On our fifth day we got up bright and early and headed out to the château de Versailles. Since I had done all the planning for our trip the hubby had no idea what to expect. Every time we did something it was very exciting to see his reaction. This is the entrance to Versailles and as you can see there are a lot of tourist making their way there. We took a train from Paris to Versailles and if you ever do the same just keep in mind that it cost more than your regular metro ticket.
At the St. Pancras International Station we purchased a 5 day Paris Museum Pass and we first decided to use it at Versailles. We had to purchase a separate ticket to access the beautiful gardens but it was well worth it. The museum pass is pricey but if you're anything like us then you'll use it to its full potential. There are two lines when you get there one is for people who have museum passes and the other one is for everyone else. Once you get into the main area be careful not to be whisked away by all the tourist around you and don't forget to be vigilant since there are pickpockets everywhere. When you get inside you are able to get an audio tour device in whatever language you speak. Everything works like clockwork and the stream of tourist are encouraged to go through the château first and the gardens last. Since I tend to do things my own way I asked the hubby if he would join me in the gardens first. As we were heading back outside all the employees we encountered kept telling us to go back into the château because they said it would get packed later on during the day. We somehow made our way outside and as we did I just have to say the ambiance became more relaxing.
Nothing else compares to Versailles! We were amazed with all the beauty around us. I loved seeing the gardens first since it felt like we had them all to ourselves.
We seriously couldn't believe how amazing the gardens where. Isn't the Bassin d’Apollon phenomenal? During certain days in the summer the fountains are turned on with music.
One of the coolest thing we did while in Versailles was renting bicycles. We decided that it would be best to do it for half the day or 4 hours since the grounds are so big. You can purchase a separate ticket if you want to use a tram instead of renting bicycles. I really wished we would have had a picnic there like a lot of the locals did. Please note locals are able to access part of Versailles but not all of it. There are some places where you're not able to take the bicycles into but they give you a lock so you can lock them up.
Once we did a quick ride around the grounds we returned to see the fountains turned on. I felt like I was whiskey away into another time when things were so majestic.
If you know me by now then you realize that we can't go anywhere without trying something yummy. By the way this was one of the best strawberry soft serve yogurt I've ever had. The hubby opted out for some crepes instead but I was too busy eating my dessert that I didn't take a picture of his.
The grounds are so big that you need to take a couple of breaks in between to take everything in.
Versailles was simply magical and its where a little girls fairytale's comes true. I saw a lovely swan, beautiful flowers, little cottages, and I felt love in the air.
One of my favorite little cottage in the Hameau de la reine was this one.
The inside of the château was just as lovely as the outside. The paintings were amazing but my favorite part was the Hall of Mirrors. If you've see this commercial you can get an idea of how beautiful that room is.
Once we were done at Versailles and our eyes became tired by seeing all the beauty that magical place had to offer we headed out to eat before taking another train back into Paris. Please don't think any less of me but we decided to eat at McDonald's. We kept seeing an ad for le Big Chili avec une sauce Tabasco and the hubby wanted to try it and I just wanted to try the macarons. I thought that the restrooms were so cool but it was odd to have the same entrance for both men and women. Can you tell that the hubby loved his Rick Steve's book? The book actually came in handy when we wanted to learn about the history around the different aspects of Versailles.
When we got to Paris we decided to have a real dinner and we headed out to a local joint. This is what I had for dinner. The crème brûlée was amazing just like all the food we had while in Paris.
...To be continued...
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