We started our day with an early breakfast at so we could
leave by 8.00am. When we boarded our coach our tour guide, Delphine, outlined
our exciting day ahead at Versailles. During the ride, which took around an
hour and half, our guide shared some interesting facts about the areas we
passed through.
Upon our arrival at Versailles, we were greeted with the
tall golden gates and a beautiful fountain. We were given some time to explore
the garden full of hedges, cultivated gardens and some interesting forests which
seemed to stretch out for miles. We weaved our way through a maze and strolled
around the massive ponds and fountains.
We re-grouped at eleven to eat our lunches at a small café
just outside of the palace. The food was classically French, with baguettes and
croissants. We then returned to the palace for the tour within.
Splitting into two groups, another tour guide joined us
going by the name of Sophie. We were given earphones that we could listen to
their telling of the history behind the château. The history was very
informative and interesting, and we got a lot out of it. We asked the students
what they thought of the palace.
“I really like the outside”
“It was pretty awesome”
“There was a lot of gold. It was quite pretty”
“The garden was massive”
“I loved the Hall of Mirrors”
We were astonished as soon as we stepped foot in the palace
by the extravagant designs and the art on the ceilings and walls. We explored
through king and queen apartments and saw the classiness of the dining rooms.
Background information of what it was like when the palace was occupied was
supplied by our tour guides through our earphones.
After we saw the palace we got on our coach and headed back
to Paris. Although we were exhausted, the tour guide consoled us by telling us
that most Parisians, because they don’t have a car, walk seven kilometres a day.
We were dropped off at an Italian restaurant near the Louvre where we had a
hilarious waiter that everyone enjoyed the company of. 
When we headed to the Louvre, it was still daylight and men
selling key chains, little Eiffel Towers and other souvenirs greeted us. We
lined up, buzzing to see the famous ‘Mona Lisa’. We wondered around the gallery
for a moment before heading off in one big group to find the famous portrait.
The room that held the painting was huge and we pushed through the crowd
surrounding to see the small, framed picture. Although many enjoyed the
experience, few said it was underwhelming and the painting was smaller than
they expected. All together, the gallery was amazing, especially at night, and was
an experience we will clearly remember.
Jamie and Morgan
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