On Tuesday morning we feasted on an enormous breakfast at the hotel: baguette, brioche, croissant, jam, yoghurt, fruit and coffee before checking out and taking a walk in the stunning sunshine.
the Louvre
Pont de Bir-Hakeim
Statue of Liberty Replica
We then jumped on the RER (express train line) to Versailles, which cost us just €6.40 return and took about half an hour each way – much better value than any tour, and just as easy. When we arrived we joined the massive queue for tickets and stood, getting burned to a crisp (I must remember to carry sunscreen with me at all times) for over an hour until we remembered that the convenience store in the train station was selling tickets to the palace. Even after walking back to the station to get tickets, we were still far better off than if we’d waited in line. I’ll definitely be buying from the convenience store again next time I go.
Versailles was just incredible! The opulence was amazing – everywhere you looked there was something gold or crystal encrusted, and the size of the palace was overwhelming. There were multiple chapels inside, as well as room after room of intricate furniture and embellishments.
a section of the palace roof, almost dripping with gold
multi-coloured velvet wallpaper
my favourite room: the hall of mirrors
Marie Antoinette's bedroom. Check out the ostrich feathers on the bed-head (in the mirror)!
one of the small buildings dotting the extensive grounds
Shannon and I spent the whole time gasping and pointing at various beautiful things whilst trying to take it all in; Versailles is truly worth a visit, but you need at least a whole day to scratch the surface. We had about 5 hours and managed to see the main palace as well as most of the summer houses and some of the grounds, but you could spend a whole day strolling through the manicured gardens, picnicking beside the boat lake, cycling along the paths and enjoying the musical fountains. I will definitely be back next time I am in Paris, and I’ll recommend it to anyone who’s in the city of love for more than a couple of days.
After catching the RER back to Paris, we picked up our luggage from the hotel, took the Metro to Gare du Nord and boarded the Eurostar back to London, napping the entire way after such a jam-packed but awesome weekend.
Stay tuned for a review of the delicious food we ate during our two-day break – but for now, I think I need to watch the film Marie Antoinette to brush up on my history!
I wish I had a large enough hallway to try those different wall papers.
They look so luscious.
Like cupcakes all in a row.