Paris Day V

Playing: Good News For People That Love Bad News (Full Album)-Modest Mouse
Reading: World War Z by Max Brooks

My family and I took a day trip to the Palace of Versailles, which is surprisingly easy to do. All you have to do is buy a ticket for the SNCF and stay on the train until the last stop. The Paris Pass worked for Versailles too, but you had to stand in line for around two hours anyway, since everyone buys their ticket ahead of time. The palace itself is splendid and there are many incredible works of art inside. However, there are only two food options inside: an expensive cafe and a cheap sandwich place. Therefore, I suggest getting through the palace before lunch and eating in the gardens.

The garden was my favorite part of Versailles. Normally, the Paris Pass covers this too, but during the summer, they play classical music, so you have to pay. The garden itself is beautiful and very well kept. It made me feel like I was in Pride and Prejudice or in Anna Karenina, so basically, I felt like I was in a very wonderful Keira Knightley film. I heard that there is a masquerade ball held yearly at Versailles, so any boy that is willing to take me to it is welcome. I'm not exaggerating when I say that this is the type of place that makes you want a huge ball gown.

Within walking distance from the gardens are Marie-Antoinette's Estate and the Grand Trianon (pictured above). I'm not sure how much it costs to go inside of them, but I got in for free because of the Paris Pass again. I wouldn't recommend visiting Marie-Antoinette's Estate, if you have to pay because the estate is pretty much empty and it's just like a cement block. I do recommend eating crepes by the lake though. The Grand Trianon however is worth visiting, since it's decorated nicely and the gardens are beautifully done. Also, the checkered floor reminds me of Mr. Darcy's home in Joe Wright's version of Pride and Prejudice.

Before heading back, I stopped by a McDonald's and French McCafe is so much better than what I have in the states. Their McCafe serves lemon tarts, caneles, crème brûlées, cheese cakes, molten chocolate cakes, and of course, macarons. Since they were fairly inexpensive, I got two of each flavor: vanille, framboise, pistache, chocolat, fraise, and what I believe to be pistache chocolat. I actually got a box before my trip to Ladurée and thought they were rather good, but after the Ladurée ones, I found the ones from McCafe to be a bit chewy and heavy. The insides were either strongly flavored jams or overly whipped and fluffy creams. However, they're still better than a majority of the macarons I've had in California.

For dinner, we ate like total tourists along the Champs-Elyseés at Café di Roma, where I ordered the Thon et Asperges. Overall, the pizza was completely average, but I give them credit for trying different toppings from your common pepperoni and cheese. The tuna was stronger than all the rest of the flavors, so that you didn't taste the asparagus, dried tomatoes, or pesto very much. However, the Orangina made up for everything. There was a boy around my age drinking wine and he reminded me that I could legally drink there, so from then on, I started ordering beers and wines. Note to self: champagne is the most tolerable.