Am so glad your first trip did not disappoint. How long was your stay? More to come of this report? I hope so because it has been super fun to read.

I absolutely loved going to Paris with you.. I still feel the same as you do every time I go there.
I have to agree about the French chardonnays--light and delicious. To me the California chards are a bit heavy on the oak. I also usually drink Pinot Grigio, but love the French whites.

Tell us more, your writing style brings such fun to our favorite city.
=D>

OMG, girl where have you been? Were you just trying to heighten the buzz by your absence? (kidding)

I hear you on the pain au chocolat...every day when I am there! I also love that you ordered an Italian wine at French restaurant....my husband also insisted on a big heavy Barolo at a restaurant in Paris (it was Italian) in August...funny and we still laugh about it.

It sounds like you had a great time and we will all eventually forgive you for holding us on the edge for such a long time! Trust me, you didn't have to remind anyone about the tital of your original post! :-)

I look forward to more from you! I leave on December 20...dying, literally dying!

Quite often the carafe of house wine in France is of Italian origin anyway.

Well, in the restaurant where I accidentally ordered pinot grigio, the waiter did bring out a small bottle of French chardonnay. I have the name of it somewhere....it was very good. TPAYT - yes, very light. I think that's why I liked it. The ones here are very oaky and I don't like that.

denisea - Sorry, I didn't mean to hold out on you! Judy and others, I have no idea when the next trip will be. :-( It might be a long time, but I'll get back there. Unfinished business and all...

Day #5:

Palace of Versailles. I didn't know that my WOW meter could go this high!!!! We took the RER train from the Saint-Michel station, leaving early in the morning. The palace was phenomenal. Crowded, but phenomenal. But, I have to tell you....after days of walking through the streets of Paris, and all the noise, and traffic, and sirens......the gardens of Versailles were such a respite. We took a long, slow walk along the reflection pools and manicured trees. It felt sooooo good to be there. The leaves were starting to fall, and not too many people ventured that far from the palace.

We skipped the restaurants and instead got a sandwich from a cart and found a table tucked away in a little garden. It really was a nice break from everything, as we had really worn ourselves out the first few days.

Have I mentioned the sandwiches? The ones you get from the carts and the sidewalk vendors? You know, the ones you walk away with and eat as you go? They were so good....I think it was the bread. I know it was the bread. Boy do they hit the spot.

Anyhow, back to the train. We had no plans for later in the day. I actually dozed off a bit on the train. Then we stopped at the Invalides station and we decided to get off and go check out Napoleon's tomb and the military complex. This is the one day I didn't bring my map, as we were only going to Versailles and back. That was a mistake.

After walking around the complex, we decided to find a taxi back to the apartment. The thing is, we walked and walked and never did find a taxi stand. Anyhow, we started walking, ended up lost in a maze of narrow streets. I suppose if you're gonna get lost, you might as well do it in Paris, right? We ended up back in our apartment about three hours later. I suppose we could have bought a map, but I think we enjoyed getting lost to some degree. We did some shopping, and some window shopping, and stopped for wine so it was all good. We stopped along the way a couple of time and sat down at an outdoor cafe and people watched. It's fun watching the teenagers walking home from school, and the well dressed elderly ladies walking slowly along, and.....well, it's just a great city to people watch. For such a busy city, people really do take their time and savor each moment. What a concept.

Anyhow at some point we stopped at a magazine stand on the street to ask where the nearest taxi stand was. (Yes, I could have bought a street map there, I know). There was a young woman and man behind the counter. The woman didn't know of any taxi stands nearby, but we did end up talking for a few minutes. The whole while the guy behind the counter with her kept staring at me and grinning. When we were done, he said to me "Hey, where are you from?" All the while still giving me that goofy grin. I told him I was from Buffalo, NY. He said "Aha....I knew it! I'm from Toronto....I recognized your accent."

Somehow, after that very long day, we managed to do some souvenir shopping. I'm tired just thinking about that day.

Versailles is just unbelievable. I was lucky enough to be there at a private function and I just couldn't believe I was there! Would love to go back and it sounds great that you were really able to venture away from the main palace and explore some of the grounds. I didn't see a fraction of it.

Look forward to more!

ttt

Versailles is on my list as well, taking a a big part of my morning. And like you guys just going to take my time going through the palace and the gardens (depending on the weather).

I'm really enjoying your report - thanks for taking the time to write it! It's been two years since my second trip to Paris and I'm STILL excited!

Thank you so much for this! My husband and I will be spending our first anniversary there in a few months and the details you included will be very helpful.
Glad you enjoyed your trip!

I'm glad you are all enjoying my report. I initially intended to write down notes every day, names of restaurants and stores, and write a witty report with all those facts. As you can see, I can't even account for one of my days. The road is paved with good intentions, isn't it?

