Day 17: Paris

Day 17 was a tourist day. We got up early to make the trek to Versailles. You cannot get to Versailles by the Metro, so you can use either the regional commuter train or a bus. We went to the train station information desk and bought train tickets and Versailles passes. The regional commuter train, RER, is a bit more complicated than the Metro, but we finally figured things out with a little help from a local.

When we made our way to Versailles, we realized the luck of having purchased our Versailles passes in advance. The ticket line was unreal. Not only were the lines long, the day was one of the hottest of the trip and there was little shade. We found a bit of shade between two buildings, ate our packed lunch and then made our way into the palace. You cannot bring food into Versailles, so it was good to eat outside the palace and then go in.

Versailles is a tribute to excess. Both outside and inside, it was opulent.
Versailles

Your Versailles ticket includes an audio tour device, so you can type in a number to hear a description of a particular display.

The art galleries in the Versailles have several paintings you would have seen before.
Louis XIV (or one of the Louis)
Napoleon crowning himself.
The king's private entrance to the Versailles chapel.
Beautiful ceiling of a room.

Hall of Mirrors
The gardens out back.

The walking tour of Versailles was long and hot. Afterwards, the boys got a well-deserved chocolate ice cream break:

Napkin, anyone?

After Versailles, we took the commuter train to the Eiffel Tower stop. The lines were amazing and, with the heat, we moved on. We walked down to the Seine and took a boat ride. It was nice to sit down, relax and see the sights.

The Louvre.

Notre Dame.

A cool house on the Seine. High rent district.

Conciergerie, prison of Marie Antoinette.

Cool building on the Seine.

Looking back at the Seine.

La Tour Eiffel

After the boat trip, we grabbed a bit to eat, with a nice cold beer, and then returned home. Our Metro stop, Bastille, was the site of a large, public concert. It was great to hear the music out our hotel window.

Concert in Bastille square.

Only a few days left... Still need to see the Louvre, Roland Garros and the Eiffel Tower.