Saturday 10 December - Versailles and Paris at NIght

The weather forecast was cool with some mist at Versailles.  The mist was thick and cold at Versailles but bright and sunny in the city.

Ancient electric locomotive 17077 was a welcome surprise in Saint-Lazare, the first I have seen this trip.

The views across the city from beyond La Defense were very misty indeed and only the top of the Eiffel Tower was visible above the murk. The trains out to Versailles from Saint-Lazare are some of the oldest in the system.  They ride very well but there is lots of traction motor noise.  They are due to be replaced in the next two or three years.

Walking to the Chateau we visited the four part market set around cross roads.  Being Saturday the market was busy.

The vat of paella was bubbling merrily

Sheep may safely graze in the fog

We had our snack near the water in the area known as Venise.  There was a small flock of parrots in the tree behind us - the magpies and crows were not happy.

Gold paint has certainly improved the look of the Chateau

There were only about twenty tour buses in the parking lot.

The form of this tree can be seen best in the winter when there are no leaves to get in the way

Versailles has a large number of patisseries which have very elaborate cakes on display.

Instead of going through to Saint-Lazare we got off at Pont Cardinet which is closer to the apartment and walked through the Square des Batigolles.  The two male Mandarin ducks were displaying to the female and at one point the three of them were swimming underwater.

Having bought Mobilis tickets for zones 1-4 this gave us unlimited travel for the day.  We caught a #30 bus to the Trocadero to see the Eiffel Tower at night.  The transit of the Etoile was as much fun as usual with a lot of traffic trying to get through.

Half of the tower was enveloped in mist.

From there we caught metro line 6 to the Etoile and transferred to line 2 to Anvers where we caught the Montmartre funicular to view Sacre Coeur and the lights in the Place de Tertre.

Place de Tertre was not very busy at all, in fact probably the least busy we have ever seen it.

Sacre Coeur was enveloped in mist and we were unable to see the Eiffel Tower.

We took the funicular down and the Metro back to Villiers.  There was a drunk lady on the metro, playing music and moving her legs to the beat but losing her knee length boots in the process thus exposing her red socks.  She was also trying to sing.  The man sitting next to me was in fits of laughter.

An entertaining end to the day.