2013-8-6 - Conflans & Versailles, France

Wayne went on the optional tour to Versailles from 7:45 to 1 pm. He wasn't a happy camper as there were thousands of people with very long wait times to get in. He had the little camera, which doesn't take the best pictures, but still couldn't get many pics because of the crowds. I started to have cold symptoms & decided not to join the guided tour of Conflans...therefore, I have no pictures of the city.
"Versailles was originally a hunting lodge, built in 1624 by Louis XIII. His successor, Louis XIV expanded the site into one of the largest palaces in the world, & from 1682, used it to control France by absolute rule. The Palace of Versailles remained the official residence of the Kings of France until October 1789 when the royal family was forced to return to Paris during the French Revolution. The Palace is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. According to the UNESCO listing, 'the Palace of Versailles was the principal residence of the French kings from the time of Louis XIV to Louis XVI. Embellished by several generations of architects, sculptors, decorators & landscape architects, it provided Europe with a model of the ideal royal residence for over a century.'"

                     The original hunting lodge in 1623

 Massive crowds - hours wait to get in

 from the web

                                                                  Hall of Mirrors



 Conflans:
"The commune was originally named for its geographic position at the confluence of the Seine and Oise rivers. The village was given the addition "Sainte Honorine" in the 13th century after the female Saint Honorina, whose relics had been stored there since 876.
Partly on account of its strategic position, Conflans-Sainte-Honorine is considered the capital of the French inland waterways, and the right bank of the River Seine is still lined with barges (although these are now used mainly as houseboats). Every year in June, the town celebrates the "Pardon national de la batellerie" in remembrance of its former importance to inland shipping."



 

        

                    

 



At 1 pm,The Pride left Conflans & arrived in Paris at 6:45. We disembarked the following day.