bread and cheese for tea but as we mentioned today is a national holiday and the fromagerie and even the supermarche is closed. Fortunately I found a boulangerie / patisserie that has the most fantastic selection of jewel like cakes and macaroons and even though we have already had a sweet buy a tarte citron and a Kani – raspberries and cream in a pink heart shaped macaroon – delicious.
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