The Last Day in the City of Lights and Love

Versailles Palace was what I was expecting, but not, all at the same time. I liked it, but didn't, all at the same time.

I did expect...

Extreme opulence.
Enough people to make me realize I was visiting a tourist hot spot.
Gardens for miles.

I did not expect...

For the palace to be anywhere near Paris. For me, 12 miles and an hour bus ride meant my view of the Eiffel Tower would be all but a memory. I always pictured the palace out in the middle of nowhere, as that was Louis XIV's intention as he built Versailles as an escape from Paris-- but the Palace is in the town of Versailles. It is metropolitan/suburban sprawl there, at the palace, and back.

For our tour to seem insignificant, but not. There are over 1200 rooms at Versailles, over half of which can be viewed. We toured 17 rooms in the span of about 1.5 hours, and although they were very well-known, very plush/ornate/incredible rooms like the Hall of Mirrors and the Queen's chambers, I felt as if there was so much more to see, like 575 more rooms! But then again, I saw where Louis XIV, XV, and XVI and their respective foreign wives lived, which is incredible.

I liked...

Our guide. She was a bright, blue-eyed French woman with excellent English. She made the tour mean more, as history accompanying the paintings, furniture, and wall hangings always makes the museum, or in this case palace, mean more.

The grounds. With fountains as far as the eye can see, you could spend days wandering Versailles palace, but you could spend weeks enjoying the gardens. If only it were Spring!

I did not like...

The endless line of buses waiting in front of Versailles.

The crowds of people I had to shove through to get a glimpse of Marie Antoinette's jewelry box.

The fact that the tour was advertised as being 4 hours, but 2 of those were spent in a bus.

Oh well. I'm very glad we went and saw the palace that Louis XIV built, Louis XV enjoyed, and Louis XVI paid for-- with his life.

We arrived back in Paris around 1:00 and decided to hit the tourist attractions we had yet to visit-- the Arc du Triomph and Champs Elysees. After passing on a ride to the top, but enjoying the massive structure all the same while paying our respects to the unknown French soldier, we strolled down the most famous avenue in Paris. A little shopping. A little crepe eating (mine had Grand Marnier, and was flambe-d by the waitress!). A lot of walking.

After a quick rest at the hotel, we decided to visit Saint Sulpice, the church famous for its Rose Line made popular by The Da Vinci Code. Although the outside facade was under construction, a massive fountain outside the entrance made up for the restoration project's unfortunate timing. The church was lovely, more like Sacre Coeur with its white stone and lighter feel, and less like Notre Dame.

We then grabbed a quick bite before strolling the bustling Latin Quarter. Our destination was an English bookstore I had read about in online reviews of the city called Shakespeare and Co. My mom said it looked like my house would look if I were a recluse a.k.a. wall to wall, floor to ceiling books in multiple rooms, on stair steps, and shoved in corners. I loved it. I could have spent hours there.

Tomorrow, we chunnel to London. Just as we have figured this city out, we embark upon a new, bigger city with a new language, new ways to get lost, and new sights to see! Oh, the life of a European traveler.