continues from 3 days in Paris – Part 1
Day two
Our second day began really early in the morning (around 7) as we had to be at 9:30 in Versailles Château.
Versailles Château is located 20 kilometres southwest of Paris and it’s the most luxurious palace in Europe. Our ticket included a King’s apartment Tour so we met the hostess at 9:30 in Versailles. We were a small group of 20 people more or less, and the tour lasted 3 hours. We saw the private apartments of the Kings (clothes cabinet, the dinning room, the library etc.) and the Royal Opera with a private guide.
I was dazzled the whole time by the luxury in every room but most of all, by the Royal Opera. The Royal Opera is entirely made of wood and is painted to reassemble marble. Really beautiful.
The Royal Chapel was closed to the public as it is under renovation until 2020. So this is the only picture I could take,
When our tour ended, we continued to the other rooms of the palace, by starting from the most famous room, the Hall of Mirrors. A giant hall designed with 357 mirrors that cover the 17 arcades opposite the windows. Back then, mirrors were a symbol of great luxury, wealth, and power.
Unfortunately, the Hall of Mirrors was crowded by an increasing number of visitors, that it was almost impossible to enjoy.
I am glad I could see the apartments of the Kings and the Royal Opera on a private tour. It was really worth it.
Sadly, we didn’t have time to see the Gardens of Versailles and the Musical Fountains Shows that are running until 29 October 2019. We had already spent 5 hours in Versailles but it really requires a whole day. It’s something that i will do next time though.
Back in Paris now, we visited la Creperie des Canettes. I have visited many times in the past this adorable creperie, but I had totally forgotten of it. We went with my mom’s dear friend and it brought me back many memories. It’s highly recommended, as not many places are so excellent at making a crepe!
It is almost always full of people, but it is worth it to wait in line in order to find a table.
Then we had coffee to a nearby café called Le Hibu. A traditional Parisian café that we were lucky to find a table outside.
Our next stop was at Centre Pompidou at the 4th arrondissement of Paris.
Centre Pompidou, is a complex building, designed by famous architects Richard Rogers and Renzo Piano. Locally it is also known as Beaubourg.
It is well-known as the first “inside-out” building with its structural and mechanical systems exposed on the exterior with colour-coded elements such as green for plumping, blue for ducts etc.
We had dinner at L’Acanthe, a nice little restaurant in a very cute street close to Centre Pompidou.
Our second day finished with a nice walk along the Seine and a visit to the impressive Louvre Pyramid by night.
To continue reading, click here: 3 days in Paris – Part 3
