Wed 30 Jul- Versailles gardens and grounds

Wed 30 Jul- after coffee and chocolate croissant for breakfast, checked the Internet for mail, last-minute cruise deals, etc.
Then we took a walk into Versailles to visit the Yves de Lorme shop, check out the French underwear (Stan wasn't allowed in the shop) and have lunch at a Japanese restaurant (run by a Taiwanese). Kiyomi had the E12 Chirashi (salad, soup, sashimi and rice), Stan had the special E14 menu of salad, soup, sashimi, rice and four kushiyaki of different kinds, and we shared a large Kirin beer.
After returning to the hotel to pick up camera and drop off the purchases, we took the short walk next door to the Chateau of Versailles gardens and grounds, and continued our visit to the garden, this time to the left rear side to see the gardens and the Orangerie. We looked down at the Orangerie, and saw the Piece d'eau des Suisses (a large pond) from 'les cent marches' (the hundred steps) that led down to the Orangerie, where we walked around noticing the way they had the orange and other trees planted in wooden planters, and enjoying the fragrance from the citrus blossoms. We walked down the Allee du Mail, then over to the Basin of Apollo, and continuing to 'Allee du Petit Pont', and back to the exit to the hotel.
After resting a bit and having coffee in the room, we went shopping for a picnic dinner: 'Bouquets de Mache' (canonigos in Spain, lamb's lettuce in English), tuna, avocado, pepper, artichoke hearts, mushroom, cucumber; and finishing the bottle of 'Muscador Cepage Muscat Blanc' (from Tournan 77220 France), a sparkling wine very similar to Asti Spumante. The veggies were fresh and very tasty, a nice treat after some of the fancy rich cuisine we've had recently.