Day 4: Versailles, Louvre, and Leo

The next morning we woke up the earliest we had since our arrival in anticipation of our trip to Versailles. I was keen on seeing the finished renovations on the chapel and on the hall of mirrors. We went to breakfast Le Pick Clops again, loving the fresh squeezed juice and croissants. And Katie was loving the waiter again…

After breakfast we purchased a baguette to go along with the ham and cheese we packed for lunch. And then off we went to the RER station. Now I was not aware of this but the combination ticket for train and chateau is no longer available at train stations. This usually saved you quite a bit of time waiting in line. Somewhat disappointed and worried about the wait, we bough our tickets and got on the train. It was quite busy but the trip went by fast and we exited with the crowds towards Versailles.

The first impression you get of Versailles is that it really is like nothing else you have seen. Majestic, imposing, opulent…and that’s just from the exterior. One other thing you notice is the ugly line for tickets. At that point there was not much to do but get in line and wait. There was a family in front of us with a young man roughly our age who at one point asked us what the announcement being made meant, however we hadn’t heard it so were of no help. But to entertain ourselves we kept trying to figure out what language he was speaking. The next time the announcement went on we heard it, and were able to explain it to him. So we then saw our chance to see who was right. Turns out he was from Brazil and speaking Portuguese though he studies in Germany. Katie developed a crush on poor Leo rather quickly, but he decided to only visit the gardens while his family went to the chateau. So we parted ways.

Inside the Chateau is ten times as opululent, majestic, and overwhelming as the exterior. Your eyes have a hard time finding a spot to focus amidst the wallcoverings, the goldleaf, the statues, and decorated ceilings. Each time you enter a room you have to step back to take it all in without causing your head to spin. One thing that was noticeably different this time, is the Jeff Koons exhibit. In itself it may have been interesting, but in Versailles it was not right. Placed against such a historic setting it seemed to clash wickedly and it took away from some of the rooms. The Gallery of Mirrors is remarkable in its refurbished glory, sparkles just about everywhere! But my favorite is the Queen’s quarters where every inch is decorated with flowers.

Upon completing the main tour we exited to the gardens to be greeted by the sun for the first time in days! Also there to greet us was Leo, who was still waiting for his family. We decided to keep him company and walked around the gorgeous grounds chatting away. When his family came we parted ways, joking that maybe we’d run into each other at the Louvre as that was our plan for the evening. We then took out our baguettes and made simple sandwiches and walked around enjoying the peace of the cold outdoors. We stopped for some hot chocolate where a resident cat caught Katie’s eye. But it was still cold and we wanted to stop at our apartment before the Louvre.

So back to the station and back to our home. Crossing the bridge from Ile St. Louis was a accordion player who really struck a note. It made me again realize how lucky I was to be taking this trip.

But we hurried on home, changed into warm clothes and enjoyed some of our Chablis and then off to the Louvre. The plan was: Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo for Katie and the Egyptians for me. We went in through the Carousel du Louvre and the wait was not bad, and it was a free nigh for those under 26! We hit the big three rather quickly, Venus, Mona, and Winged Victory. Katie was disappointed in the Mona Lisa, but she at least saw it. I was more fascinated by the Egyptians, enjoying the jewelry, sphinxes, and pottery immensely. At one point Katie stopped to rest and I went ahead, when I returned a few minutes later, there was Leo! He somehow found us in the giant Louvre! We decided to make plans for after dinner for drinks and parted ways for the third time!

We soon left the Louvre, but not until Katie had one more look at the Venus de Milo. We made our way to Le Souffle where we had dinner reservations. The restaurant is small but very pretty, and the food is delicious. We started with a light cheese soufflé, followed by a chicken and mushroom soufflé, and then hazelnut soufflé for dessert. It was delightful and the service was very nice. Definitely somewhere reservations would help as it filled up quickly!

After dinner we met up with Leo at his hotel and then went to an Irish pub in the area to enjoy some passably good live music. It was fun and Katie and Leo really hit it off. We made sure to exchange contact info, and around 1 AM we walked Leo home and then headed to our home. It was a fun night, where we really did meet a good friend! Who knows maybe one day Leo will visit Chicago?