Versailles was the grandest palace anyone in Europe had ever seen, but it led to a popular revolt against Louis the 14th when the people of France saw where their money was going.

The monarchy was completely disconnected from the real world.

They had no idea.

Coming up, we get expert advice for touring the epitome of extravagance without letting the

crowd spoil the view.

We'll also look at what France is dealing with today, its citizens ask what kind of country they want to be.

Oh, absolutely, we're not going to be terrorized by the terrorists.

And we'll hear the impressions of a skeptical American who went on a free birthright tour of Israel.

Sarah Glidden portrays the stories of the people she encountered in a graphic novel

that looks at the complexities of modern Israel.

It's easy to identify as a young Jewish American, you know, there's a lot

of things culturally in common, but then there are a lot of differences.

The issues they're debating in Israel and France, plus tips for touring the Palace of the Sun King.

It's all just ahead on travel with Rick Steeves.

It's a free trip to Israel.

American Jews in their late teens and 20s can apply to

birthright Israel to visit the Holy Land.

When Sarah Glidden went, it seemed to her that her sponsors had their own political

agenda, and some of what she heard seemed to amplify the conflict

with their Palestinian neighbors.

To help illustrate what she observed, Sarah created her first graphic novel.

It's called How to Understand Israel in 60 days or less.

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