05.28.05
Versailles aux chocolat
Saturday, May 28, 2005 8:37 PM
Woke up this morning and decided to run downstairs for a chocolate and banana crepe rather than have breakfast at home. It was delicious. After breakfast we took a train out to Versailles. The castle at Versailles was overflowing with tourists but was well worth the visit. If you should ever go there I highly recommend paying the extra money for the guided tour. Paying extra to enter the gardens seemed a bit much (plus we had been walking around for five hours) so we gave it a skip. I had another crepe for lunch this time one with ham, cheese and mushrooms and a rather delicious apple cider. On the way back we got off the train at La Defense and after a half an hour of watching the buildings took a bus back.
A detail that can get a bit annoying at times is the difference in walking speeds. My dad walks; he can walk briskly or slowly but generally keeps up just fine. When alone I take long and fast strides, easily moving much more quickly than other people on the street. Himelda however likes to amble. She moves with slow diligence and hardly ever paying any attention to anyone around her, often blocking the way for other people. It is a detail that is for the most part easy to ignore, however on days with long walks it can be a bit trying.
By now I know most of the local advertisements by heart. They are mostly the same you would see in any large US city but (of course) in French. One item that has been amusing me is that with the vote to ratify or deny the European Union constitution tomorrow, ads everywhere have had ‘OUI!’ or ‘NON!’ stickers or word balloons added to them so that by now I have seen many times a cute kitten and a puppy (that are advertising pet food I think) vehemently state they are either for or against the referendum, sometimes both in the same poster. I don’t know why but this amuses me greatly.