Palace of Versailles

Hello! This is a guest blog from Jessica. We visited the fabulous palace and gardens at Versailles last weekend. King Louis XIV spent half the national income of France to build his own personal residence. Nice place! He also built huge gardens, complete with 1500 fountains (300 remain today). We spent the afternoon like a treasure hunt, wandering through the maze of hedges to find the fountains.
OK, time for some myths and facts about France:
Myth: The French all speak English, they just pretend not to... NOT TRUE. So far, NO ONE in our neighborhood speaks any English, and they are not just pretending! As we tried to get cold medicine for Nick the other day (pantomiming the various cold symptoms) I am sure that the gal at the counter would have done anything to get us out of there faster. People are very patient, but it is up to us to speak French!
Fact: French people bring their dogs everywhere. This is completely true. Dogs follow along, usually without a leash, and go right into cafes and shops. The other day, we watched a lady bring a boxer into an antique shop. My dog would have destoyed countless treasures in a matter of minutes.
Photos of Versailles at http://www.flickr.com/photos/59007731@N00/sets/72157594306328257/detail/