Paris Day One (Versailles and more)

The choice to go to Versailles was not an easy one. We only had 3 days in Paris. Was it worth it to spend a whole day outside of the city? Answer: Yes. Thankfully, friends had recommended we go and we were thankful we did. 

We chose not to eat breakfast at the hotel. Too expensive. We bundled up and walked to the Invalides RER station. There, we bought our tickets to and from Versailles. We got down into the train station and had plenty of time before the next train arrived. We decided we better eat and found a little take-away counter in the dirty train station. We ordered two bottles of water (still dehydrated) and a maxi pain au chocolat. We remembered the chocolate croissants from our French Club days and decided to try one out...yes, inside the train station. Let me tell you, BEST PASTRY EVER. We tried the pain au chocolat at several other places and Paris and no lie, this was the best one...

YUM!!!

45 minute train ride. It was crowded but we found two seats together upstairs. Versailles is the last stop, so we didn't have to stress over where to get off. When you get off the train, you simply follow the crowds past a few restaurants and souvenir shops. About a 10 minute walk. Turn right and there it is! INCREDIBLE! 

I cannot even begin to describe how big Versailles is. I had no idea. It was unlike anything I have ever seen. Honestly, I wish I had done more research before we went. I know I learned a lot of it in school but how quickly we forget. Well let me tell you it's a lot more interesting when you're standing in the middle of it than when you are sitting in a classroom.

I would definitely recommend the free audioguide they give you. We had our headphones from the big bus tour in our backpacks so we didn't have to hold the audioguides up to our ears the whole time. 

Here I am in the amazing and famous Hall of Mirrors reading Rick Steves. We couldn't go anywhere without Rick and I can't sing his praises enough!

I could go on and on (and on and on and on) about the Chateau, but I will spare you. I would definitely recommend going, definitely recommend studying up ahead of time and definitely grab the audiotour as you go. 

Just when you think you cannot be any more impressed (or overwhelmed) you step out behind the house into the gardens. 

To attempt to describe them would be an injustice. I'll just say this, I was blown away in the winter weather and the gardens had zero flowers and the fountains weren't even running. If (when...fingers crossed) we ever go back, I want to go in the spring. I'm sure it is magnificent. 

Despite the dreary weather (it was a trend for our whole trip), we spent a few hours exploring the gardens as well as the Grand Trianon, Petit Trianon, and the Hamlet. 

Between the palace and the gardens, we stopped at a sandwich shop for lunch. After taking in the gardens from the top of the stairs, go down past the fountain and toward the grand canal. One of the the first rights you can take off of the main path will lead you to bathroom and a food bar. We had water, soda,  and ham and cheese baguettes, yum! The french cat with the "mustache" killed me! 

  

The gardens themselves may not have been full of color but the fall leaves were BREATHTAKING! 

We didn't stop until we had seen it all. It took almost a full day, a good 6 hours to see it all. Again, worth it! We took the train back to Paris and walked back to the hotel.

After a quick shower and change of clothes. We headed to the Rue Cler for dinner. It is a very touristy area, a few short blocks from the hotel. There are street vendors there on the weekends, but they were packing up as we were arriving for dinner. We walked up and down the Rue Cler looking for Cafe Constant. Friends had recommended it and it has superb reviews online. As it turns out, I had misread her message. It wasn't on the Rue Cler but on Rue St. Dominique nearby. Oh well! We'll hit that up next time. We finally gave up our search for Cafe Constant and got a table at Cafe Central on the Rue Cler. We were greeted by the host and were promptly sat at a table on the heated patio right next to the street. Perfect! I think it was probably a very touristy restaurant, but it was GOOD. We sat next to a grandma, dad, and daughter from upstate New York. Our waiter (Stefan, I think) was easily the friendliest we had on our whole trip. He was great. We started with a carafe des vin rouge, and gratinee a l'oignon (aka french onion soup.) It was DELICIOUS and did not disappoint. For dinner I had a creamy risotto with chicken and hubby had Duck Confit with fries. It was a lovely meal. 

We left dinner and headed for our first real glimpse of La Tour Eiffel. It was beautiful all lit up at night, I felt like we were in a movie. We dodged our way through the men selling roses and by selling, I mean sticking them in your face hoping you'll grab one and be forced to pay a ton of money for it. We just stood there and basked in the towers glory and then found a bench and sat for a while. We made the informed decision not to climb to the top of the Eiffel Tower. It was not included in our museum pass. The line is long at all hours of the day (and this in the off season). Sitting at the base and marveling was enough for me.

We thought about our friend whose husband surprised her on a a vacation she took with her sister. He came out of the crowd at the Eiffel Tower and proposed. I bet those stories are ten fold. I can't explain to you why it is romantic, it just is.

After walking around Versailles all day and to dinner and to the tower, my feet were KILLING me. So, we took a cab up to the Arc de Triomphe. It was huge and exquisite. We stood at the eternal flame before going up the stairs (did I mention my feet were killing me?) and up and up and up. One of my favorite statues of the trip was inside the arc just before you got up to the viewing deck...

The view from the top was wonderful, and I'm so glad we went at night. The fog was heavy most days and after all it is the city of lights. Photos were hard to get without a tripod, but I'll never forget standing up there with my hubby taking it all in. 

We found a 2nd (or 10th) wind and walked back to the hotel via the Champs Elysees. There are shops for miles, but it was quite late and we kept walking. After the shops and restaurants, and before you get to the Place de la Concorde, there is a cute little market with vendors set up all along both sides of the road, everything was already decked out for Christmas. They were playing Bing Crosby Christmas music and serving vin chaud (hot wine). It was another perfect moment that I'll never forget. 

We made it back to the hotel. Marveled at our view, emailed family, and crashed.