Château de Versailles is Ghetto
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Picture it. Paris 2005. A young, fresh faced twenty-five year old is fresh off the plane in Paris. She doesn’t speak a lick of French and her only experience with France is working for Louis Vuitton. I was a Leather Goods Manager for Louis Vuitton San Francisco (one of three Black Leather Goods Managers in all of North America) and as part of my training on The Art of Luxury, Louis Vuitton sent me to Paris for a five days. Louis Vuitton had activities planned for the entire five days, so to make the most of my trip I came a week earlier.
Paris was different nineteen years ago. Paris was very French then. Back then it seemed like no one spoke English. You certainly didn’t hear English spoken on the street like you do now. The trains in the Metro were the old model and you rarely saw fast food restaurants. McDonalds was here but not in abundance like today.
Do not even ask me how I navigated Paris alone during that trip. I just remember smiling, people helping me, and getting lost a ton of times. It took me forever to make it to the Château de Versailles alone on the train but somehow, I managed. I was so adventurous back then. I even walked up the 387 stairs to the Towers at Notre Dame but I digress. Back then the Château de Versailles was pure magic.
I remember walking up to the entrance of gargantuan palace like it was yesterday. I had never seen a structure so ostentatious and luxurious outside of the movies. I remember taking the tour and being shown the King’s watches and the Queen’s apartments. Everything so meticulously detailed and cared for. It was a visit I’d never forget. I moved to Paris in 2013 and every year I make the trek to my favorite monument in France, the Château de Versailles.
My annual trek to the Château in 2022 and 2023 left me sad, disappointed, and this last time enraged. The thrill is gone y’all. No longer is the château a grand palace replete with historians eager to share their knowledge of an opulent France. What we have now is a barren money pit whose cup runneth over with tourists who couldn’t give two shits about the history. Château de Versailles is a mess. You’d be better off visiting the Magnolia Projects in Nola hell at least you can get some good food nearby. I know my girl Marie Antoinette is turning over in her grave. Bless her heart can she even turn without a head? How could France let this happen?
Let me give y’all the rundown on how the Château has become a first-class shit show. Please be advised that I did not take any unfavorable photos of the palace because I have a rule of protecting my peace from unattractive things. First of all you have cops lock armed at the train station ready to extort tourists who purchased the wrong ticket to get there. From the train station you walk through a zillion people to arrive at the Château. Upon arriving you need to wait two hours before entering the palace, then you need to decide which ticket or tour to purchase.
The tour has changed because they show you much less than they did in 2005. Before if you purchased a tour, you could visit the gardens for free. Now the ticket to the gardens is sold separately. And the restaurants. Father GOD don’t even get me started on those trifling restaurants. The eateries at the Château should be a violation of the French health code. Just filthy and raggedy as hell. Do not eat at nan restaurant at the Château de Versailles. Customer service is nonexistent at the restaurants. Do not recommend, tomato, tomato, boooooooo, very ghetto.
Despite everything that I said about the Château it continues to remain my favorite monument in France. I still get starry eyed when I see it, even if I’ve cursed out ten people whilst walking to get there. Everyone must see it at least once in their lifetime. As for me I intend to branch out and visit the zillion other exquisite châteaus France has to offer. I adore Fontainebleau. Next on my list is Château de Chambord and Château de Vaux-le-Vicompte.
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