I won a hotel in Versailles! winning. So obviously i booked a flights from Cardiff - Handy because the T9 is free on weekends and £5 each way in the week. The farmer's daughter in me booked a weekend flight.
We arrived in Paris, the city of love and macarons. We jumped straight on the train for a 41 minute train ride, which took over an hour, because i got a little bit cocky and showed off that i was fluent french, when really all i know is j'aime ton trou de cul, voulez vous (thanks Abba) and Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir? Which is absolutely useless when it comes to train times and train updates. Great, if you want to sleep with me tonight or if i like your bum hole
One must visit Palace of Versailles, whilst one is in Versailles (one must write this in ones very posh writing voice as one was in the most delightful palaces and it deserves only best manner) basically, it was fucking lush!
Hall of mirrors is located inside the palace. 350 mirrors. So if you love a mirror selfie, this place is for you. Remember to look up as the chandeliers are big, glamorous and just beautiful.
You need to make sure you visit the palace gardens. I wouldn't like to mow that lawn. 800 acers of greenery, flowers and a lot of statues. The garden gained status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979. It's a lovely walk and so peaceful. But, make sure you have comfy shoes on.
You probably need a good few hours at the palace and i highly recommend that you take the audio tour. So you can really picture the king snoring in his bed. In one room, the king used to sit in-front of all the staff and eat his (massive) supper. it was like a performance. He never shared any with anyone. it’s like a daily show. That was pretty special (that's what they said anyway) hope he closed his mouth, when he was eating.
We stayed at the Hotel Le Louis - which was really nice and about 5 mins walk from the palace.
It had Clarins shower gel and hair cleaning products. Coffee machine in the room. Bed so big that i needed to call Nicky to put the lights off. Decor was on point. Velvet loungers in all shapes and sizes. Fresh lime and mint water on tap. The bar area was a piece of art. Big gold sculptures. Amazing oversized light, and a wine list fit for royals (not mwah) It was stunning.
Standard rate for a double room would set you back around £167.00 a night.
One thing I loved about Versailles was that it was full of family run shops. That have been there for years. I felt that I was having a taste of the French world, it was stripped back, authentic, warm and the locals were very friendly. Everything is very compact , I would say you have everything within a mile radius.
We were supper hungry and ended up in a family owned business that was filled with French customers. We were the youngest by a good 20/30 years.
The restaurant was called le bouchon du Marche. The staff were amazing and accommodating. They had an English menu and were happy to explain both traditional French and Lyonnaise cuisine being able to converse in French is pretty much essential. Don't worry - my lips were sealed. Prices were similar to Cardiff prices really. If we would go again, we would try and book a table at La Table du 11 - I've heard good things about this place.
Pub called No Water - It was a fun, little pub that offered a variety of beers. Finger food and little nibbles are available if you fancy something small and a good variety of French wines.
While in France, one must eat cake, right?
After a long walk around the beautiful Versailles. i.was.ready.for.cake.We stopped at Angelina
Angelina Story In 1903 the confectioner Antoine Rumpelmayer founded Angelina, which he named after his daughter-in-law. For over a century the tearoom has built a reputation as a place of sophistication and indulgence. As soon as it opened, Angelina became the place to be among the Parisian aristocracy. Proust and Coco Chanel rubbed shoulders with the biggest names in fashion in Angelina's salons. The interior, designed by the famous Belle Epoque architect Edouard-Jean Niermans, combines elegance, charm and refinement to create a sense of romanticism and poetry. Angelina is a tranquil, exquisite space, somewhere between serenity and indulgence.
As i am a massive nut lovers i chose the noisette pastry : a winter treat with a rich ganache and a crunchy dacquoise biscuit . A great classic French pastry
Hazelnut dacquoise biscuit with pure sea salt, whipped hazelnut cream, crunchy praline heart - LUSH. MEGA. LUSH. PRICEY. STILL LUSH
Overall rating for Versailles was 7/10
It's lush. The Palace is stunning .Do you need more than two days there. No. Short trip is what you need. I felt like I saw it all and enjoyed it with 48hours.
Eat the cake. Eat local. Go visit the palace.
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