Palace of Versailles, and more!

What a wonderful night of sleep!!  For the first time since I’ve been in Europe, I was cold!  It rained last night, and there was a blissful breeze, which meant I slept soundly.  The only downside was the early alarm to get up and get ready to see the Palace of Versailles.  We got on the train and found our way to the town of Versailles successfully.  

train ride to the town of Versailles

entrance to the Palace!

After a little confusion about the ticket line/automatic ticket machine, we decided to go into the gardens first since we didn’t want to miss the fountain show at 11am.  What a beautiful place!!  None of the pictures I took do the Palace justice.  

kindred spirits, and the best travel companions!

possible entrance to the third Triwizard Task?? ;)

We found an adorable little restaurant down by one of the lakes and had our first real meal in days.  Omelets and French fries!  Feeling refreshed, we headed into the actual Palace, looking particularly for the Hall of Mirrors and the Library.  

ham & cheese omelet, french fries, and a salad

Unfortunately, Judy and I were both rather disappointed by the inside of the Palace.  We definitely liked the gardens much better.  After leaving the Palace, we hunkered down at a Starbucks  for a while before heading back into Paris.  Upon arriving back in Paris, we tried to do a little shopping near the Arc de Triumph, but didn’t really find anything that amazing.  We then decided to go back to the market, grab food, and picnic at the other end of the Eiffel Tower, with a much more photogenic view.  It was great to relax and sit after a long day of walking.  We watched the sun set over Paris, and took in the ambiance of the Eiffel Tower at dusk.  Judy grabbed a crepe, and I an ice cream before heading back on the metro. 

Judy, with her authentic French crepe

me, with my ice cream

Next on the itinerary is Nice, France to visit one of my mom's old foreign exchange students and his family! Judy and I are looking forward to some relaxation and beach time :)