Last week I was in Paris for a long weekend....four full days and the morning of the fifth. It was quick, jam packed and fabulous! I've posted about our first two days in two previous posts and I'm wrapping up the final two days in this post.
Day three began with a classic Parisian breakfast with sidewalk seating at Cafe de Flore. Casually Defined had commented that this was a favorite spot of hers, perhaps she too likes places that locals hang out?
Afterwards, we took foodie blogger, Weird Combinations, advice to grab the Metro (less than a half an hour and no traffic...can't be beat!) and head directly to Versailles. I felt like it was a privilege to visit a place where kings lived. Louis XVI style furniture is my absolute favorite, so I loved seeing "the real deal" in his palace! Do you have a favorite Louis furniture style?
The Royal Chapel
I remembered studying the Hall of Mirrors, so to see it person was such a special treat!
Some furniture will always be timeless, like x-based stools.
Love this stool!
Marie Antoinette's bed
After the awe inspiring visit to Versailles, we spent time in Versailles Village before heading to
Sacre-Coeur located in Montmarte. The city wide views from Sacre-Coeur are amazing. See the Eiffel Tower in the distance? We spent into the early evening exploring this part of the city. At the end of this day we took Barefoot Contessa's recommendation for an Italian diversion from the Parisian food and went to Marco Polo located at 8 Rue de Conde. This place was packed with locals and the meal was beyond amazing...thank you Ina Garten!
After dinner we took Heavenly Housewife's recommendation and had Grom gelato (which we devoured two nights in a row!) The Carmello (carmel) gelato with Himalayan sea salt made me realize I would fly to Paris just to eat this speciality!
On our final day we started with a stroll thru Luxembourg Gardens, so beautiful!
Then we went to Le Puces and Les Halles before walking to the Pompidou Museum which houses modern art. Have you been? Here's Andy Warhol's Liz Talyor piece. Pablo Picasso, Femme en bleu 1944
Henri Matisse, La Blouse Roumaine 1940
Now, you have to "study" Michelangelo Pistoletto's (perfected mirror paintings) piece, Woman in a cemetery, for a few moments. All I could think was what on Earth did this person do to her?! Our last evening was spent dining at the highly raved about Le Comptoir in the St. Germain neighborhood, again another culinary home run!
I'll wrap this with the museum pass made our experiences enjoyable. There was no waiting in long lines, along with gaining access into the various museums via a special entrance. I never once encountered a surly local, in fact we found them to be quite opposite the stereotype. I hope you've enjoyed traveling to Paris via my posts!
