My Paris Weekend & A Visit to King Louis XIV

To celebrate my husband’s birthday we booked a weekend in Paris to see the sights.  Also to visit the Palace of Versailles, as I  loved watching the TV series ‘Versailles’   All about the reign of King Louis XIV.

So we set off on an early morning flight and arrived at Charles De Gaulle around mid morning, straight on a train to the centre of Paris.        It was surprisingly easy to transfer from plane to train and very reasonable too!  Our hotel was situated in the Cambronne District 7 of Paris, with the Metro stop just across the road, which was really convenient, and within a gentle 20 minute stroll to the Eiffel Tower.

After checking in we made our way to the iconic Tower as we had tickets to travel to the summit.   The area around the tower has changed much since my last brief visit to Paris 4 years ago.  Then, we could walk through the centre of the tower to the gardens behind.  Now, sadly, there is a security screen which completely encloses the tower from visitors.  With security booths at each corner. No one can enter without a thorough bag search by very efficient security staff.  Armed Police patrol the area 24hrs  a day.  A sad consequence of the terror attacks in November 2015.

The journey up in the lift was a bit hairy.  The staff do like to fill every available bit of space, so if you suffer from claustrophobia, dont attempt it!  The view on the way up was spectacular, although having my nose practically pressed up against the window made my stomach flip!  Once at the top we caught our breath and had a walk around the enclosed area of the Tower, before heading up to the Summit – well you have to dont you?  You cant go all that way without going to the very top!  The panoramic views of Paris were well worth it.

Next day we were up early, to catch the train to Versailles.  It took around an hour, and we rode on a Double Decker train – my first! From the train station the Palace is a short 5 minute stroll to the Palace Gates.  More security, but no queues at the ticket office.  Armed with our map off we went to explore.  I was particularly interested in seeing the famous Hall of Mirrors, which if you have followed the TV programme, this was going to be a sight to behold!  And it didnt disappoint!

Next out to the gardens to see the beautiful waterfalls and lake.  Unfortunately the sun disappeared behind the  clouds and down came the rain! (And Louis was called the ‘Sun God’!)  So we beat a hasty retreat back to the centre of Paris, just in time for the sun to come out again.  So time for an hour’s River Cruise along the Seine. Again, good value for money, and plenty of sights to see.  Even the Yellow Vests demonstrating  on the Concordia Bridge, with the Riot police in hot pursuit!  Finished off with a freshly made Crepe filled with Nutella!

On our last day we walked up to the Military Museum/School, to take a look around and to see Napoleons Tomb, before heading back by train to the airport for our flight home.

The weekend was exhausting, having walked 25,000 steps on average per day!  But the whistlestop tour of Paris & Versailles was worth it!

#Vivelafrance!