After my day touring Paris, I woke early the next morning, tired but excited, ready to see Versailles. I packed up the few things I'd unpacked on my arrival in Paris, buckled my backpack on, slung my other bag over my shoulder and headed out. Matthieu drove me to the train station and explained which train I needed to take to get to Versailles.

All total, it probably took about forty-five or so minutes to get to Versailles. I was so content, listening to my iPod as I watched the French landscape fly past outside the window. The train station at Versailles was quite large, so it took me a little while to find my way out onto the street. From there, it was a fifteen minute walk to the palace. By the time I got to the palace, my back and shoulders were already hurting a bit. Between my two bags, I was carrying about fifteen kilos (about 30-35 pounds--believe me, I wish I was kidding about this).


The Palace of Versailles, as seen from just behind the statue of Louis XIV.


When I got to the palace, I was immediately overwhelmed by the sheer size of it. Walking down the street towards the palace, it's the only thing on the horizon. It's a truly majestic sight. A statue of Louis XIV stands about a hundred feet from the gates at the entrance to the palace. The palace itself is ornate, with incredibly detailed carvings lining the edges. Gold decorations are everywhere. The overall effect is one of clear wealth and beauty.

Once I entered the palace grounds, I checked the sign to see if I had to pay admittance or not. The sign said students in the EU under the age of 25 didn't have to pay, but since I'm an American citizen, I thought I had to pay. I waited in the ticketing line for half an hour, just to be told that I didn't have to pay admittance, I could just go get in line and they'd let me in for free. So, glad to be saving money, I headed out to the line--the ridiculously long, winding line. I approached one of the guards at the entrance and said, "Bonjour monsieur...I was told I don't need to buy a ticket, can you tell me where I need to go?" He must have assumed that since I started with 'bonjour' I at least understood French, because he answered by explaining everything in French. I had no clue what he'd said, but he had pointed to part of the line, so that's where I went.

It took an hour to get to the front of the line to finally get admitted to Versailles. Luckily, I was able to set my bags on the ground for most of the wait, so their weight didn't bother me. When I got to the entrance, I just showed my passport and student ID, and they waved me through. There was a bag check to the side, so I headed straight for it, relieved. But when I set my bag on the counter to be checked, I was told that they couldn't accept the bag unless there was food in the bag. Since neither of my bags contained food, I had to shoulder them and head into the palace.

The gardens of Versailles. Everything you can see is part
of the gardens.

There was so much to see in the palace, but what I really wanted to see was the gardens of Versailles. So I walked through some of the palace, but quickly headed out to the gardens. The view was simply breath-taking. From the over-large patio at the back of the palace, you can see for miles. The gardens themselves seem to stretch all the way to the horizon. There are several fountains, statues everywhere, and of course, impressive displays of gardening skills.

I walked through the gardens for about an hour before I finally had to stop and just sit for a while. I was tired from walking for so long, carrying so much weight on my shoulders. So I bought a chocolate ice cream, and just found a good spot to sit. I enjoyed my ice cream while I watched tourists walk past, admiring the gardens. Once I'd finished the ice cream, I headed off to see Marie Antoinette's estate. Unfortunately, I didn't get to see the inside of any of the buildings, due to my schedule. (I had to be at Gare de l'est early that afternoon to catch the train to Strasbourg).

Marie Antoinette's estate towards the back of the gardens.

The whole experience was surreal. Even if I was tired from carrying so much weight for so long, I couldn't help but marvel at the fact that I was in Versailles--a nineteen year old girl from Pennsylvania, and I was walking through one of the most well-known tourist attractions and historical buildings of France.

I ate lunch outside Marie Antoinette's estate (seriously, I can't believe I can even say something like that!), and then trudged back through the gardens, past the palace, and back to the train station. It took me a little while to realize that I'd purchased the wrong ticket to get from Versailles to Gare de L'est--I actually had to ask the man at the service desk about it before I got it figured out--but soon enough, I was back on the train, making my way back into Paris to await my train to Strasbourg.

