Steps today: It was around 23 700 when I got back to the room, I’ve already done a few room-laps to get it up over 25k. I don’t think that’s too shabby considering I was on the train a lot today.
I went Chateau-hopping today.
I left the hotel around 7:40, which is plenty of time to walk to Montparnasse and catch the train at 9:06, also factoring in a buffer for ticket-purchase snafus which seem to be plaguing me! I was right to do so, the kiosks would not accept my card again! This time l tried 3 machines to no avail and so l had to line up at the ticket office. What a pain!! What gives? Why does it work in some machines and not in others? I don’t get it… maybe my chip is defective.
My first stop was Château de Rambouillet, about 50km south west of Paris. Dates back to the 1300s, Louis XVI lived there in the 1780s, you can Google the details if you want more info.
GOOOOOOORGEOUS! so picturesque! I loved it.
The gardens were nice to walk through…
The geese were so cute (minus all the poop, wow)
Not much to see inside, 4 rooms and a dining table. Fine by me, I wanted to enjoy the outside!
I also took a tour of the Queen’s Dairy, built by Louis to entice Marie Antoinette to like the Chateau… she hated it and never wanted to stay.
Next, the extreemly impressive Chaumière aux Coquillages. Cute on the outside, jaw dropping on the inside. Every surface is covered with shells, it’s just amazing. I could not stop taking pictures.
I had to hurry, so I could not fiddle with the camera settings to get the colours quite right. GRRR
Next: LUNCH! On the way over from the train station, I noticed a restaurant called: Le Savoyarde. This made me salivate… it meant fondue or raclette! I ordered raclette, but the waiter asked me if I had ever heard of “Mont d’Or”. Nope, I never heard of it. He told me I’d love it so I figured why not, let’s give it a try.
I had no idea how to eat it!! I stirred the pot of cheese and dipped my fork in it fondue-style, and I also put bits of food in it and ate it soup-style. It was good, but it kicked my ass.
After lunch, it was back on the train an onwards to Chateau de Maintenon, about another 25km further away. Dates back to the 1200s, most known for being the home of Louis XIV’s second wife. No pictures allowed inside, fine. I visited the rooms, it was same with same, served with same, sprinkled with same, and some same on top as all the others I’ve ever seen. Like I’ve said many times before, I prefer the exteriors and the gardens.
The perfectly manicured French Gardens are very impressive!
Another awesome sight is the crumbling aquaduct - Louis XIV had them built to feed the fountains of Versailles. You start seeing the ruins just down the street from the train station… it’s HUGE!
I was back in Paris by 6PM, and walked to Les 2 Magots for a cheese plate and glass of Sauternes. It was delicious but I am cheesed out now! Yes, you read that right. Simone is sick of cheese! (It won’t last)
That’s it for today!
Good night.
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