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Versailles was a long ride from Paris, and not to mention the confusing train changes to get there. In-fact Paris itself is one giant confusing maze of arrondissements (say what?)… whatever that means.
The front view of Versailles Palace
Versailles was unexpectedly grander than I imaged, the palace is built with amazing attention to the details. The afternoon ended with a nap in the shade, by the lake in the royal gardens.
The garden at Versailles
The gentle breeze, the chirps of the birds, I really didn’t feel like getting up but I had to. I had to reach Paris in time before it got dark; I was looking forward to my rendezvous with the iron monument, the symbol of love, Eiffel tower.
Eiffel Tower, Paris
Do you believe in luck? Well, I don’t. So, I thought I’d give the game a shot after-all it was not about luck but about observation. Hell (pardon my french)! I could even beat Sherlock when it came to observation. Or so I thought.
Wondering what I am rambling about? I know I sound stupid, and it is because I feel red with embarrassment; it’s difficult to put the feeling in words.
When I reached Eiffel I was tempted to play spot-the-ball game. And thanks to their showmanship people like me fall right in the trap. Well, I played and I lost. I probably had a better chance shooting blindfolded a duck in the pond. Who was I kidding? It was a con! Idiot me! The only wise thing I did was I walked-off after one game suppressing the strong urge to win back the lost euros. What’s done is done. Lesson learned. Guys, am telling you, always be on your toes and do your homework before you go visit a place. Such scams are not really uncommon in big cities, I’d suggest you do a bit of research before you go visit Paris.
I spent rest of the time sitting there on the ground basking in the beauty of the Eiffel tower against the colourful hues of the dusky evening sky. It was still some time to go before the dark.
The Prism, Louvre, Paris
My time in Paris was up and the last thing for me to do was to match the smile with the famous portrait of smiling woman, Mona lisa. I had allocated about three hours for the Louvre museum but as it turned out in the end there was too much to see, so much of good stuff all around. The collection that I really liked was Egyptian along with some prehistoric artifacts.
Tourists in a Grand Hall, Louvre Museum
I kept Mona lisa toward the end as I wanted to save the best for the last. But I had to cut short my tour and rush to Mona lisa as it was getting late. The signs were tricky to follow and I felt like Robert Langdom running through the giant maze of the Louvre museum looking for a clue hidden in the painting.
Yours Truly
It was sort of anti-climax when I finally reached the room where the painting hung. There were loads of tourists jostling for space to get that rare unhindered selfie with the maiden beauty. I took a few quick one and ran for the exit. About an hour later I was sitting in the Orly airport waiting for my flight, the three days in Paris felt like a dream.
I could only wish I could have a longer stay for it is definitely my kind of city, full of surprises, and even if you stay for six months you could possibly never run of things to do in Paris.