My tour of Paris was concluded by staying with a French family, a night tour of Paris and the adorable Montmartre district, a trip to Versailles, and some much-needed exercise.
First-off, French food.
The family I spent three nights with had wonderful food! And it was fairly healthy and organic, as almost all of their food was from their own garden. I ate pumpkin soup (homemade!!), mashed buckwheat and potatoes with basil, and lots of grilled veggies. My "host-dad" per say, was the sweetest (And his name was Pierre- of course). He wanted me to see more of Paris, so he took me on a little tour of the big city.
We stopped in Montmartre (this district I had previously seen on Pinterest while researching things to do in Paris, but had yet to visit). This district is quaint, artsy, and picturesque. It's what I envisioned Paris to be.
The next day I went to Versailles. AKA - the quintessential royal residence that was the home of many of France’s Kings. If you haven't heard of Versailles, it is an enormous palace with an incomprehensibly large garden. And it is incredible. I felt like a princess walking through the halls of this place. The Hall of Mirrors, literally a giant hallway lined with- you guessed it, mirrors, along with a pair of chandeliers per mirror. This looked so dreamy, especially with the craftsmanship of the wall sand the color of gold with the tall ceilings. This place was like a piece of art in itself, with impeccable paintings hung everywhere and painted on the ceilings as well.
And then there was the gardens. I cannot even begin to describe how much I underestimated its size. I spent four hours in the gardens, yet I could not see everything. I particularly liked Marie Antoinette's gardens. I felt like a princess exploring her yard. From the Temple de L'amour (Temple of Love), to the English-styled farmhouses, I felt so peaceful.
After a few hours here, I began to get very hungry (but what is new). So I headed back to my hosts house. At the train station I needed to buy my ticket back to their house (oh, the joys), and also find someone who spoke English and had a cell phone.
So I asked a teenage boy on the train. "Excuse me, do you speak English?" And the common answer ensued, "ah, not-eh, very well... But a bit."
That's all I really needed. So I asked to use his cell phone to call my host to tell him when to pick me up from the train station, and along I went.
Later that evening, I headed for my bus to London. I thought taking a night bus would be simple. Get on the bus, fall asleep, wake up in London. But alas, it was not.
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