Castles, parks, and dinner

So much to write about, so little time. Yesterday was a fun filled day of visiting Chateau Versailles, the city of Rambouillet, and having dinner at June's home(James' brother). The castle in Versailles was amazing! There are really no words to explain how beautiful and exquisite it is. It seemed that around every corner of touring the castle there was something more breathtaking than the last. It is definitely a place you normally only see in the movies. We also walked around the gardens and that was equally wonderful. I can only imagine how beautiful the gardens are in the summer at full bloom.We took many pictures of the castle and of course got a few snapshots of us together. I joked with James that we will have more than enough photo options for this years Christmas card!!
James then took me to Rambouillet, a city that he would like to move to in the near future. We walked around first to try and find a place to exchange US dollars for Euros. I had done this in the train station going to London but not since. This was not a successful mission! It seems that no bank (at least not in Ramouillet) has any desire to take my American money, this mission will have to wait for Paris. After giving up this quest we walked through the main park of the city. Envision a large park, with a body of water in the middle, green grass all around, a path for walking/running, a fancy carousel outside the main gate, and a "small" castle. Typical park right? We talked about seeing ourselves here having a picnic, reading a book on the grass, or going for a run. I look forward to the day when this can be a reality.
The day was topped off by dinner with June and his girlfriend. It was a great meal and we both ate way too much! It was also a strong reminder for my need to learn French. A dinner is less fun when you don't understand the conversation going on around you. Well we are off this evening to visit a coworker of James and have dinner with them, hopefully I can contribute more to the dinner conversation this time. I am way more fun and charming when I can communicate, lol!