One of the fountains in the gardens of Versailles.

My days in Paris and Strasbourg were truly incredible experiences. As I was taking in all the sights, I couldn't stop thinking how lucky I am to have gotten the opportunities to see these things. A year ago, I never would have believed I'd be climbing the stairs of the Eiffel Tower, gazing up at the Arc de Trioumph, or wandering through the gardens of Versailles. And yet here I was, just enjoying my time halfway around the world.

I'll be posting again soon with stories of Strasbourg, and eventually of my trip from Strasbourg to home (it's quite the tale!). Until then, a tout a l'heure mon amis!

Une Journee A Paris (Part II)

When last I wrote, I left off with my climb of the Eiffel Tower. But there's so much more to tell of my day in Paris!

After leaving the Eiffel Tower, Matthieu and I headed down some of the streets further away from the river. We were headed to the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs-Elysees. On the way there, Matthieu and I passed a protest outside one of the shops. Matthieu explained to me the way the labor parties in France were set up and why there were strikes going on at that time. I thought it was really cool, learning a bit about the differences between American unions and French unions.

Soon, we arrived at the Arc de Triomph. It was awe-inspiring. It's one of those things that I've seen in history books or travel guides, but nothing will ever measure up to the feeling of actually standing on the Champs-Elysees, staring up at this massive monument. And that was just from further away! To get up close to the Arc de Triomph, I had to go down a set of stairs, through a tunnel under the Champs-Elysees, which emerges onto another set of stairs that leads up to the Arc. The Arc itself stands on a kind of island in the middle of a roundabout, which is surrounded by the roar of what seems to be at least a hundred cars rushing past. Up close, the intricacies of the Arc become apparent. The carvings are so detailed and so impressive! It's truly an incredibly display of artistry.

Once Matthieu and I'd both had enough of admiring the Arc de Triomph, we headed down the Champs-Elysees, often referred to as the most beautiful street in the world--a description I would certainly agree with! The street is lined with really lovely trees, and if you stood atop the Arc and looked down the Champs-Elysees, you would see first the obelisk brought to Paris during Napoleon's reign, and then the Louvre. It's truly breathtaking.

Matthieu and I stopped for hot chocolate and snacks (croissants, of course), at a small cafe on the Champs-Elysees. It was great to just take in the culture and people of the city, watching as Parisians walked past.

Once we felt well-rested, Matthieu and I continued down the Champs-Elysees, past the obelisk, to the Louvre. I so wish I had more time to spend in Paris, because I could spend days doing nothing but admiring the art in the Louvre. The museum is so massive that there must be hundreds of galleries, containing thousands of pieces of art. But for the time being, I had to be content with marveling at the outside of the impressive building.

After leaving the Louvre, Matthieu and I headed from there toward the Notre Dame Cathedral. We stopped at a bookshop first so that Matthieu could pick up something he needed for his job, and then we crossed over the river and into the courtyard in front of the magnificent church. The church was stunning. The stained-glass windows must have taken ages to craft, getting each piece just the right color and size to make a comprehensive picture. There must have been thousands of carvings covering the building as well: gargoyles as drainpipes, figures of important religious figures carved around the doorframes and on some of the pillars.

To finish out my day in Paris, Matthieu took me to a lovely restaurant called Au Pied de Cochon (which roughly translates to 'At the foot of the pig'). I couldn't understand much of what the menu said, and Matthieu spent a good fifteen minutes trying to translate everything for me before the waiter realized what we were doing and brought me an English menu. I decided to be adventures and try the restaurants namesake: a pig's foot. I was pleasantly surprised by how good it tasted! It was simply delicious. At the end of the meal, the waiter asked if we wanted coffee and desert. I declined, explaining that I was too full for desert and am not a fan of coffee. Matthieu gave me a bit of a funny look and said that you could definitely tell I wasn't French. (Mayhap as I learn the language, I'll become a bit more French!).

I'll return soon with the story of my trip to Versailles. Until then, a tout a l'heure!