It was a magnificent day (we shall speak none of my minor stack within the first ten minutes of commencing the tour, none of it I say!), the weather overcast but perfect for a day of riding.
After meeting up with our guide from Fat Tire Bike Tours, we headed on the train to Versailles. One in four of the trains to Versailles have been decorated in the style of Versailles. We managed to get one and it was stunning.
After getting fitted up for bikes we headed into the local markets. I can't deny I had a few heart palpitations as I watched Finley do his first bout of proper road cycling on the busy streets of Versailles. Turned out he was a pro and led our group around Versailles for most of the day. We picked up some delicious sweet n savoury morsels from a patisserie (assuring ourselves we would work it all off on the bike ride) and then headed towards Versailles.
The gardens of Versailles take up 800ha, and the perimeter of the stunning canal is just over 5.5km. It is so vast a garden that it is quite overwhelming. The gardens were commissioned by Louis the 14th in 1661 and certainly reflect his self indulgence.
We spent a couple hours cycling around the gardens stopping to hear about some of the outer buildings along the way (including the home that kept Marie Antoinette - see pic below with Fin in the foreground). At around 1pm we cycled around the Canal to the end and ate our picnic lunch looking back down the canal towards the magnificent palace. It was so tranquil and a complete contrast to what was to follow when we eventually made our way to the palace.
Around 3pm we dropped our bikes off and wandered back to the palace. We left our guide at this point and were free to visit the palace and ride the train home at our leisure.
As we approached the palace our "queue phobia" kicked in as we tried to make sense of this mass of people that had formed the longest line we has ever seen. We had been on the go for 8 hours, and noting that our tickets to the palace were valid for two years, decided to come back early one morning , and instead opted to wander the palace garden before training it home. We came home... We ate... We slept...for 11 hours!
Lowlight of the day: that thing we shall never speak of.
Highlight: just "being" with my family as we went back in time, taking in the magnitude and splendour of this magnificent place.
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