Home Away From Home at Versailles

RER C train...I was on a mission at 8 AM this morning to find that train! It was the magic train that lead me to Versailles. After a 45 minute commute, I was at my home away from home...the Palace of Versailles. Scott and Jara decided to sit this one out (I have no idea why, but they did...so I had an adventure all by myself) No one could have prepared me for what I saw today. It was HUGE!! It's own zip code practically! People rented cars to get around the place...I'm not kidding either.

I was taken aback by the grandness of it all! People actually lived there...well royalty lived there. I learned so much about it in school that it was awesome finally to see it all come to life! You had to buy a ticket for the palace itself, then to enter the gardens, and for the palaces of Trianon (the smaller houses in the back of the property). Well, I didn't time my garden viewing quite right, because when I bought my garden ticket, the woman told me I had 10 minutes before the fountains turned off. So I made a MAD dash to take pictures while the fountains were on!

Courtesy of Ryan

I realized that when I travel by myself, I make a lot more friends. Today in the gardens, another guy (Ryan from CA more specifically, the San Fernado Valley) was making a mad dash to photograph the fountains so we helped each other out by taking pictures of one other in front of the fountains.

My favorite part of Versailles was the infamous Hall of Mirrors and the gardens. The gardens spread as far as the eye could see! I bought a panini, and just kept walking through the mazes of greenery and fountains. Absolutely amazing.

Hall of Mirrors

Part of Marie-Antoinette's Estate

It is such a small world! On my way out of Versailles, while crossing the street I ran into Kaitlin's roommate, Kaitlin! (yes that's not a typo). What a small world! Then on my way home, I met a girl named Kaitlin from Ohio who is my age out here travelling alone. We compared notes on what to do in both Paris and Barcelona.

Since Scott and Jara didn't join me on my trip to Versailles, I decided to try out the restaurant, Chartier. Both Marilee's Paris guidebook and a friend recommended it to me, and mentioned it was a good price, good food, and a good atmosphere. So I took the metro to the Opera section of town and found Chartier! I got there around 4:30, because I heard the lines get long, and I had to meet back up with Scott and Jara at 6, so I went for an early dinner. Well, the only other people (about 15 people) in there were people like me...tourists.

Inside Chartier

Chartier changes their menu daily, so the menu is a sheet of paper and the tablecloth is a piece of paper like Macraroni Grill. I was so excited I knew how to read some of the items on the menu, and I had made my decision...Darne De Lieu A La Provencale (fish of some sort). But then just before the waitress came to take my order, the woman in the photo above ordered the same thing. She got a fish...literally. Skin, bones, eyeball, and all! So I quickly changed my food order to the "Nous Vous Recommandons"...the restaurant's recommendation. That was Boeuf Bourguignon Ou. So the waiter wrote my order on the tablecloth and then she was off! The food came really fast and it was really tasty, and this is what I got...

pretty much Beef Stroganoff

While I was waiting for my food, a middle aged man approached my table. He introduced himself as Victor (from Mississippi), and asked if I wanted a picture of myself in the restaurant. I thought to myself, 'WOW do I look that much like a tourist or what?!' He probably saw a perplexed look on my face, because then added "You looked as lost as we did when you walked in here." It made for an interesting conversation that is for sure! Then for dessert, I ordered Creme Au Caramel. I decided to branch out, and get something besides chocolate or ice cream for dessert.

After dinner, my solo travels ended and I met back up with Scott, Jara, Reina, and Theresa while they got dinner. Then we headed off to the Eiffel Tower to watch the World Cup again! But this time, we got there WAY to late! The place was INSANE. There was no standing or sitting room to be found! So, we left, and went back near our hotel to find a pub next door. Sitting in the pub, I realized there was such a diverse group of people watching the game. I am lucky that I got to experience the World Cup outside the US.

Appreciate your A/C. I will when we arrive in Barcelona. This hotel lacks it and a breeze. But we are getting creative. We now sleep with wet towels over us. This may be too much information...it's time to go.

Louvre tomorrow!!

Three Things I Learned Today:

1. I haven't tried ice cream in Paris yet...I know! I'm shocked as well!

2. Apparently, I don't look like a Parisian. I stick out like a sore thumb.

3. The times the Versailles fountains turn on (11am to 12 pm and then again at 3:30-5:30pm)