A Paris, France To Remember (Day 2 & 3)

Day 2 in Paris, France: Versailles

The day started early with a long walk to the meeting point.

We barely had room to rest.

Our four day itinerary was jam packed!

This would be my second trip to France this year!!!

I’d done a stop in Toulon on a Mediterranean cruise.

This was a #teamnosleep type of vacation.

I chose to miss breakfast instead of the tour bus.

Sadly, that may have set the day’s tone.

Once we arrived at about nine am, (which I already thought was too early) we had to wait in the cold rain for a pre-arranged entry time.

Good thing we traveled everywhere with umbrellas. I didn’t use mine since hotel’s loaner was much cuter.

They still didn’t dissuade the pushy African men on site from attempting a sale.

By the time our new tour guide (your bus guide may be assigned to another Versailles tour) was ready, I was not in the mood to hear anyone in my ear.

She handed out headphones and a listening device.

I followed along physically but I missed all of the history of France.

Maybe she mentioned how the grounds were once a wasteland.

I’ve read accounts where people have stated it still reeks. I don’t agree!

The palace is indescribably beautiful but after a while all the rooms began to look alike.

I picked the five hour tour on Viator and was grateful I skipped the longer one.

I didn’t need to see that many rooms.

Will Travel for Chocolate

Paris has thousands of cafés and I wanted to make sure I chose a good one. My research pointed me in the direction of Les Deux Magots.

The name came from Magi ( the holy Biblical men). It was a cafe where many literary greats came to write, dine, and fellowship.

The location is in St. Germain des Pres. They’re also known for their chocolat chaud (hot chocolate). The cost was £10.

The oldest church in Paris, France is across the street. (Eglise De Saint Germain Des Pres)

There’s an honorable mention next door (Cafe de Fleur)  that I may tackle on my next trip.

From going to coming, hot chocolate was my drink of choice. I ate a typical Parisian breakfast including croissants.

Before my arrival in Paris, France I was determined to try escargot or snails. This was surprising since I’m not usually very adventurous.

Trying snails at Les Deux Margot was almost reminiscent of watching that funny scene in ‘Pretty Woman‘. I finally got the hang of it and it tasted similarly to oysters.

For an entree, I had veal with basmati rice. Everything was delicious and the eye candy in the form of male waiters completed the experience!

The hot chocolate was last and was worth every euro. Imagine melted chocolate in a cup.

That was the thickest hot chocolate I ever had.

For macarons, I read to not miss a stop at the “Picasso of pastry”.

It was down the street from Les Deux Magots.

I didn’t try any unique creations they were known for. But I couldn’t tell the difference from  the traditional choices also found at La Duree.

A Night at the Louvre

We decided to go The Louvre for the late showing since we were short on time. They closed late on Fridays and there was no line/wait.

In addition to Mona Lisa, we purposely visited the Egyptian exhibition. The only line was for Mona Lisa but it was quick.

We took selfies and as many photos of each other we could. The Louvre did not disappoint in its expanse or beauty.

There is also a shopping mall attached to it.

Ricki Stevenson’s Black Paris Tour

The next day was the Black Paris Tour. I will not go into much details since they don’t publicly post their itinerary.

We met at a cafe near the Arc de Triomphe. The guide gave a thorough presentation of the historical Black influences in Paris.

Most of it was news to me.

The tour included breakfast and we walked to the Arc De Triomphe after. It was even more intricate than the one in Spain.

There were flowers laid to honor the unknown soldier.

It’s definitely a can’t miss when visiting Paris. My only regret is that we didn’t get to climb and see the view from above.

The Arc is right next to a metro stop.

Once we moved on to Champs Elysees,  we came across a La Duree which are decorated  in a pea green “La Belle Epoc” (the beautifully extravagant age between 1871-1870) theme.

These are franchised internationally and we have a few in Florida.

The last stop on the Black Paris Tour is an affluent area of Paris called Rue St Honore.

The tour guide stated that its not as marketed as Champs Elysees and therein lies its mystery.

Ayiti (Haiti)

My favorite part of the tour was learning about all the contributions Haiti made in France.

You can’t talk about French history without mentioning Haiti. I can’t wait to return to Paris.

Though the trip was clouded with sorrow, I had an amazing time.

The Parisian/French people were so nice and helpful. It was a welcoming change from the hostility I experienced in Spain and Italy.

I had zero complaints about Paris.

Food was delicious. The weather wasn’t bad since rain and cooler fall temperatures were expected.

I may return for a summer trip!

Can’t wait to go back! There were many unconquered spots and not enough time!

Good thing…We’ll always have Paris.

~Poof…Bee Gone

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