I like to again tell you about Versailles, of course, never tired of telling you, for many reasons, It brings lots of family memories to me , this time will take you to my dear Versailles, very close to me, ! Have written so much on it in my blog, but decided to bring you closer to my neighborhood and my family, Hope you enjoy the post on my most private Versailles !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.
You know the palace/museum so will skip telling you about, plenty on it in my blog, see posts, The city of Versailles once contacted a survey company do not recall the name, and found that 98% of the visitors to Versailles only come to the palace/museum; and the rest of Versailles? You are missing the real history of the kingdom of France, part of what you come to see today anyway, There is plenty to see in the city on its own, nothing to do with things to see from Paris. This is my royal town, and my City for over 9 glorious years, Gorgeous Versailles always was and is and will be me think!
We first stop by very early ,the gorgeous wonderful lively Notre Dame market (see post) at the square crossing of rue de la Paroisse and rue du Maréchal Foch just a few hundreds meters from home, It was memorable for all of us ,and became regular customers ! The Marché de Notre Dame and Halles Notre Dame, the difference is the Marché is open air, fruits, veggies, etc alternating with a clothing market while the Halles are covered market dating from the domaine de Clagny c1665., As this is my old neighborhood!!! Notre Dame!!! We, then were able to easily walk to marvelous business of always, very friendly with lots of history tells for us.
These businesses we patronise while living there and then visiting later on, such as the Gibert & Joseph book store in rue de la Paroisse as well as my Nicolas wine store, the old favorite resto Le Boeuf à la Mode, and the old Cyrano cinema as well as some shops of the Rue de la Paroisse and Rue des Reservoirs. The Rue du Maréchal Foch was one of my most frequented streets while living in Versailles, not far from home , So we patronised several businesses here as well as taken the Gare Rive-Droite train station to Gare Saint Lazare in Paris We went of course to the post office or La Poste at 47B Rue Du Marechal Foch. Our insurance needs (still do) from MMA ,18 Rue du Maréchal Foch, The eyeglasses place (still do) Optic 2000, 47, Rue du Maréchal Foch, opposite the train station Rive Droite, Our notaries for housing needs were 60 Foch Notaries, 60 rue du Maréchal Foch (they handle international needs as well) and the hangout for quick cheap meals and memories of older homes the Subway at 35 Rue Du Marechal Foch, For wines ,the chain Nicolas, my favorite is at 50 rue de la Paroisse For cheeses go to Fromagerie Le Gall ,in the marché Notre Dame building named Carré à la Marée.
The quartier or neighborhood of Notre-Dame on the north axe of the palace and avenue de Paris with the mythical wonderful Notre Dame Church , the Royal one, as the baptisms and births of the prince of Versailles were done there, including that of Philippe or Felipe , grandson of Louis XIV and himself king of Spain under Felipe V Bourbon dynasty that still rule in Spain today as Felipe VI, the parish Church of the Palace ; the first district to be built under king Louis XIV ; location also for the théâtre Montansier opened in 1777, right by rue des reservoirs the old aqueduct folly of Louis XIV; more on this theater that Marie-Antoinette love so much as well as the Musée Lambinet. The Hôtel du bailliage or bailif today antique shops galore , and the best shopping streets of Versailles such as the rue de la Paroisse, rue Hoche (old rue Dauphine) and the rue du Maréchal-Foch, in addition to market heaven place du Marché-Notre-Dame, surrounded by its four halles or covered markets. To the north of the district you have the boulevard du Roi ,and the boulevard de la Reine, and the tranquil rue de l’Ermitage, along the sides of the palace.
The rue Hoche and the Place Hoche with a nice straight view to the castle or to the Notre Dame Church is marvelous as well as the great shopping street of rue de la Paroisse that passes by the Church. Our home we just took a peek right around the Church into rue Sainte Geneviéve into the square behind the Church and into Rue Saint Lazare…! it’s magnificent Palace/museum was walking distance, wonderful memories of playing around the gardens even beyond the Grand Canal with my boys and having a lunch snack at Angelina in the Petit Trianon, after crossing the property for free by the Porte Saint Antoine memories that will never go away.
For chocolates try the real thing from a local chocolatier, Yves Thuriés Chocolatier, 37 rue de la Paroisse, near church collegiale de Notre Dame , I am giving away my poissonnerie or fish market L’Espadon, Halles Notre Dame, Carré à la Marée, Boulangerie (Maison) Guinon at 60 rue de la Paroisse , doing it since 1802 and still the best, go for it when in town, Monoprix, 5 ave Georges Clémenceau (also a Monop by 27 Rue Carnot). Franprix, 5 rue Rameau near our Notre Dame Church For photos and we always need those we headed for Photo Station, 50 rue de la Paroisse. For clothing we shop sometimes at Damart as was my dear late wife Martine favorite at 43-45 rue de la Paroisse. I shop at Burton; 11 rue Georges Clemenceau.Mens clothing! Haircuts at Jean Louis David when the family wanted as I did my own. 15 rue du maréchal Foch. Could not verify if still there but we did had at the Parly II shopping center in Le Chesnay-Rocquencourt. Pharmacies are many but my is at Pharmacie de la Place de Hoche, 6 Pl de Hoche. My BNP Paribas (still is) at 1 rue du Marechal Foch , If you have problems with your laptop or computer while there like we did the moment we landed go to the pros at VART electronique will definitively help you. They are at 42 ave de Saint Cloud.
I took my parents to get and then renew their Titre de Séjour visiteur resident card as they would never learn French lol !! It was at the Préfecture of Yvelines by the corner of Avenue de Paris, and Avenue de l’Europe. The RER C line links several stations in central Paris with the Versailles Rive Gauche-Château station, five minutes from the palace on foot. Trains also run from Paris Montparnasse to Versailles Chantiers and from Paris Saint Lazare to Versailles Rive-Droite (closest to me),each a ten-minute walk from the palace The historical road N10 is known here as the kings route as this is the traject king Louis XIV did to go from the palace of Versailles to the Fortress of the Louvre in Paris, today still can done starting at the palace up avenue de paris is the N10 by Boulogne-Billancourt it is the D910 same road along avenue de Versailles into Paris and the Louvre at rue de Rivoli.
The city of Versailles on its history: https://www.versailles.fr/218/decouvrir-versailles/histoire-de-versailles/une-ville-historique.htm
The Versailles tourist office on the quartier Notre Dame neighborhood: https://en.versailles-tourisme.com/notre-dame-area.html
There you go folks, a dandy small stories of my dear Versailles, as said, a lot more than the palace to be seen and enjoy. A nice town good for the whole family, heck it was great for my family with memories to last a lifetime. Do dare go outside the palace/museum you will be glad you did, This is my most private Versailles and again, hope you enjoy this post as I.
And remember, happy travels, good health,and many cheers to all! !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 
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