A couple of things....one night (which one...who knows???) we took a boat ride to see the sights all lit up. It was very nice and relaxing. I think it was the Vendettes(?) boat ride and you can get a coupon on line to save a euro or two. I almost needed a chiropractor after that ride, as I kept stretching my neck to see the Eiffel Tower after we turned around. I wanted to catch the sparkly show. My friend kept asking me to take pictures of the tower, but I had to shoo her away. I told her to just let me have my moment with the structure. I needed to subliminally let Ms. Eiffel know that I would see her up close and in person in a few days. You know, send her some vibes. I'm pretty sure it worked. Climbing the stairs after we got off the boat, we had to slow down because the two woman in front of us were ascending side by side and blocking the faster walkers. No problem, it's Paris...what's the big hurry? Well, as I stood on a step waiting for them to climb up, I turned to see a great big fat rat grinning at me. I'm pretty sure everyone from Notre Dame to the Eiffel Tower heard me scream. Everyone except the two women in front of us who continued to slowly chat while lumbering up the stairs.

Getting back to our lunch in the Tuileries Garden. My friend can be a bit loud and outspoken, being a very Italian-American girl from Niagara Falls. I schooled her a bit before we left on how to use our indoor voices in Paris, and say bonjour when entering a store, etc. Just the common courtesies one would expect in Paris. She did a fine job, except.......when she ordered her lunch in the outdoor cafe in the garden. She didn't like anything on the menu, but thought the special might be to her liking. She was pretty sure it was pasta with salmon, but not certain. Well, the waiter came along to take our order, and my friend said quite loudly - while pointing - "I want to know what that lady over there is having."

As I slumped under the table, the Australian girls all turned around to follow the pointed finger, the American couple next to us, the French guy behind her, and a few other people turned to look. The poor woman she was pointing at was just stuffing a fork full of food into her mouth as everyone turned to look. The waiter, clearly baffled, said "What woman, Madam? My friend, still pointing, said "That one over there with the beige raincoat." The waiter said, "Pasta with salmon." Friend said, "Good, I'll have that."

Well, I decided to have a little fun, as I was way beyond embarrassed at this point. I looked at my friend, back at the waiter, made a disgusted face, made a loud sigh and said while shaking my head...."Americans!!!!" Everyone around us started laughing, but no one laughed as hard as the waiter. As a matter of fact, when everyone else stopped laughing, he was still carrying on....guffawing almost....when he realized what was happening. He then turned crimson red from head to toe and took off to place our order.

Fun times, I'm telling ya!

I'll be back tomorrow with the rest of the report.

Really enjoying your report. Thanks so much for posting!

I gather you took your friend to the side later to explain to her..lol..you did a better job at recovering then I would have..lol
But glad you had a good time all the same.

Hearing about Versailles and then your "sparkly show" on the Seine, made me think of our late night trip out to Versailles for a Cyrano de Bergerac--fireworks display over the lagoon. It was done by the same guy who did the Millenium show at the Eiffel Tower. We were a bit worried about getting the last train back to Paris, but it all worked out well and it was a fabulous show.

We had been there during the day on a previous trip, so the nighttime extravaganza did appeal to us.

BTW, loved your "rat" story.

TPAYT - that must have been wonderful!!!

denisea - a private affair at Versailles - big WOW from me on that one.

I loved the palace of Versailles.

You got to spend more time then we did but I thought all of the same stuff. When we were walking to our hotel and I saw the Eiffel Tower the first time I was so giddy! Then when I saw it twinkle the first time, WOW. I still get excited if I see it twinkle on TV. Thanks for the memories.

I'm going to really put myself out there and admit something.

But, let me preface it by saying that I don't like knickknacks. As a matter of fact, my husband and I are downsizing and I've probably gotten rid of 80% or more of my belongings. I've given them away, donated them, sold them (on ebay to help pay for a trip to Paris). I'm going thru the midlife / empty nest / simplification thing. If I don't use it, love it, care about it, and it's not nailed down well, I get rid of it. And if it needs to be dusted, all the more reason for it to go. I've been looking for a new house - a smaller house - which I haven't found yet. But I've already started packing the few things I have left. Too much information, I know.

Having said that......there was a certain souvenir that I was eyeballing since I arrived in Paris. They were everywhere. You couldn't pass a store without seeing one. Oh, how I fought the urge. You have NO idea how the thought of even buying one went against my new outlook on things. I even pinched myself a few times (I was black and blue from all the pinching that took place that week). I kept telling my friend that she should talk me out of it. But in the end I broke down and did it. I bought a knickknack. An overpriced dust collector. The exact thing I had banned from my new life. I spent approximately 25+ euro on.....................sigh........a light up Eiffel Tower!!!!!!!!! Yes, I did. Battery operated. Just slide a little button and she does that sparkly thing. I love her. She sits on an end table that I have reserved for nothing but a lamp. I show it to everyone and make them pay their respects. I'd like to take it to work and put it on my desk, but I'm afraid the nosy co-workers would play with her her too much and break her. She is my favorite souvenir. Sigh.

buffalogirl - Your writing captures your sense of humor -- a true joy to read. Looking forward to more!

I'm loving your enthusiasm - so many people would have turned themselves off Paris by exhausting themselves.

A tip for next time: every metro station has a map of the area and of the city, and many bus stops have at least a diagram map of their routes, so you get some idea of where you are. And both are cheaper than taxis.