PARIS – France (Tues 10 Nov)

Today we went to Versailles, 21 kms South West of Paris. This is the site of the grandest and most famous Chateaux in the whole of France, and even on a cold Autumns day, the numbers going through the gates showed how popular it is. It served as the Capital and Royal court for over a century, until the revolutionary mobs dragged out Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette to have their heads lopped off. But there wasn’t much in there about that. It was mostly about Louis XIV (the Sun King) who had this place built to project the power, wealth, and ambition of the French monarchy.

The main Palace is 580m long, with several wings projecting off this, each with an array of halls, corridors, and bed chambers. The scale of this place is impressive, although walking through we had the impression of how completely over the top it is.

After being astounded by the sheer opulence of the palace, we moved into the grounds. These also have several minor palaces and buildings that housed Queens, Princesses, and of course the King’s mistresses. There is also a small village within the grounds, where the Queen would dress up as a shepherdess and play with a small flock of groomed and perfumed lambs! The grounds are huge with formal gardens, woods, longs stretches of water, and towering waterfalls. This place is crazy. But this was home to Kings, Queens, and their 20,000 support staff who lived here.

After spending the day here we came away with the feeling that we have seen quite enough of these places. We caught the train back into the real world, back in to Paris, watching the homeless setting up their beds in the Metro stations. The fake beggars have gone back to their homes by now, it is too late, too dark and too cold. The real beggars are still on the street corners and you wonder how they come to be here. Have they always been on the poverty line? Do they have families? Have they recently become jobless? Whatever their story, the city moves past and throws them the occasional euro.