Let Them Eat Cake--or Macarons!

We'd spent the morning touring Paris by bus. For the afternoon, we had signed up for an optional tour of the Palace of Versailles just outside the city.

In the first installment, we explained why this blog is called "Following the Duck"--based on the duck-handled umbrella our guide used when we toured Switzerland. With Viking River Cruises, we'd have to learn to follow something else, however--we'd be "Following the Lollipop." For each of our excursions, we'd be assigned to a small group, and our local guide would carry a bright red paddle shaped like a lollipop to try and keep us organized.

David, ever ready to lead, even got to hold the lollipop as we arrived and our guide went to check on our tickets!

"Follow the Lollipop!"

I was a history major and thought I knew a fair amount about the Palace, Louis XIV, the French Revolution, Marie Antoinette, etc. Hadn't I seen the Sofia Coppola movie? However, I would learn much more about the Sun King throughout our trip, and a lot of it wasn't very complimentary! More on that later!

But Versailles really is breathtaking. The opulence, the soaring ceilings, the crystal chandeliers, and the Hall of Mirrors were all a little overwhelming. David was unfazed. Looking out over the grounds outside the palace, at the view referred to as "The Grand Aspect," he remarked, "I could live here. Look! It's got a pond, and I could go fishing." 

The Grand Aspect/David's Fishing Hole

Once inside the palace, words just don't do it justice, so I'll share some photos:

The Hall of Mirrors

On the way out of the Palace, an alcove holds a wonderful surprise--a small boutique: Maison Laduree, one of the original purveyors of French macarons. Did we buy some? Oh, yes we did!

And that evening, we ventured out for another wonderful French meal, this time at Chez Clement, where we shared dinner and managed a reasonably intelligible conversation with a French couple seated next to us! Tomorrow, we depart for Trier, Germany, where we will board our river barge, the Viking Odin.