Explore Paris // Château de Versailles [Honeymoon Edition]

Incroyable! The past two weeks have been a complete whirlwind of new sights, sounds, and heart pounding adventure. What could have possibly been so heart pounding about Europe you might ask? Other than the incredible beauty of the architecture and the awe-inspiring weight of history that constantly surrounded us, see what buckets of sweat you can get from worrying that you'll miss your flight, bus, or train (and the cardio you get from running to get there just in time).

Our first stop was Paris, that city so often spoken of as being the most romantic city in the world. We would stay there for about three days before taking an extremely short but, nevertheless, tiring trip to Milan for two days. The last stop would be London for a total of five days and nights. 

After enduring the 10 hours of flight (which honestly weren't that bad compared to flights to Asia) on the phenomenal British Airways (their food actually isn't half bad and their service is top-notch), we arrived in Paris at around 8 pm. Although our hotel was located in the suburb of Bagnolet, we were able to easily take the Metro from a nearby stop only three minutes away. From there, we would explore the streets and food of Paris, the Louvre, Versailles, the Eiffel Tower, and many other famous landmarks. My biggest regrets for Paris were that for this time around, I wasn't able to visit the gorgeous Notre Dame Cathedral or the Sacré-Cœur Basilica. However, I will be sure to visit them for my next trip to Paris! Luckily, I was able to visit many other historic sites in Milan and London, which more than sated my love for history, art, and culture. History major, remember? 

  

This first post focuses on one of my favourite memories of the trip: visiting the gorgeous Château de Versailles. We were blessed enough to enjoy beautiful weather for the vast majority of the trip in all three countries; this particular day was no different with an indecisively overcast morning turning into a gloriously sunny day. We took the Metro from our stop (Gallieni) to Pereire in order to take the RER C line that would eventually take us to Versailles. Starting from the Metro, you can order your round trip tickets (it's best to get tickets there and back so as to avoid the large lineups on the trip back) from the ticket office. Make sure that you don't confuse which ticket you used going to Versailles and the ticket you wish to use for the trip back!

After taking the first RER C line to Champs de Mars (Tour Eiffel), you will finally reach your destination after switching once more to another train taking you to "Versailles-Château - Rive Gauche." Don't use Google Maps for this trip as it is useless and claims that driving a car is the only way to reach the place (although, on the other hand, Google Maps was almost invaluable in many other circumstances while we were in Europe). 

When we reached our destination, we were greeted with gorgeous gold gates and a huge crowd of liked-minded visitors. If you wish to avoid such lineups, try going on a weekday (we had no choice but to go on a Saturday) and early in the morning (we were there at around noon). Buy your ticket at the automated machine inside the office building instead of waiting in the giant lineup for the ticket office. After we did that, we settled in for the 40-50 minute wait to reach the inside of the palace.

Top // H&M

Cape // Aritzia

Bag // Ted Baker

Bracelet + Earrings // Pandora

Pants // Topshop

Flats // Arturo Chiang

Sunglasses // Versace

Necklace // Hong Kong

Once inside, you are immediately blown away by the lavish beauty of this palace-- Louis XIV certainly did not spare any expenses while expanding and decorating it! We wandered around for about two hours before we had grown tired of the constant walking and similarly entranced crowds around us. Following your tour of the palace, you may eat some delicious French pastries and drinks at any of the cafes that are available there; we chose to eat some macarons, tarts, and freshly-pressed fruit juices. Let me tell you, Paris, London, and Milan are extremely carb-heavy cities to visit!

A gorgeous hall full of silent kings.



The throne room.

The Queen's parlour in which she entertained guests.



Marie Antoinette and her children.

The famed Hall of Mirrors.

The Queen's Chambers.

The throne room revisited on another level.

The Jardins de Versailles, which unfortunately require an additional cost in order to access. 

The Château de Versailles was everything that I had imagined that it would be and more-- what do you think?