Versailles

I had no idea what to expect when we went to Versailles. I knew it was going to be nice, but I was blown away. There is so much gold! So many nice things! Huge paintings, fine linens, elaborate sculptures, and let's not forget the Hall of Mirrors. Easily my favorite room.

We followed Lauren's guide almost to a T and had a wonderful time. I recommend doing exactly what she says.

We bought some veggies and a baguette that morning from our fruit stand man. It was perfect weather for a little picnic outside in the gardens. There was an empty podium that may have once held a statue. So what did I do? I climbed right up and posed. It was actually quite difficult but I'm proud to say my arm muscles didn't fail me. Thank you, weight training class.

We walked to the Hamlet and Trianon. It wouldn't have been a difficult walk, but we took a wrong turn and ended up walking an extra mile. Paris was our last stop on this three-week trip, so to say we were exhausted is an understatement. When we realized we were in the wrong place, we just dropped to the grass and didn't move for a good 15 minutes. 

My point? Take Lauren's advice and rent a bike. Or make sure you know where you're going. Either option will save your poor feet from pain.

Once we finally made it, it was great. Marie had her own little hamlet complete with a pond, animals, fields of produce, and adorable cottages.

I HIGHLY recommend taking a day trip to Versailles if you are in Paris. It's such a perfect place to step back in time and be transported into a fairy tale.

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And that, my friends, wraps up my travel posts from this summer. Finally!

Happy Wednesday!!

Bakeries and Fruit Stands

One of my favorite things about Paris was the pastries. Carbs are my favorite.

It didn't hurt that we had an adorable bakery right on the corner by our hostel. We stopped there each morning.

There was also a fruit stand around the corner. Rach and I made a habit of stopping on our way to the metro each morning. The man was so nice and would always speak to us. Too bad we couldn't understand anything he was saying. We would just smile, nod, and say "merci" as we left. He fondly became known as the fruit stand man. Original, right?

On our last day we were pretty upset. Plus I had to sneak a picture of the Fruit Stand Man. He kind of looks like Mario or Luigi, right?!

Tour Eiffel

I was not prepared for how big the Eiffel Tower is in real life. I mean, I knew it was big. But when you're standing under it for the first time, it's incredible. I know some people think it's just a huge, ugly, metal structure, but I thought it was awesome.

The light show at night is supposed to be great. Unfortunately we never saw it. Did you know it stays light outside until after 11 during the summer? Because we sure didn't. I felt like it was always light in Paris. I would wake up at 6 in the morning and the sun would be shining. Crazy. Anyways, we attempted to watch the show three times (each picture is from a different day). But each time, we were too exhausted to stay. When I go back with my mom, we will definitely stay to watch. Especially since it will be dark much earlier (praise the Lord).

Sacre Coeur and Saint Chapelle

Everyone told us we needed to go to Sacre Coeur and climb the duomo. So we took their word for it. And I'm so glad we did! It has an incredible view of Paris. It was definitely a workout climbing up the hill to the basilica and then up 300 stairs to the top of the dome, but it was worth it.

On our way back down the hill, we were met by two African men who asked us if they could show us something. They came toward us and started reaching for our wrists. Thankfully, my brother had told me about this trick so we were prepared. These men tie a string around your wrist and then steal your bag while you're distracted. We told them no and kept walking away. They were bold enough to grab my arm which was a mistake. I yelled at him, "Don't touch me!" and he thankfully let go. It was really the only time we ever felt uncomfortable (other than in Brussels) the entire time we were traveling. Every adventure needs a good story, right?

After we escaped from the con artists, we went to Saint Chapelle. Words can't even describe how beautiful it is. The stained glass is just stunning. Breathtaking, even. My pictures don't come anywhere near doing it justice.

I can't wait to go back here with my mom. 43 days til she's here!!

Notre Dame and Macarons

Rachel and I traveled very well together. We planned out our days the night before and really maximized our time. We also walked pretty fast which allowed us to a) get to a lot of places, b) avoid taking public transportation, and c) save money. We split up Paris into areas we wanted to explore. Day two's plan was Shakespeare and Company Bookstore, Notre Dame (which is just beautiful), Place de Vosges, and then we ended our day eating chocolate and macarons at Luxembourg Gardens.

I felt like I had to try macarons here and they were okay. I only tried two so maybe I just haven't found my favorite flavor yet.

That night for dinner, we ate at a creperie. Best decision ever. I wrote about that here if you're interested! I will be taking my mom to this place when we go to Paris. She's coming in just over a month! So excited!!

Luxembourg, Museums, and Pureed Soup

I haven't posted anything about our days in Paris so here we go! This will be broken into a lot of posts because we did so much.

We stumbled upon a market that morning and decided to get a little picnic. We ate in Luxembourg Gardens and it was just perfect.

Our first day in Paris was the first Sunday of the month. Which meant the museums were free! We hit the Louvre and Musee d'Orsay. They were extremely crowded but we were still able to see a lot.

After the museums, we walked along the Seine River toward the Eiffel Tower. We found a restaurant on a side street for dinner. It was chilly so when I saw vegetable soup on the menu, I was so excited. Chunks of vegetables was just what I wanted. Little did I know, vegetable soup in Europe is much different than in America. It's pureed. Can you say gross?! It really wasn't that bad but it was definitely not what I expected.

We ended the day at the Eiffel Tower. We were going to stay to watch the light show, but we had walked over six miles during the day and we were tired. So we headed back to our hostel and promptly fell asleep. Day one was a success!