Good morning! Yesterday proved to be a better day here in Paris. We got an earlier start and took the metro 30 minutes southwest of Paris to Versailles where the royal chateau is located. On the ride down, we listened to Rick Steves`Versailles walking tour to give us a head start on the trip.
The line for tickets was about 35 minutes but well worth the wait. Louis XIV is responsible for the monstrosity of Versailles. The property is sprawling with the chateau, gardens, sculptures, waterfalls, and Marie Antoinette`s private home and playground. We spent over 3 hours in Versailles and probably only saw 1/2 of the exhibits. The most memorable locations are the gardens and, of course, the hall of mirrors. Nate and I wondered why we weren`t born into royalty because obviously this palace was built with us in mind. If you have the chance to take this trip, we definitely recommend it. Make an entire day of it and pack a picnic to enjoy in the gardens. Or you can purchase a fromage and baguette sandwich like we did! The pictures from this excursion are stunning and give you a better idea of Versailles` beauty.
After Versailles we wanted to squeeze in one more excursion. The Orsay Museum (full of impressionists`works) was on my mind all day and would work into our schedule because it is closed on Monday, our last full day in Paris. Well, the 20 min train ride was sweltering hot and we just couldn`t bear going through another museum. So, we took a quick detour from our apt stop to Notre Dame. The line to get in the cathedral was about a mile long so we opted out and just took in the exterior views. As you can see from the pictures, another breathtaking structure in Paris.
With at least 5 other museums/monuments on the mind, we decided to do something out of the ordinary that was by far the best of the day...a siesta at our apartment. But before that could happen, we had to watch the 100`s of rollerbladers cruise down our main street, Saint-Denis.
We have been on the go non-stop since we arrived in Paris not to mention the action packed wedding weekend just prior to our European excursion. There is sooo much to do and see in Paris that at times it can be overwhelming. After our much deserved 2 hour nap, leftover spaghetti from day 1 was in order. Yummmmm!
After dinner, around sunset, we took the metro to the Grande Arche La Defense in the center of Paris`business district. This modern structure is so different from anything we have ever seen. The building itself is mesmerizing but its the surrounding landscape and views that complete the design. From the top of stairs you can see the Arc de Triomphe. *See the surplus of pictures! After the arch, we took a small walk to a fountain and watched the show with the Grande Arche in the background.
Later in the evening, we decided to take a walking tour through Montmarte (northeast of downtown Paris). This area was the stomping ground for the likes of Renoir, Van Gogh, Toulouse-Lautrec, and Picasso. The start of the tour take you to the highest point in Paris, Sacré-Coeur. This was so much fun and had we known it was going to be so much fun we would have brought along a bottle of wine, some fromage and of course a baguette. The stairs were packed with locals drinking, relaxing, and listening to music. We listened to a few Bob Marley jams and then took the rest of the tour. In a perfect world, we should have walked past Picasso`s studio along with Van Gogh`s home but of course we couldn`t find them. We did see a few cafes that inspired some very important masterpieces including the Moulin de la Galette (in Renior`s Bal du Moulin de la Galette). Our last stop was the Moulin Rouge. This was definitely on my top 5 list of things to see in Paris so I was genuinely happy in the photo after a long day of walking.
This was a great day and brought our spirits up a lot after Saturday`s mayhem.
We are officially 1/2 way through the trip! What will we blog about after? Any suggestions?
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