Paris and Versailles, 15 – 18 September 2006

With knee operation and enforced confinement looming, a jaunt about the arrondissments of Paris and its patisseries, galleries and boutiques seemed like the thing to do. And so off I set, in that most pleasant of European months, September, with a visit to Versailles also in mind. After all, Marie Antoinette would be premiering in the UK on 20 October and seeing the palace up close and personal would make Ms Coppola’s rock and roll rendition of Versailles life all the more illuminating.

Perhaps.

Superb (Overheard) Conversation

Standing in line to enter Château Versailles on our second visit (more on why later), it became evident that terrorism’s arm had stretched far enough to permeate even this touristey outing to the Sun King’s domain on an overcast, muggy September Sunday afternoon. My idle musings on various means and methods of annihilating all who stood before me in the ever-increasing queue was interrupted by a piercing (American) female voice.

American Lady 1: Why does Osama hate us so much?

American Lady 2: Well, honey, you have to understand – he’s an extremist. Oh by the way, that’s a lovely jumper you have on.

Fact – more comical than fiction, non?