Thank you for taking the time to read about my wheelchair-accessible adventure in Europe so far. Catch up on my trip to London and Paris here! In this blog, we will be exploring other parts of France!
On our fourth day in France, we embarked on a day trip to the enchanting city of Versailles. This is where King Louis XIV (14th), also known as The Sun King, moved his court to. The Palace of Versailles was the king’s new home, and our primary destination for the day. We were looking forward to exploring the palace and the captivating gardens, where we looked forward to their Night Fountain Show. Our mode of transportation from Paris to Versaille was a rented van equipped with a ramp, sourced through diligent research by Dad. The company that provided this accessible van was Wheeliz, similar to the American counterpart of Turo for handicapped vehicles.
Upon our arrival, a quick lunch down a quaint alleyway preceded our eagerly anticipated visit to the Palace of Versailles. The sight that greeted us when we arrived was nothing short of breathtaking. The extravagant architecture and elegance gave a sense of royalty that left us in awe. Fortunately, our streak of skipping lines continued, as it had throughout our journey. I was, however, met with my arch-nemesis: cobblestones. I was able to avoid them for the most part of the trip, but not this day. This challenging terrain extended from the front entrance to the palace building. If you have any suggestions for tackling cobblestones, I’m all ears, but the drive across the palace left me with a jumbled brain! Once inside, our exploration continued smoothly. Elevators were available for traveling between different levels, except for the inaccessible attic. Although a paid audio guide was available, we opted for the free downloadable app, which proved somewhat challenging to follow. It felt crowded as we were ushered from room to room by the large crowd.
In the evening, we returned to the Palace of Versailles for the Night Fountain Show, which required separate tickets. It occurs every Saturday evening in the summer and it is a strolling tour with different features like lit fountains, illuminated groves and pools, Baroque music, and fireworks! The ambiance was enchanting, from the pathways to the fountains, everything was magical. We went during a special event (there are two, here is their website for more information) called Fire Night Show. On top of the regular features, it had a pyrotechnics show too. The fire bursts were synced with music and were AMAZING! It was a dazzling and magnificent way to end our day, but it was time to return to Paris.
Overall, the Palace of Versailles was a mixed bag in terms of accessibility. While elevators allowed access in certain areas, there were still inaccessible spaces, and navigating through crowds posed challenges, contingent on the season. In my opinion, the primary hurdle was the cobblestone pathway. Despite these obstacles, the experience of visiting the Palace of Versailles is undoubtedly worthwhile, and I wholeheartedly recommend it!
The following day, we drove to the charming city of Rouen in Normandy. This was where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake, there was a lot of history in Normandy! In Rouen, we explored The Historial Jeanne d’Arc to learn about the legendary heroine, Joan of Arc! The visual tour was very intriguing. The video was a re-enactment of Joan’s life, trial, and death. It was like a court scene. In the beginning, the staff explained where to go after each video. While everything was accessible with an elevator, it was still an inconvenience going to each level of the elevator each time. It was very confusing, and we got lost, I recommend remembering the instructions. Plus the elevator was quite small. I must say that our experience was quite interesting, we ended up learning a lot. Despite the confusion, I highly recommend it to others interested in gaining knowledge and expanding their horizons.
During our second day in Normandy, we continued our adventure for knowledge, this time by exploring the rich history of World War II. Our first stop was the Caen Museum, which was completely accessible and very intriguing. Inside, we found a lot of information, conveyed through various mediums such as writing and videos. While a downloadable audio guide was available for use, it required payment. Despite this, I highly recommend it, as it helped to explain things and definitely added to the overall experience. After that, we visited The Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial, where we were able to explore and honor those who fought for us. It was strange to see the American flag instead of the French, but the place was pretty accessible and absolutely gorgeous, with a very picturesque setting.
It was a unique experience to explore cities beyond the major ones like Paris or London. With careful planning, we discovered plenty of accessible activities to keep us busy in France. Although historical places were sometimes less accessible, we managed to explore them with creative problem-solving and determination. Thank you for reading these blogs, fellow explorers, I hope they have inspired you to embark on your own daring adventures!
Adventure Made Accessible 