And then there was France!

For a bit of a shorter leg of our trip (only 3 days), we went to Paris. Our days were jam packed and, thanks to the Rick Steves Paris tour book, we were able to see everything we wanted without huge lines. For example, we learned that the trick to get to the top of the Eiffel Tower without waiting in line is to get there and be in line before it opens in the morning. It probably helped that we went up on an overcast day, too.

What we saw in Paris... the Eiffel Tower (we went to the top!), L'Arc de Triomphe, La Defense (this cool modern part of town), Notre Dame, Sacre Coeur, Saint Chapelle (amazing stained glass), the Louvre (we zipped right through that thing. We were a bit museumed out and saw the main attractions and that was about it), the Musee d'Orsays, and Versailles, which isn't really in Paris. Paris is certainly a city with a lot of things to see and even though I had been there before with my Mom and my sisters, it felt like I was seeing everyhing again for the first time.

We also had some great food experiences. I think our favorite part was the patisserie around the corner of our hotel where we would get croissants every morning for breakfast. Delicious. Luke was sure to try all things Frenchy between the few restaurants that we went to: a croque monsieur, escargot, quail, foie gras, duck, etc.

Here I am at La Defense and it was really sunny and I had forgotten to put on sunscreen. I was really worried about getting a sun burn, so I used my umbrella as shade. People might have thought it a big strange, but I didn't care.

La Tour Eiffel!!! Oh la la!

At the Louvre. We saw everyone taking pictures with their hands in between the famous pyramids. Luke thought of something better.

Here we are in the palace at Versailles listening to the free Rick Steves audio tour that we got off his website. Tour guide shmour guide. We did just fine without one.

Before the water fountains turned on, Luke rated this large fountain at Versailles in second place compared to the grand fountain at Peterhoff. After the water turned on, he may have changed his mind, though he'd never admit it. Luke was really excited about all the fountains.

Still at Versailles. Per my mom's recommendation, we rented a little row boat and rowed around. Then we ate a picnic lunch that we had bought ingredients for the day before: cheese, ham, croissants, plums, and some form of chocolate. It was a perfect meal in a gorgeous spot with my favorite companion.

I really wanted to see Marie Antionette's little Domain and Luke was a very good sport. Even though we were both tired and our feet were sore, he was willing to walk the extra way (it's not a short distance) to see this cozy little haven. We took a trolley back to the main palace and, even though it was a bit hot and stuffy, it was better than walking. We were beat.

Paris was grand fun and we'll probably make it back some day, but not for a while. There are other places to travel to first.