Back to Paris! Ha I would love to know how many times I've visited France's capital city because clearly I've lost count. Unfortunately due to work being done on the rails the journey took an extra hour. Coach was nice but I prefer a direct train.
Kate and I were headed to Versailles today with a heavy overcast of clouds. I kept threatening to pollute the sky with aerosol hairspray if it so much as thought about pouring on our parade of the golden palace. Fortunately it didn't. Made our time outside far easier.
Speaking of time outside we spent more than anticipated. First I had to buy a ticket (Americans over 18 must pay the price) which didn't take too long. I used a machine and the process was over in a matter of ten minutes. Then Kate and I had to wait in line. Specifically a line that slithered like a snake in front of the gates of Versailles. Oh boy, time to be patient.
It took a little over an hour to be admitted into the palace. Could've been worse I suppose. Still the fact that we had to keep our bags with us (you can't check it if it has clothes in it for security reasons) was a pain. My backpack had the better of my shoulders by the end of the day. The palace itself was crowded. Kate and I didn't spend much time with the paintings purely because of the amount of bodies in the rooms. I'm not one for close encounters with strangers especially with the temperature is bleeding into the "hot" zone.
The main areas in the palace weren't too bad; the hall of mirrors and the hall of battles were relatively open and supplied us with much needed room. I really need to build a hall of mirrors in my home. Kate was amazed at the hall of battles. As she put it, "this is awesome. Completely awe-inspiring awesome." I felt bad that we had arrived on such a busy day but it only meant that she would have to return in the future which is an exciting event to be.
After suffocating among tourists (especially American ones that I avoided like the plague) we hit the gardens for air and food. We did spot an Angelina's Tea Room (wink at my mother) but were hankering for something more filling and less rich than chocolate. Eventually we found La Petite Venise hiding behind the giant wall of hedges. Time for lunch!
Kate and I had lunch for about three hours. Least I think that's how long it lasted. We just took our time and enjoyed our meals. She had a chicken salad with huge amounts of everything. It was a fresh leafy green bowl of deliciousness. I ordered a salmon salad and was surprised when raw salmon stacked with pickled cucumber and crackers was placed in front me. It was fantastic but definitely a shocker.
Our meal ended and our energy waned as we made our way out of the grounds. It had been a long day and we were looking forward to the train back to Paris, sitting down and relaxing rather than carrying bags. We met Jonathan at the train station and proceeded to find our hostel for the night. It was Oops hostel and was located near/in the Latin quarter of Paris. Kate and I checked in and were pleasantly stunned with how nice it was.
First detail, they had an elevator. Ok I bypassed the metal box of pressure which forces me to be too close to people as much as could but that doesn't mean it wasn't a nice luxury for people who like elevators. I'll never understand that side of the population. The moment I discovered the stairs I took them every time. Second our room (which we shared with two other girls) had its own bathroom; not just a sink but a shower, toilet, mirror, and sink. One word, sweet. Third, breakfast was included in the fee. Fourth and finally, we had an amazing view from our street-side balcony. Oops, completely kick ass.
Right, once that was taken care of and our stuff was dumped into our room the three of us went on the search for dinner. Jonathan spotted a place called Pho which was something Kate (someone cultured in Vietnamese food) had highly recommended. We grabbed a table and the two British students ordered some Pho and seemed to love it. I know my stomach and apparently raw salmon steak doesn't seem to sit too well with me. Soup and noodles weren't in my interest. In any case I had caramelized pork with rice and veg. Good eats.
The three of us stuffed our faces and saw the night slip by. That's always what happens when you're having a good time. Why can't the time stretch/crunch be switched for good and bad? Anyhow Kate and I said goodbye to Jonathan (there was a joke later about finding my tonsils) and marched upstairs to bed. Well almost. Like I said earlier my shoulders weren't thrilled with having carried my backpack around all day. I took off my shirt and instructed Kate on how to massage knots out of the body. This was her first time being a masseuse and she did a decent job. I worked on her right shoulder as well which seemed like fair payment.
Then we went to sleep.
No comments:
Post a Comment