Paris Day 2

Our second day in Paris began with a very early start. We woke up at 6:00 AM and after eating breakfast, we headed to the metro and took a ride all the way to Versailles. When we arrived we were all immediately in awe of the enormous château. The Sun King greeted us atop a horse, guarding the entrance to what once was his home. 

We made our way into the palace and began our tour. 

The Hall of Mirrors

Marie Antoinette's bedroom 

After thouroughly exploring the palace (and getting pushed around by many Asian tourists) we bought tickets to explore the gardens. Walking through the gardens and being surrounded by such opulance was amazing. Unfortunately most of the fountains were turned off (with the exception of one). 

The trip to visit Versailles was well worth the extra metro ride and ticket prices. I could have spent many more hours there, however with limited time and many things planned, we had to leave and make the return trip back to Paris. (For those interested, our museum pass allowed us into the château, but we had to buy an additional ticket for the gardens)

After a nap at the hotel, we headed to Montmartre to visit Sacre Coeur. On the highest hill in Paris is an area of the city known as Montmartre. Once, this area of town was home to artists like Dali, Picasso, and van Gogh. Because this was a seedier district (Moulin Rouge can be found here) the Catholic church decided to build Sacre Coeur so the people living here would be under the watchful eye of God. The inside of the church was amazing (it had some giant, intricately designed domes) but sadly pictures aren't allowed. 

 

Montmartre has a wonderful view of the city! 

The streets of Montmartre are all beautiful and quaint (if you explore away from the tourists). 

For dinner we stayed in Montmartre and visited le Moulin de la Galette. It was recommended by a book we had read prior to our arrival and it did not disappoint. Everything from the wine to our meals was delicious and so French. 

We were brave and tried escargot. I ended up actually really enjoying it! It had a nice garlic sauce on top which masked any weird snail flavor. 

Before coming back to the hotel we walked past Moulin Rouge. We had previosuly considered getting tickets to see a show, however we ran out of time and were unable to find a convinent time to go. There was a large metal grate outside with air blowing up from it. We all had fun standing on top (my dress just about blew up over my head, much to the entertainment of my fellow travelers and a group of Spanish tourists)! 

We are in love with Paris!