Day 3, with a little less pep in our step

So it turns out that 2 days of power-shopping, non-stop walking, culture-soaking travel can tire a girl out! We had the best intentions to spring out of bed at 8 and be on an early train to Versailles, but just getting out of the room was hard this morning. First, you need an engineering degree to operate the shower, which I do not have, so I ruined my blow dry by soaking myself under the raindrop shower head instead of using the hand-held one I meant to use.... Which delayed us a little since I had to do *something* with my hair.But we grabbed a quick cafe/croissant and hopped on the metro to the RER and headed to Versailles almost an hour later than we had intended.

Versailles was spectacular. I had been there once as a teenager and I remember the grandeur, but really, as an adult who now understands about real estate, holy crap that was a house! We have decided that today's equivalent would be P Diddy's lifestyle, with the houses and boats and pool partys.

We began our stroll through the gardens, heading to the Grand Trianon (the petit is closed for Restoration) and it started to drizzle. By the time we hit the Grand Canal, it was piss-pouring rain, so we had no choice but to duck into the little canal-side cafe and enjoy yet another cafe-creme and tartine au beurre until the sky cleared. Which it didn't. So we bought a very overpriced souvenir umbrella and made our way to the Trianon, with wet feet and wet hair, but it was TOTALLY worth it. And we took lots of pictures to inspire decors at home!
By the time we were done, we couldn't walk another step, so we hopped the little electric train and headed back to the castle and returned to Paris for a late lunch at a little place outside Le Printemps. This time our goal was men-gifts for the boys back home. It was hard, but we managed to do it. Then we spotted, for the second time, a lovely burnt-orange leather cropped jacket that just screamed my name, but I simply couldn't justify a purchase of that size. However, Mrs. Figby kept at it, and tonight, on the way to dinner, we made yet another trip to the department store.... I'm sure you can figure out what happened from there.

We had our last big Paris meal at a total out of the way, never would have found it, tiny local restaurant that was absolutely divine. But I ate so much, I quickly developed a food-baby, which the chef mistook for an actual pregnant belly, and he felt so embarrassed, they didn't charge us for the scrumptious desserts.

There was also a walk in Place Pigalle, a picture of the Moulin Rouge, a grand-mother with cottage-cheese thighs playing Marylin Monroe on a large airvent, and now, the most entertaining show of all, watching Mrs. Figby tally up her purchases and attempt to fit everything in her suitcase.!

We get to have breakfast together in the morning and then she has to head out to the airport for a midday flight. I plan on hitting some more home-oriented shops as research for the store, and maybe a quirky museum or something like that.

Comments

[Beverly]

Makes me wish I was there!!

[Janet]

Wow -- love reading about your trip -- sounds like so much fun!!

[susan]

Oh, have fun!

And you do know you'll have to show us a photo of the jacket now, right?

[Nat]

Three words: I miss Paris. And five more: there is nothing like it!

[Katie J]

Can't wait for pictures!