Day 4 - Paris

March 17 -

Versailles
I was so looking forward to visiting Versailles. I'm a palace kind of girl, and this was certainly a palace! Although it's outside of Paris, Versailles is very easy to get to. Once you get off the train, just follow the many signs, and people, who will be your fellow tourists for the day. Most of the palace is empty. The revolutionaries took care of that hundreds of years ago. What remains are the ornate rooms, the beds of the King and Queen, and several busts and chairs. That's pretty much it, really. The Hall of Mirrors was beautiful and I managed to cajole a kind stranger to snap a (decent) photo of me posing here.

I'm not naive about history, but I have always felt that Marie Antoinette took the fall for something she had no control over personally. It was kind of sad being in her bedroom, looking at the place where she slept and birthed her children, and I was glad to see various portraits and busts of her around the palace. Sadly, only in death has she been semi-rehabilitated. The gardens were gorgeous, especially the Apollo fountain, which I loved, but I tired easily. Versailles is a huge place and I must've walked several miles the entire day. I saw both the Grand and Petit Trianons. Marie Antoinette's village, Hameau de la Reine, was picturesque but odd against the rest of the palace backdrop.

Saint Chapelle and Notre Dame
Back in Paris, and I had heard about Saint Chapelle, tucked away in the Palais Justice complex. All you see from outside is the ornate spire peaking out of a fortress of a building. I made it just in time for closing, my museum pass allowing a later entry. I was much more surprised with St Chapelle than the guide books give credit for. It's beautiful and so hard to believe that it's squirreled away like that.

With enough time at the end of the day, I walked to Notre Dame and took some amazing shots of the cathedral as the sun was setting. The glow cast over the facade was amazing.

Dinner was at a place in the Latin Quarter whose name escapes me. They knew immediately I was American. So much so that they asked if I'd like a cafe creme. Not being shy, I obliged. Those things are delicious. The rest of the meal was just okay. I wasn't having luck with much of the food here. In my defense, all the exercise made me crave meals high in carbs, so that might explain things. I decided to end my night at the Trocadaro with some night shots of the Eiffel Tower. This was a great, clear spot for photo ops.

Although I had done too much, by the end of the day, I was left with the feeling there was more to do. I turned in or else I would've collapsed.