Today was a trip to the magnificent Versailles. Lucky for us its not far away from Paris so we could get there on the metro. Before we left we had breakfast at the hostel...I'm telling you those chocolate croissants are to die for. We had the most awkward boy's sitting next to us because all the other tables were full. They just stared straight down at their plates...whats with me and awkward people at hostels?! Anyway we left for Versailles and 45ish minutes later we arrive. We got tickets at the soveniers shop to avoid the crazy line at the site. As we approached the front gates, the sight was astounding. I'm talking about both the château itself and the ridiculous lines of people. It's a good thing it wasn't sunny out because all the gold on the gates and facade would've been blinding! Hahaha... We asked a guy who worked there which was the line for the château and he looked at us like we had 3 heads. He said the crazy line was to get into the palace and we should do the gardens first because the line will be shorter later. We wandered through out the gardens which were just so vast. They were divided up into sections but each section was like a maze to find the fountain in the middle. I felt like Harry Potter racing in the hedge maze, minus the running for my life part. The fountains were pretty cool, all were different and looked even cooler when the water was actually on. Once AGAIN there were renovations going on and of course it was on part of the palace exterior and right where the grand staircase into the gardens is located. Ughhhhhh. And then some genius decided it would be really cool to put modern art pieces on the site. Really?!
We got lucky that it didn't pour rain since it looked really threatening and we were outside for over 3 hours. We headed back to the château and lo and behold there was no line. We started in the secondary apartments and while they were cool, it was nothing to write home about. But then was the next part of the palace and THAT was incredible! So much gold, detailed wood work, and painting went into these spaces, its just mind blowing. If it wasn't so amazingly extravagant, it would be on the tacky side of gaudy.
Now of course since it IS Versailles, it is tour bus central. And on the majority of these tour buses are Asian tourists. The came in hordes, it was ridiculous!! Now Asians are great, don't get me wrong, but Asian tourists? Nothing drives me more crazy. And the sheer numbers they come in makes it that much worse. Now while I was trying to squeeze through the masses, I came upon the Hall of Mirrors. What an amazing room! The great length of the hall mixed with the wall of mirrors, rows of chandeliers, and painted ceiling which probably could rival the Sistine Chapel, created an interior masterpiece. I'm glad we did the palace last because it was a great ending to Versailles.
We headed back home, and of course, it was rush hour. Being clostraphobic it was quite an unpleasant metro ride. And no, the New York subways were never that bad from what I've experienced. After a quick nap with the calming sounds of the city and a saxophonist in the background (yes, im an old lady, I need my naps), we headed to check out the Moulin Rouge area. Between the ignorant, fratty boys walking behind us and entering what is essentially the red light district of Paris, I did not enjoy it. And then we came to the famous red windmill that was completely underwhelming. And then from what I've gathered, its more like a Vegas show than what you imagine as a traditional show with can-can dancers that are actually clothed. So obviously we left there quickly. We didn't find any place that appealing for dinner so we settled on the Thai restaurant near our hostel. It was the best decision. Never had I had such delicious thai food before! We got dumplings to share that were AMAAAZING and I got chili chicken and fried rice while Michelle got chicken in a pineapple. That's right, IN not with a pineapple. Mango sorbet finished off our yummy meal. You may criticize us for ordering non-french food, but let me tell you all of it has been out of this world!
Tomorrow is the Lourve, ready to see some world famous art and meet Mona Lisa!
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