Paris

This is Rob writing, they have finally turned me loose on the keyboard to keep you updated on our doings here in France. We are camped in an area between the river and a busy road, just across the road from a horse track, with that description we could be in the back streets of Rose Hill if it wasn’t for the view of the Eiffel Tower only 4km away.

The target for today was Versailles, for virtually the first time since we have been here we have perfect weather with watery clear blue skies and temperatures that leave the monkey intact with all of his equipment. All except Dickie have previously been inside the Palace itself but only one in the group, the one that has been everywhere has previously been into the immense gardens and grounds that stretch into the distance behind the palace facade so it was to be the gardens. I have seen the gardens before through a window but nothing prepares you for the view that greets you as you walk through the rather insignificant gateway on the left of the courtyard. The first thing to assault you is the unimpeded view down the Grand Avenue to the Grand Canal stretching away for about 3km lined on either side with rows of hedged trees at least 15m tall, statues and monumental urns every 15m or so to the head of the canal, it takes a moment or two to reel in your tongue, pick up your jaw, reset your eyeballs and get your voice working again.

To settle yourself down you wander off to the left of the immense viewing platform only to be confronted with a magnificent formal garden about one hectare in size two or three stories below you. Because we are so early in the season there is very little colour about and they are still bringing the shrubs and trees out of the Orangeries and placing them in this garden but the effect is still stunning. While we were marvelling at all of this we hear gunfire, heavy calibre high velocity gunfire, there must be a rifle range in close proximity to the chateau with the shooting going on all day, a strange note to our visit.

There is a “Petit Train” operating within Versailles along the lines of the tours in Universal Studios but without the commentary and only three stops providing transport for age challenged visitors at EU6 per head. This transported us to Domaine de Marie Antoinette in only 5 minutes. The EU9 pr head we spent for access to this area was money well spent. Marie Antoinette had this area built between 1872 and 1873 to provide a playground and educational area for her children as well as an area where she could escape from the court. What she created is still as magnificent today as it was then. Within a couple of minutes of entering and walking less than a hundred metres Versailles had disappeared visually and aurally. We were walking through a pleasantly wooded area from one Next you arrive at the Queens Hamlet where Marie outdid Walt Disney hundreds of years before he was born. A complete village of 12 houses in the style of Normandy has been built around a small lake and even though the largest house was the Queens even it was in the same style as the others. The Queen would often spend time in this area playing the role of a village woman providing cool milk from the attached farm in the buttery. All of this is still there today virtually untouched as a testament to the skill of the builders 240 years ago.

The biggest problem we had in this area was finding our way out, after Maries hamlet we set out to find the exit and along the way we discovered another house that we couldn’t find on the map, the Belvedere, another folly overlooking a lake that included a waterfall and grotto which on close inspection was constructed from squared blocks that had then been carved to represent a natural formation. Once again W Disney had been pre-empted by several hundred years.

While Marie Antoinette had this environment created for the amusement of herself and the education of her children how different was it to a zoo. How different were the peasant players in this 18^th century version of neighbours to the sheep, cattle and donkeys who shared their stage.

The whole of Versailles was a demonstration of the absolute power of the rulers of the time who were most probably just as complete prisoners of custom and tradition as were their subjects.

25/4/08

Anzac day back home but just another Friday here, into Paris today to do the town. Our first target was the Louvre, RRW had a long held ambition to see “Mona” so off we go on the first bus from the campsite at 8:30 am into Paris at Port Maillot, then onto the Metro and down eight stops to the Palais Royal/Louvre so that RRW can visit his paramour. The first task at hand was to find Mona in one of the biggest museums in the world, a task we managed, . In the gallery just outside Mona’s home three of us were innocently marvelling at the structure and the pictures when the other says “She’s broken her hip and she’s dying”. SKL pointed out a picture above us in the corner of the room and as we followed her explanation it became very clear, the central figure was on her side on the floor, her complexion was gray, her foot was elevated and it was apparent that she could not be moved because food had been brought to her on the floor. The handmaidens were wailing and the elegantly dressed gentleman was wringing his hands. Come up with a better explanation. RRW suggested a hit and run but there were no sedan car tracks in evidence.

As we were leaving RRW speared off for one last photo and we then faced our second task we had to find RRW in one of the biggest museums in the world, a task we gave up and let him find us.

AEW had discovered that there was an exhibition of the Soldats De Eternitie from China on in Paris, the terra cotta warriors from China were doing a turn in town. What better thing to see in Paris than old pottery figurines from some hole in the ground in China, but it does save an airfare to China doesn’t it. It took some considerable walking but we eventually tracked down the exhibition adjacent to the Madeline Church near the Paris Opera and I have to admit that the exhibition was indeed worth the effort. The most enjoyable part was working through the translation of the exhibition notes entirely in French and making sense of them. All but Dickie did French for some period in High School almost half a century ago and it amazing how much comes back to you when you have no alternative.

SKE is our resident linguist and after great practice she rang to make a booking at our next destination yesterday afternoon and laboriously went through her rehearsed speech to be rewarded with “Yes we have vacancies and accept your booking, You did very well”, in clear English. She is hoping that I can do as well when the language is German but I am not so sure.

