The original plan was to go to the Louvre, since we skipped it when I was sick. But the more I thought about it, the more I really wanted to see Versailles. Lori and Bruce wanted to go to the Louvre, so we split up. It is about a half an hour train ride to get to Versailles. By the time we got there, the crowds were big. The people who worked there kept telling us we had to get in the very long line, but I knew that with our Museum Pass we did not. While Wendy got a place in line, just in case, I investigated the special Museum Pass entrance. I found it and I was quite happy I did. Where as the regular line would surely take well over an hour to get through, the Museum Pass Entrance would take about three minutes.
When I got back to the line The Great Magnetic Wife had made friends with an Italian couple ahead of us, Alberto Perini and Lidia Treviso. I was introduced and we were having such a good that I thought, I would rather hang out and talk to these people than to go into the palace early, so I didn't mention that the The Great Magnetic Wife and I could skip the big line.
Alberto plays bass in Flavio Delladio & Honky Tonk, a country band. This is a rarity in Italy. But he clearly has a love of the music. This seems to be a vacation of bass players. I am, of course a bass player, Bruce is a bass player, Alberto is a bass player and Jean-Yves from Strasbourg is a bass player. Get us all together and that would be one bottom-heavy ensemble.
Versailles is amazing. Every corner is over-the-top extravagant. Bruce lent me Rick Steves' Paris guide book, which has a room by room description of the palace. It really helped to understand the place. It pointed out all of the things to look for.
Unfortunately, the Museum Pass did not get us into the Versailles Gardens. Or maybe, fortunately. We were pretty tired and didn't feel like standing in another line for tickets for the garden, so we bid our new friends adieu and took the train back to Paris.
At one point we had thoughts of going to the Louvre after Versailles, but it didn't seem so appealing once we got back. We rested up a little and then went to the top of the Arc de Triomphe. This is me on top of the Arc.
After all their generosity, it was time to treat our hosts to a nice dinner in Paris. With the help of the Frommer's Paris Day by Day guide book, we chose Brasserie Zimmer, a very traditional French restaurant in the quite happening Chatelet neighborhood. The food was very good and the ambiance of the place was marvelous. After dinner we explored the neighborhood. It is full of clubs and people on the street. A lot of fun.
It was our last night in Paris, and we were a little sad that it was all coming to an end, but quite happy to have experienced it and very grateful to our hosts for making it possible. It was a bitter-sweet ride back on the Metro to the hotel.
Au Revior.
2 comments:
Dude, Don't you know that Americans are supposed to wear tank tops (red, white and blue) and flip flops when visiting Europe?
Poobah
Aw, who needs the Louvre, it's just a bunch of paintings and stuff. We got paintings here.
Frank
Post a Comment