Versailles: October 2
Michael J. Starke's 1612 Overture
Sunday morning was time to leave the Loire Valley and head for Paris, so we were up early and on the road by 7:15. We must have left the sun, too, for it was overcast all day.
We drove to Chartres to see the famous cathedral, which was indeed impressive. When traveling in Europe it is easy to overdo the cathedral visits but many of them are quite amazing.
We continued on to Versailles (Louis's home, not Happy Chandler's) which was mobbed with Sunday visitors. We took a couple guided tours of the royal theater and the queen's private quarters; then wandered about with the masses. I especially liked the Hall of Mirrors, picturing Wilson, Lloyd George, Orlando, and Clemenceau in that big room dictating the terms of the Peace Treaty that gave birth to Hitler. The fountains in the gardens are on between 4 and 6 PM so we chose that time to admire these fabulous grounds. They are so huge it takes hours to see them all...beautifully laid out, with fountains everywhere. Really a great sight. We would like to see Versailles again, perhaps on a day with fewer people and starting a bit earlier in the day.
We had planned on finding a hotel in town and then driving the last few miles to Paris on Monday morning. But the town was so crowded with the Sunday hordes and the traffic so hectic, that Al just drove away from the mess.
We drove to St Cloud, a town just across the Seine from Paris, but couldn't find a hotel...I mean literally...we kept driving around and didn't see anyplace to stay. We hadn't had lunch and it was already supper time so we stopped for me to buy a pastry. As I was doing so, Al asked the clerk if she knew of a hotel. A customer overheard the question and in perfect English told us he'd lead us to one in his car. When we got there it was full. He insisted on driving us to another, which had a room for the night. Then he took his pastries, accepted our thanks, and went home. What a Good Samaritan! Once settled in the room, we walked a few blocks til we found a place to eat. It's name was...(drum roll)...the San Francisco Pizza Parlor! Then off to bed on the eve of our entry into Paris.
