honeymoon in france (3rd full day)

Bonjour! Here's a quick synopsis of our third day in Paris, highlighted by our day trip to Versailles and the ridiculously gaudy Palace.

1. Today, Versailles is a suburb of Paris but it's mainly known for the Palace. It was roughly a 30 minute train ride from the RER train station near the Eiffel Tower. The walking tour consists of pretty much the entire grounds - the castle itself and an eight mile stretch of beauty for sure, but obscene decadence as well. So much of the history learned in Paris revolves around the French Revolution in the late eighteenth century, which eventually led to the complete dismantling of the French monarchy. One look through this place, and it's clear to see why poorer than poor peasants and working class would revolt against the nobility. Don't get me wrong; the Palace is mesmerizing - just take a look at the Hall of Mirrors below:



What was even more entertaining than the walking tour was watching Emmelle's reactions throughout. Her daydreaming eyes revealed all; she was imagining living on these grounds, holding court over her loyal subjects. My wife, she reads too many books. For some reason, if she were to indeed be a queen, I feel as though I would only be elevated to prince status. Hhmm.

2. Rick Steves, you are everywhere in this city, and I'm sure that's the case throughout all parts of Europe with American visitors. There's always a brief, awkward moment when Rick Steves disciples make eye contact with each other and try to slightly adjust the book into a more inconspicuous position. I believe this is a wasted opportunity to connect with like-minded travelers to knowledge share. C'mon Rick, you should write a chapter in an upcoming edition on how one should introduce and engage with others traveling the Rick Steves way.

Tangent: notice the beautiful French press on Emmelle's fingertips, a remaining vestige from our near-one week old wedding. Ah, those were the days.



3. Unfortunately, there are no memorable food experiences to discuss from our just completed third day. We did attempt to walk into a small, highly regarded mom and pop bistro near the Louvre but were denied as the chef told us they were full for the night. Whatever that means. Racists.

But this would be the perfect time to share our dear affection for the ubiquitous jambon buerre sandwich. It's a very common Parisian snack consisting of thinly sliced ham (nothing special) and butter in a thin baguette. You can really go crazy by adding cheese, maybe even lettuce and tomatoes if you like to live on the wilder side. Again, it is another simple food that is perfectly delicious. And it can be so easily replicated elsewhere; I am dumbfounded why more US lunch spots don't serve this. Oh yeah, we have Subway. Yum.

We've dabbled in a couple of variations, but my preference is for the classic version with a few slices of cheese.



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