Day 23 - Today, Paris was hotter than Texas. Way hotter. It ended up being 108.6, the hottest temperature ever recorded in France. It would have been easy to just stay in today, but we got up early to spend our last day to the fullest. We started with breakfast at a Rue Cler cafe, of course. Then we caught an Uber out to Versailles (on the Paris Museum Pass). Originally, we were going to take the train, which is much cheaper. However with time and staying cool being important today, we opted for the easier path. We arrived shortly after it opened and the lines were already long. Also, they had hoses out as sprinklers to help people cool down. After about 15 minutes, we were in. Versailles is the grandest of all palaces and many of the ones we had viewed on this trip were based off Versailles. However, it was incredibly hot and we found ourselves moving quickly through stuffy rooms to find an open window and a breeze. Even the beautiful gardens were pretty much abandoned by everyone because of the heat. Still, it was great to hear my kid drawing comparisons between what he was seeing at Versailles and what he saw at Catherine's Palace in St. Petersburg.
We then took an Uber back into Paris and to the Louvre to try and get in. Fortunately we were waived right on in (Museum Pass). Once in, it is a little confusing where to go. Look for the sign that says Mona Lisa and start there because that line gets crazy long. The Louvre is huge, beautiful, and hot in some areas. When you find air conditioning, enjoy it. We were able to see incredible works of art like Mona Lisa, Venus di Milo, and Winged Victory. We walked and climbed all over the Louvre and saw so much. It is truly overwhelming just how much there is to see there.
We left the Louvre and walked through the Tuileries to an outdoor cafe for lunch. Though the temperature was 108, we found some trees and a breeze which made it feel okay outside. After a delicious crepe, we walked to the l'Orangerie (Museum Pass), a beautiful museum which houses Monet's Water Lillies. It was a lovely small museum with few visitors. I'm very glad we made time to visit.
Though we were totally exhausted, we walked to the Orsay Museum (Museum Pass), which had been rated the best museum in Europe. The building is a beautiful old train station. It housed even more amazing art from Rodin, Van Gogh, Picasso, and Monet. I wish we had not been so tired so we could have enjoyed it more. It is crazy how much the heat can take out of you.
We then went back for a little rest at the hotel. We fortunately booked Eiffel Tower summit tickets for 9pm. We started our walk over at 8:30 and noticed storm clouds starting to gather. Once at the tower, light rain started and some lightning. I was worried they would close the tower, but because we had tickets, they let us go up. It was beautiful to watch the storms build in the distance and the sun setting. We descended just before 10pm so we could watch the light show on the tower. It was a beautiful way to end our day and trip.
We then took an Uber back into Paris and to the Louvre to try and get in. Fortunately we were waived right on in (Museum Pass). Once in, it is a little confusing where to go. Look for the sign that says Mona Lisa and start there because that line gets crazy long. The Louvre is huge, beautiful, and hot in some areas. When you find air conditioning, enjoy it. We were able to see incredible works of art like Mona Lisa, Venus di Milo, and Winged Victory. We walked and climbed all over the Louvre and saw so much. It is truly overwhelming just how much there is to see there.
We left the Louvre and walked through the Tuileries to an outdoor cafe for lunch. Though the temperature was 108, we found some trees and a breeze which made it feel okay outside. After a delicious crepe, we walked to the l'Orangerie (Museum Pass), a beautiful museum which houses Monet's Water Lillies. It was a lovely small museum with few visitors. I'm very glad we made time to visit.
Though we were totally exhausted, we walked to the Orsay Museum (Museum Pass), which had been rated the best museum in Europe. The building is a beautiful old train station. It housed even more amazing art from Rodin, Van Gogh, Picasso, and Monet. I wish we had not been so tired so we could have enjoyed it more. It is crazy how much the heat can take out of you.
We then went back for a little rest at the hotel. We fortunately booked Eiffel Tower summit tickets for 9pm. We started our walk over at 8:30 and noticed storm clouds starting to gather. Once at the tower, light rain started and some lightning. I was worried they would close the tower, but because we had tickets, they let us go up. It was beautiful to watch the storms build in the distance and the sun setting. We descended just before 10pm so we could watch the light show on the tower. It was a beautiful way to end our day and trip.
No comments:
Post a Comment