Weddingbee Blog

Somehow on the third day in Paris, we managed to take zero photos. So this post is all video. I apologize if you’re reading this from work, and you can’t watch them!

It was our final day in Paris, and we decided to spend the day in Versailles—if you’re not familiar with it, Versailles is a city located just a little outside of Paris. It’s the home of the famously ornate Château de Versailles, well known as the home of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI during their marriage. We read in our guidebook that you should get there early, as the Palace tends to get very crowded with tourists during the day. The book also suggested spending the entire day in Versailles. We took the Metro and the RER (kind of like a suburban rail), and it took us about an hour total.

When we arrived, it was cloudy and cold and windy, and we were sleepy! And we had to walk a pretty good walk from the train stop to the Palace. Honestly, I just wanted to go back to sleep.

Our first impression upon walking up to the front of the Palace was “Uh, where’s all the grass and trees and stuff?”

In our heads, we pictured the Palace of Versailles as we had seen it in paintings or movies: with a beautifully landscaped entrance leading up to the brilliant golden gates. Needless to say, we weren’t prepared for all of the gravel. Or the raging lines of tourists. Or the tartar hangover I had from the night before, apparently.

We pressed on and got to see part of the inside of the palace. First, the chapel.

Then down a hall of marble statutes, where the Dude got a little lost.

After peeking into the king’s and the queen’s quarters, as well as a massive art gallery featuring paintings that tell the history of France through battles, we popped out back to see the gardens.

They were gorgeous, but it was still windy and cold, so we headed off the grounds to find shelter and sustenance.

After grabbing a quick bite and doing a bit of shopping, we hopped on the train back into Paris. We took naps and then ventured out to a sidewalk cafe for some espresso (me) and Coke (the Dude). I should say right now that if you go to Paris (or Rome, or Milan, or most other big European cities), you should definitely go to a sidewalk cafe just for drinks at least once a day. I wish we had them here in the States!

Refreshed, we explored the neighborhood around our hotel to get some provisions for our “picnic.” Originally we’d wanted to grab food and take it with us to the Eiffel Tower, but it was too chilly. We settled for a cozy evening on our hotel balcony with some wine, cookies, and a baguette. Oh, and don’t forget some delicious pastries from this chocolate shop.

Apparently the French girls were also excited for the Dude to get his chocolate on!

At 12:30, we tried one more time to make it to the Eiffel tower by 1AM to see it razzle dazzle.

We made it!

Up next: As we head to Italy, our trip takes a turn for the worse.

Did you miss something? Try and keep up, OK?
Mice in Europe: Paris Part I
Mice in Europe: Paris Part II