Tue 29 Jul- Chateau of Versailles gardens and grounds

Tue 29 Jul- coffee and chocolate croissant for breakfast, check the Internet for mail, last-minute cruise deals, etc.
We took a short walk next door to the Chateau of Versailles gardens and grounds, and started our visit to the garden. We've been in the chateau before (it's really a palace, well worth a visit), but the gardens were pretty dormant in April. This time the gardens are in bloom with thousands of flowers of all kinds. There are several different garden areas, each with its own design and pattern and mix of flowers and shrubs. Then there are long wide walkways lined with trees, with larger-than-life marble statues every couple of yards with interesting topiary shrubs between them. There are also narrow tree-lined walks so you can walk in the shade any time of day.
We had lunch at the beginning of the Grand Canal, at 'La Petite Venise', an Italian restaurant, so we had linguine with tomato, and 'cavatelli alla norma' (like macaroni with cheese, eggplant and tomato sauce), and a pitcher of red wine for E36.
Then we continued our walk, fed and refreshed. The Grand Canal is huge - it took us several hours to walk around. And since it is + shaped, you have to walk even further, and of course visit the garden at the end of the right side. Many people brought or rented bikes or electric carts, and there are Segways for rent, too. Also many people rented rowboats and were rowing up and down the canal. By the time we finished our walk, we were ready to return to the hotel for a rest. We didn't feel like going out, so we had the foie gras from Manoir Hautegente on wasa crackers and some sparkling Muscat wine.