Visitors to Chateau de Versailles April 8 got a surprise free entry to the gardens when French power workers went on strike by shutting down power for two and a half hours. Without electricity to operate ticket machines or lights inside the palace, employees had little choice but to allow visitors to explore the gardens without paying. Power workers marched in Paris and other cities to protest partial privatization of public utilities. Because privatization plans are going forward, further strikes are likely, but their timing may be hard to predict.
