France day 10. Palace of Versailles

The Palace of Versailles is so enormous and beautiful. I had forgotton how big it was. We walked through the gardens for a couple of hours and still did not get to see most of it. We also got to see the apartments of Marie Antoinette which I had never seen before, so that was really interesting. We also of course saw the Palace which holds the famous Hall of Mirrors.

France Day 9. Garner Opera house and Musee D'Orsay

Palais Garnier or the Opera house was our first stop for the day. It is most famous because it is the home of "The Phantom of the Opera." It is a beautiful opera house constructed in 1861 for Napolean III. We saw the beautiful grand staircase and the auditorium as well as the phantoms box seat.

Our next stop was Musee D'Orsay. This was one of my favorite stops of the trip. We got to see so much amazing art by Monet, Renoir, VanGough, Picasso, Rodin, and so much more.

France Day 8. Flea Market and Auchan

Today was kind of a relaxed day. We didn't go into Paris. Instead we drove into Cergy to the weekly flea market. It was fun to just walk around the market and buy some fun souvenirs. We also went to the mall in Cergy which has the French equivelent of Walmart called Auchan. I bought chocolate and haribo candy to bring home to my family. I just hope I can fit it all into my suitcase.

France Day 7. Catacombes, Notre Dame, and Shakespeare and Company

The Catacombes of Paris hold the remains of about six million people. They are stacked throughout the quarry tunnels under Paris. It was quite the eye opening experience to walk trough the tunnels and see the remains stalked along the quarries. The remains have been arranged in rows and shapes like a heart, or a cross. Even with it being the off season, and cold, the line to get in was over two hours.

When we were finished there, we went back to Notre Dame. We did not get to go inside last time because of the anniversary events. We got to walk through and see part of Mass which was very very cool.

We made a quick stop at McDonalds for lunch and had a burger with french cheese on a baguette and a pistachio shake. Tres Bien. We finished the day by walking through some shops and stopping at the Shakespeare and Company bookstore where I found the most adorable little book for my little Lily called "Lily Loves."

France Day 6. Sacre Coeur and Rue de Montmartre.

Today Sarah, Elena, and I took the train to the Sacre Coeur Basilica. It is one of the most beautiful churches in Paris and it has a great view of the city. There are also a lot of very quaint little shops and restaurants nearby on the Rue de Montemartre.

We spent a lot of time strolling the streets looking at shops. There is also a corner where artists gather to display their work, and paint portraits. There is so much talent on that corner. It was so fun to watch as they painted.

For lunch we stopped at a small restaurant that served traditional boeuf bourguignon. It was very delicious.

And last we made a quick stop to see the famous Moulin Rouge.

France day 5. The Louvre and Angelina's

Today was one of my favorite days so far (though it is hard to pick). We spent the whole day at the Louvre and yet we did not even scratch the surface of the immense palace.

We saw a lot of the famous masterworks including Venus de Milo, The Winged Victory, The Lacemaker, The consecration of the Emperor Napoleon I, The Wedding Feast, Captive, The Mona Lisa, and so many more. It was breathtaking and overwhelming and I loved every minute if it. I loved just looking up at the ceiling to see the magnificent architecture and artwork, and seeing the staircases, doorways, and arches that were each their own work of art. It was lovely.

After the museum we walked over to Angelina's tearoom to try the famous house specialties, the Mont Blanc and the hot chocolate. Both were sublime.