The Splendor That is Versailles.

Z and I at Versailles.  Our only photo together.  Glad we remembered to take *group* photo!

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  e ended our Paris trip on a high note today.  We went to visit Versailles.  I had booked onto a conducted tour before leaving on this trip.  I found a tour that would not only skip the line but it also took place on Sunday which is the one day in the week that the fountains are operating.

Z and I made our way to the Invalides Metro stop and followed the directions we were given to meet up with the rest of the group.

At the Cemetery and the Taxidermist.

Sharon at Père Lachaise Cemetery.

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  spent today with a group of 20-somethings and survived. In fact, I had a lot of fun hanging with them.  Nothing like being in the company of three college age adults to make you laugh and feel young again!

Earlier this week, I had exchanged text messages with Sharon.  After all that we had all gone through to get her laptop to her, Z and I decided we should all spend more time together over a meal.  Since Sharon works, it's difficult to nail down a good time for a meal plus there's no time to really just relax and enjoy each other's company.

A Night in Paris.

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efore coming to Paris, I had said that I wanted to see the city at night when the historic landmarks are all lit up.  Up until tonight, I've been too lazy to head back out once we had finished our day of sightseeing.

Tonight, we had tickets to see the cabaret at the Lido so we had to be out after dark.

Paris From the Seine.

Looking towards the Left Bank.

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   am about as fond of city river boat cruises as I am hop on hop off bus tours but again, a boat cruise along the Seine was included in our City Pass so we had to take it. I decided to keep an open mind.

A Glimpse of Montmartre and Sacré-Cœur Basilica.

Sacré-Cœur Basilica

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 ur Big Bus wound its way up through the 9th Arrondissment. Montmartre was whizzing by us as Z and I sat on the upper level of the bus. It was getting chilly and the not so inspiring views of Montmartre were adding up to a not so fun experience for me.  So many people have told me that I would enjoy staying in Montmartre but as we made our way along the streets, I didn't see anything that would make me want to stay here. 

Big Bus Ride.

Crossing Pont Alexandre III, approaching Grand Palais.

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 ypically, I don't do hop on, hop off tours of any city but a Big Bus ticket was included in our Paris City Pass so of course, we had to make use of it. In hindsight, the experience wasn't as bad as I had somehow feared it would be.  Our plan, which worked out perfectly, was take the Big Bus Red Route to the main Big Bus stop near the Opera House and from there, hop off and switch to the Blue Route which would take us to Montmartre and from wherever we were dropped off, we would walk the rest of the way to Sacré-Cœur Basilica.  In hindsight, I would recommend taking the Big Bus tour before doing any sightseeing as the bus goes around the main landmarks and will give you a good idea of what the city has to offer.  You can then adjust your sightseeing plan accordingly.

The Panthéon.

"Monument à la Convention Nationale" by François-Léon Sicard (1913).

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  fter a quick breakfast in our apartment, we headed out for another day of sightseeing in Paris. Our first destination of the day was the Panthéon. We had come here late yesterday afternoon but unfortunately, we arrived just a few minutes after the place had closed for the day. Bad timing.

A Parisian Gem. Saint-Chappelle.

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ith two museums under our sightseeing belt, it was time for something different.  From the Rodin Museum, we headed back to Île de la Cité. After all my visits to this lovely city, I have never been to Saint-Chappelle. We tried yesterday and got there too late. Today was our day and since the entry fee was covered in our Paris Museum pass, we had to go.  We made our way via Metro.

The Musées d'Orsay and Rodin.

Admiring the marvelous architectural details of the Musée d'Orsay.

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  ur day started with breakfast at home.  I had bought some items from our local supermarket yesterday and today, I whipped a quick and easy meal in our teeny, weeny kitchen.  I ate my share, gave it some time and then woke Z up.  Today, I wanted to make sure he had a fairly full belly to start the day with.

The Louvre.

Capturing a photo of one of the Louvre's most famous residents.

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   rom Rue Cler, we headed over to the Louvre, one of the greatest art museums in the world!  If you come to Paris and you don't go to the Louvre, you've missed out!

Z led us to the entrance via the Carrousel de Louvre, an underground shopping mall filled with some very nice looking shops.   We arrived under the glass pyramid.  Thanks to our City Pass, we didn't have to wait in line to get entry tickets but we did stop at the Information Center to get a map.

The Eiffel Tower.

At the Eiffel Tower.

