Versailles

We all took the train to Versailles today. It was the opulent palace of Louis XIV. It was quite crowded, which somewhat took away from the enjoyment of seeing the ornate decor. There was an abundance of gilding, marble, painted ceilings, and velveteen wallpaper. The highlight was the Hall of Mirrors (which is not a funhouse maze, if that's what you're thinking) it is a long hallway lined with windows on one side and mirrors on the other. Hanging from the 40 ft ceilings are dozens of gigantic crystal chandeliers.

After exploring Versailles, Nate, Michelle, Stephanie, and I decided to find a place for lunch before coming back to Paris. Just outside of the train station was a El Rancho Tex-Mex restaurant, so we decided to try it. If you are thinking that France and Tex-Mex don't mix, you are right. Our margaritas were an interesting shade of green-blue and the combo quesadillas meant 2 of each, not all together. They were poulet (chicken), chevre (goat cheese - I knew it was a kind of cheese, but wasn't expecting that), and poivre (pepper - as in pimento, not bell.) So it was not traditional Tex-Mex, but tasty none the less - just French.

Next, we stopped by the mini Statue of Liberty. She was a gift from the Parisian community in America as a thank you for the NYC version. We strolled down the Seine before catching the Metro to the Moulin Rouge (just for pictures, not a show - 150 Euros!) The rest of the afternoon was spent in the Marais - which seems to be the place to be on a Sunday afternoon. The streets were crowded with people window shopping and sitting at cafes. Extra long lines for any place serving ice cream. I found more of the Jewish area today - delis and menorah shops, I actually saw a yarmulke with the Eiffel Tower on it.