We hopped on the bus late Thursday night and arrived at the Palace of Versailles early Friday morning. The weather was pretty crappy, but the palace was amazing ...
From the parking area ...
You can't really tell from this picture, but the lines were out of control. It went down the left side and the wrapped around with the people you see on the right. We got lucky and jumped in with some friends who had made it through the ticket office quick, so we only had to wait about 30 minutes.
Outside the main gate ...
They were shutting down the palace early for Kim Kardashian's pre-wedding party ...
Inside the main gate ...
Elliott was pretty good coming off a 12-hour bus ride, but he just wanted to run ... and a crowded palace isn't the best place to do that. I think it probably takes hours to tour this place, but Vic and I did it in about 30 because we were chasing E from room to room.
Chatting with a French man ... he was a hit around town. People would stop us to talk to him or take his picture (Asian tourists love to take his picture), and, of course, he was a ham about it ...
Inside the palace ...
The detail in these rooms was amazing ...
Outside in the gardens ...
We went and grabbed some lunch before heading to our hotel. Once we got cleaned up and showered - we headed into the city. Our first stop was the Eiffel Tower, of course. We knew we were headed back here on Sunday, so we didn't spend too much time taking pictures. The lines were insane to go to the top, so we decided to skip that, and Elliott was asleep at the point.
We were masters of the Paris subway - which I can't say for any other city we have visited. But seriously, I was so impressed with our skills ... by the end of our trip - I think we could have figured out the easiest and fastest route to anywhere in that city. But the stairs ... oh, the stairs ... I think we carried E's stroller up and down about 150 flights during this three day trip. No elevators ... anywhere.
Our next stop was over to the Arc de Triomphe and the Charles de Gaulle area ... of course, there is always construction going on during our adventures, and Paris was no different. It was still impressive - scaffolding and all ...
We roamed around the Charles de Gaulle area trying to find something to eat - which was the wrong part of town to choose. Everything was insanely expensive ... 25 euro for a hamburger and fries, and that was the cheapest thing on the menu. We took our time choosing a place ... until it started raining, and then we ducked inside the first place we spotted. We ended up choosing a British pub (a ode to our next trip) ... which ended up being really great. We were excited that the were offering a 'happy hour' on their insanely priced beers, so we quickly ordered two. We later found out that 'happy hour' only meant a euro off each beer ... sooo that still made for some insanely priced beers. E slept the entire time and we enjoyed our drinks and some great food.
After lunch we hopped back on the subway and made our way over to the Louvre. We decided to buy the tickets to get inside, and it did not disappoint. The place was enormous ... there was no way we could have seen it all, so we picked a few things and set out to find them ...
Of course, we had to find Mona ...
The crowd around her was pretty intense, but we managed to muscle our way up.
Venus de Milo ...
View from inside the pyramid ...
Views outside the pyramid ...
After the Louvre the weather looked like it may severely storm, so we made our way back to the hotel. Vic and I barely slept on the bus ride, so we were both beat ... and we had to be up early for Disneyland!
Disney was fantastic, but so different from Disney World. There was not that same energy. There was no music playing, no characters out, no shows, and the workers were less than thrilled to be there. I'm sure if you have never been to Disney World - you probably would not notice, but there was definitely some magic missing.
E was so excited ...
Sleeping Beauty's castle ...
The first ride we went on was the Haunted Mansion. Elliott loved it and laughed (most) of the way though. Our limit for line waiting in line with a toddler was 30 minutes, and luckily the crowds weren't too bad so we were able to go on almost everything that Elliott could have done. The Dumbo ride was closed, which was a little sad ...
This is a beer that I paid 5.50 Euro (almost 7 dollars) for ... and it came this full. I'm pretty sure it was about two gulps ...
Pirates of the Caribbean ... which E loved as well.
The teacups ... E's absolute favorite.
I managed to find my favorite sandwich place of all time, and it was just as I had remembered ...
We don't have a ton of pictures from Disney because our camera died, but we figured E will grow up around Mickey, so we'll have plenty of time for more photo opportunities.
The next morning we decided to skip the hotel's breakfast ... because it was terrible, and venture out on our own. We popped our heads into a couple cafes and couldn't quite figure out their breakfast menus. Instead, we opted to grab sandwiches and fruit from a market, and ate it at a little park. Much better ... and cheaper.
Apparently E wanted a cafe breakfast ...
... but then decided to dance in the streets ...
After breakfast we went to catch up with our group so we could start a quick bus tour around the city. Our first stop was the Trocadero - which has amazing views of the Eiffel Tower.
E was really excited for the BIG tower!
This face cracks me up ...
Je was on the run at this point ... with Vic chasing after ...
Fountain in Place de la Concorde - where people were beheaded during the French Revolution ... including Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette.
The bus trip was great because it allowed us to see a lot of sights ... and enjoy beers on the road ...
Vic surprised me with some macaroons at one stop. They were good, but not what I was expecting!
Previously mentioned subway system ... looks confusing, but really a piece of cake.
Les Invalides ... where Napoleon's remains are located ...
We were walking along the street and all of a sudden thousands of rollerbladers skated by ... the had a team that blocked off the streets. It was a really random sight ... there were so many of them ...
Cathedral of Notre Dame ... so amazing ...
We visited on a Sunday, and walked in during a service ...
The detail is just crazy ...
View from the lock bridge ...
So many locks ...
We stopped and had lunch at a little spot right by the cathedral. The food was great, not a traditional French cuisine, but we had really good steaks. The lady smiled when I ordered mine well-done, and when I looked over at the table next to us - they were, literally, eating raw meat. RAW. It was bleeding. I tend to exaggerate all things meat related because I have an irrational fear of salmonella, but I'm not joking ... this meat was not cooked. There had to have been a look of horror on my face the entire time this table was enjoying their live meal.
Our last stop was to grab some ice cream and let E run off some steam before we got on the bus for our long drive home.
We ended up staying on the bus long enough to get a night shot, and as we pulled away they lit up the tower with all of the sparkly lights. I didn't get a picture of the sparkles, but it was a beautiful last view of the city.
We had a great trip, and the bus ride wasn't too bad. Paris far exceeded our expectations, and I'm so happy we opted for an extended visit instead of a one day trip. Our next big trip is England and Ireland in July ... which is plenty of time to attempt to replenish our bank account after our Paris extravaganza.
We finally managed to record E reading his 'daddy' book. Vic's sister Vanessa had bought this for us when Vic left for Turkey and E had to read it every night. Usually he puts a little more enthusiasm into it, but he knew Vic was recording, so he had to act silly. The book compares soldiers to superheros ... it's super cute. You'll have to listen close ...