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rom the Arc de Triomphe, we made our way over to the Champs-Élysées.  We were on our way to the Eiffel Tower and we had to be there by 1:30p.  The number of people who can go up the tower is tightly controlled and when you buy your ticket, which we did when we got our City Pass, you are given a specific timeslot.  I knew we had quite a distance to walk and not a whole lot of time so I tried to rush Z along.

Arc de Triomphe.

On top of the Arc de Triomphe, admiring the view of the Eiffel Tower.

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  let Z sleep in a bit this morning.  I'm sure he could have slept for a few more but there is no rest for the traveler.  Poor kid,  he wasn't feeling much better this morning than yesterday and I didn't even have breakfast for him.  Bad aunt!  He's a real trooper though - not about to let a cold slow him down!

Before we left the apartment, Z spent a few minutes looking at the metro map.  Our first destination of the day was the Arc de Triomphe and he had to navigate us to the Charles de Gaulle Étoile metro stop.

Creepy Paris. The Catacombs.

In the Catacombs, beneath the streets of Paris.

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   e spent part of our afternoon on a tour of the Catacombs that lie beneath the streets of Paris.

We arrived via metro, exiting at the Denfert-Rochereau stop. It wasn't hard to figure out where the Catacombs were located - we just had to follow the long ling around to the front entrance. It was almost 3:40p when we arrived. The tour was slated to begin at 4pm and we were suppose to arrive 15 minutes before then but I knew Z was hungry. We needed to get some food into him.  I had no idea where to go get fast food.  There was a McDonald's and for most 20-somethings, they would have made a beeline to the place but not for this 20-something.  He is not a fast food kid.

Disappointment and Delights.

Inside the at Pierre Herméshop at 39 Avenue Opéra.  It's all about the macarons!

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   woke up well rested and ready to go.  I looked over at Z and he was still sound asleep.  As I made my way to the kitchen to make a cup of tea, I could hear the sound of raindrops hitting the skylight.  Ugh.  Another crappy weather day.

As I sipped on my cup of tea, I did a bit of reading but nothing related to Paris.  The only confirmed activity I had for today was a tour of the Catacombs at 4p.  Otherwise, the day was wide open to explore the city as we wanted to.

An Afternoon in Paris.

Jardin du Luxembourg (Luxembourg Garden)

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   fter our visit to Notre-Dame Cathedral, Z wanted to know where to next. The only thing that came to mind was Saint-Chappelle, royal medieval Gothic chapel, located very close by to Notre-Dame.  Saint-Chappelle is one of the buildings that were part of the former royal palace which today is known as Palais de Justice (Palace of Justice).  I have never been inside Saint-Chappelle and everyone, whom I know has been here, has told me that I have to come see the place. 

A True Icon. Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris.

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  e had made our way to Île Saint-Louis, crossing over from the Left Bank. We turned onto Quai d'Orléans, walking towards the famed cathedral.  I stopped several times just to take photos.  I was glad it was overcast today - without the sun to cast shadows, I think I got a nicer shot.

First Sights of Paris. Jardin des Plantes.

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   fter a very relaxing lunch, Z and I set out to explore Paris. He asked me if I had an itinerary in mind and I did not. I suggested that we make our way to Notre Dame as that would be a nice starting point.

Thrilled to Pieces to be Back in Paris!!

Staring down six escargot, wondering how to get to the little nuggets of meat.

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   e're in Paris!  Flash back a few hours ago.  Today, I had to rustle Z up awake, bright and early for him.  We had to catch the 9:23a train that would take us from Ghent back to Bruxelles-Midi in Brussels and from there to Gare du Nord in Paris.

Last Views of Ghent.

On St. Michael's Bridge, gazing over at Korenlei.

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    started my second day in Ghent with making breakfast for Z and I. It was nice to be back in the kitchen but more importantly, it was nice to not have to get dressed and go out for breakfast. I took things slow this morning. No need to rush. As expected, Z was still fast asleep.  The kitchen in our apartment is teeny tiny but very well equipped.  I found the two burner stove in a drawer and got it set up and plugged in, ready for the frying pan.

An Afternoon in Ghent.

Ghent.  Posing in front of the most beautiful place in the city - Graslei.

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e arrived into Ghent around 1p and by the time we settled into our Airbnb apartment and hit the streets, it was close to 3p. One nice thing about traveling at this time of the year is that the day is still relatively long. We have a few hours, to see the historic city, before night falls.