June 29 - Versailles, Night train.

We've ended our "Tour de Paris" at Versailles,  the opuent home of  King Louis XIV and Marie Antoinette. The rooms are filled with furnishings and art from before the French Revolution. As always,  the lines were long to enter the complex,  but we were fotunate to be able to enter at the group entrance. But even with that, we still waited about an hour. We fared much better than the general admission folks who waited 2-3 hours in the hot sun.

Once inside, the highlight for me is always the Hall of Mirrors. The brilliance of the lights and chandeliers is stunning, and well-worth the wait to get in.

It seems I learn something new each time I visit. This year I learned that the front section of the main building was originally a hunting lodge. Pretty grandiose for a hunting lodge, if you ask me.

We ate our lunch in the town. We were able to go to the local markets and choose our picnic lunch  or go to one of the cafes. Some choose to "create" a meal from a wonderful variety of meats, cheeses, fruits and breads. Some took a safer, but equally as tasty, route of going to a cafe. Some went to McDonalds.

I mentioned the heat earlier.  We learned that today was the hottest day ever recorded in Paris history. The temperature rose 49 C, around 120 F. It was muggy, too!  The humidity is really doing a number on my hair, too. I'm starting to resemble  the Lion King!

While we were waiting to board the train, the students played cards or checked out videos on their phones.There was a piano nearby, and several students took turns at entertaining the waiting travelers.  They are extremely talented! And, those waiting for trains were very appreciative!

The train ride is always an experience. For some reason,  they never post the track number until shortly before departure, and then they expect us to get to the cars and load luggage for 45 people in no time. But, we formed a line and with the help of some of the stronger people in our group, we persevered. Lukas, our MM did a great job in organizing and getting us on the train on time.

I believe the sleeping compartments were one step up from what it must have been like on the boats that brought the refugees to Ellis Island. I would say it was about 6 x 8 feet, with three bunks on each side. The air conditioning was sketchy at first, but it eventually became effective. It made for an extremely interesting night of sleep. I did hear a couple students describe it as "epic," but that's not an adjective I'd  use. Tomorrow we have a long day in Venice.