Once again we got into banking problems, SKE inadvertently used the wrong debit card and tried three times with the wrong PIN number and locked the card. Another card solved the immediate problem of payment but how to resolve the locked card. HSBC was across the road but once again we were referred to a far distant branch this time on the Champs Elysee, only a short walk on the map but the Champs is 2 kilometres long, I will let you guess which end we were at and which end the HSBC was at. The HSBC branch was not very helpful but they referred us to the HSBC Premier office next door. For all of those who have travelled economy and then travelled Business of First Class you will understand the difference. At the HSBC branch you enter through an airlock, you are buzzed through the first door and then you have to explain your reason for interrupting their busy day before you are buzzed through the second door into the bank. I am not sure what happens if you don’t have a good enough reason, maybe the floor opens up and you are ejected into a pit of crocodiles a’ la Mr Burns in the Simpsons.

HSBC Premier however entry is obtained readily through automatic doors into a plush entry foyer where the receptionist almost bows to the floor and immediately beckons to the Premier Account Manager to attend to our needs instantly. Nothing is too much of a problem while coffee, strong French or “light” American, and chocolates are served. Even when we returned several minutes later with the W’s, who are not Premier customers, the same applied, they were with us so everything rubbed off Internet access was immediate and their problems solved while AEW severely reduced their chocolate stocks.

We then embarked on an open top bus tour of Paris for the next two hours to the delight of all, covering the Arc de Triomphe, Tour de Eiffel, Les Inavlides, the Ecole Militaire, the Louvre, the Musee D’ Orsay, the Grand Palais, the Petit Palais, Place de La Concorde, the Champs Elysee and all the bits in between. You will have to endure the photographs and videos at some future time, before walking from the Arc de Triumph where we checked to see if any flowers had been laid for Anzac Day, only saw some for NZ and Italy, to Port Maillot and wearily catching the bus back to Bois de Boulogne. A very successful day when we saw huge amounts and walked something like 8 or 9 kilometres. AEW is getting much better with the “W” word now but it was a really big and exciting day. What Next?

26/4/08

This morning RRW and I put on our leashes and were taken to the Boulogne-Billiancourt markets about 6km from the caravan park and while I might bitch and carry it was an interesting experience. RRW and I are target hunters, after a particular thing in and out in the shortest possible although RRW usually takes much longer than I do, the girls on the other hand are browsers. Our original intention in going to the markets was to replenish the larder with local produce but before we had even looked at the food both girls had acquired a new pair of jeans and inspected innumerable other articles of clothing, footwear and jewellery. The prices on everything were very keen and with these markets operating on Saturday and I think Wednesday it’s not too hard to understand why supermarkets are not very plentiful out in the suburbs and it would seem that they would cater for the DINK’s while those with one or more members of the partnership at home would use the market. A complete 2kg salmon for EUR14.70 or about AUD24 will provide at least two meals for all of us, about 200gm of Pate De Fois Gras and 250gm of Terrine De Campagne for EUR7.70, a long Polka loaf for EUR2.70 provides enough for another two meals with the addition of a couple of tomatoes and other vegetables.

We made another attempt to get on line at yet another Macdonald’s without success meaning that we have now been off line for 3 days, a few are beginning to show signs of withdrawal or contact anxiety but it is manageable at this point, if this deprivation is continued for several more days they may be driven to rash action and actually pay specifically for internet access. We must hope that such radical action is not required because then we would have to find somewhere to do that and that won’t be easy leading to further angst and recriminations.

RRW and SKL are keen to return to Versailles this afternoon to see the Baroque fountains in action set to music which while it will cost only EUR8.00 each requires booking and the phone number provided gives a very good recitation in French that even our resident linguist is unable to decipher, the fate of this outing is at this point in time undetermined with Sue currently visiting the local Tourist information Office in between loads of washing.

Breaking News!!, I have just done the pickup run for the Laundry drudges from Suresnes to be given two key pieces of information, you can’t book for the fountain performances but Sue and Dickey are going anyway, and secondly we didn’t have to drive to Boulogne-Billiancourt for the markets we could have walked into to Suresnes about 500m away. Note to self for the next time we are camped at Camping Bois de Boulogne that there are markets on Saturdays in the nearby town of Suresnes. I’m sure that we will remember that in a couple of year’s time.

The Aquarian brigade set off this afternoon for Versailles to see the baroque fountains in action, how could they help themselves being a water sign and all they are drawn to water activities of all types like a moths to a flame. By all reports the losers in this case were those who stayed at home missing an event to be remembered. While following the fountains around the dire duo discovered quite a number of garden enclaves that were missed in our marathon hike of several days ago. If you get the chance to see the fountains in action tout du Samedie du Avril au Octobre sauf Mai 1, DO IT.

27/04/08

A transit day when we left Paris heading for the Caen region, a trip of 250km ending in a delightful Parc du Caravan in Thury Harcourt. The trip itself was essentially uneventful mostly along the A13 with the initial excitements being only the regular stops to pay yet another toll to a total of about EUR17. However during this trip the great Prince Andrew fraud was perpetrated by SKL on AEW. A Porsche 911 travelling at speed was announced by the W van and when it went past the E van in close company with two other Porsches, a GT3 and a SUV, SKL calmly announced over the radio that it was Prince Andrew with his security in the other cars. The bait was swallowed hook, line, sinker, rod, reel, bucket and stool. SKL carried off the deception as only she can and then dropped the subject entirely. Even after we arrived at our destination she said no more until the subject was raised by AEW and the fish was landed. Face to face with her victim SKL was then unable to keep it up and confessed to the fraud.