Mercure Versailles

Geneva was my last trip before fall break, so I don't have any brand-new countries to tell you all about in this edition – but I thought I’d update you all a little on happenings around Versailles!

Last week was Thanksgiving, which was going to be an interesting experience no matter what. From talking to my language partner in the French school, the people here have heard about Thanksgiving, but don't really understand it. So while everyone back at U ...

... just buildings built 100 years ago is pretty sweet.
5. cell phone use- its very nice to not be tied to a cell phone everyday. it makes you appreciate everything a little bit more when you have to watch who you call and make preplanned meeting spots.
6. driving a car- i may complain about constantly walking, but its so relieving. you can think about whatever you want and dont have to worry about following traffic directions and you can cut corners. and then you can get on the train ...

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Here is Harmony at the main gate with the sun shining off the gold.














We were exhausted and figured we walked 10-15 miles easily. We made it through another hour of trains to get back to the city. Then we hunted down another place we wanted to find. Specializes in modern French crepes. Harmony got ham, cheese ...

Bonjour from Versailles! This is our first full day in France, and I'm currently sitting in the McDonald's
by our apartment, which is where we all meet to get free WiFi until the internet (hopefully) gets set up in our apartment. So here's a recap of what I've been doing for the past day or so...

Our flight left from O'Hare just before 6 P.M., after what seemed like 57 years of waiting to leave for Versailles (not that I didn't love spending extra time at home ...

On our third day in Paris, we set out early for Versailles. By the time we got there the line was massive but fortunately we had our handy Museum Pass so we walked right in. (Tip: If you go to Paris, YOU MUST GET THIS. You can bypass the lines at every single major museum and attraction, except the Eiffel Tower.) Anyhow, once we were inside the chateau, we were awed by the size and beauty of the place. I loved the bedchambers ...

Today Lauren and I woke up with plans of going to the Musee D'Orsay and the Louvre. Well, the line at Orsay was literally like 500 people out the door, standing in the rain and hardly moving. So, hating to wait in line as much as I do (it's my biggest pet peeve), we went to get some food. Gotta love Paris and the euro; a ham sandwich and fries cost us 35 bucks, and we shared 1 bottle of water! We then went to the Louvre, and the line was moving rather quickly ...

... is fantastic. Of course went and saw the postage stamp that is known as the mona lisa, no photos, security goes crazy, its pretty funny really... my camera went flat after a couple of hours and my spare battery was charging so that was the end of the pics for the day. Tomorrow with any luck will be the eiffel tower and champs elysees. Oh and this guy started to speak to me on ...

... and the Rose Line at St. Sulpice church ( part of the DaVinci code). We took a lovely stroll through the Luxembourg gardens to get to the Pantheon. After visiting inside we went to a gelati shop. We had the most delicious rich chocolate flavour like no other I had tried before. We caught the L'Open tour bus to be driven around the main sites with the unique view from on the open top deck. Towards the end of the day we ...

... so much effort into his website, its hard to believe that just one person is doing that. www.photozone.de - Photozone seems to be a place for people who value technical details very much. If you need to know about technology and performance of digital cameras and lenses, this is the place that you should check out. If you are interested in this, let me know. I will keep you ...

... a shirt to buy. Late in the evening, I went to Basilles and bought some Red Wine and a corkscrew opener for me and my friend, Tashi, whom I'll be meeting in New Delhi Tuesday morning. We'll probably drink it when we get to Dharamsala, where the Dalai Lama is right now. At the hostel, I was outside having a cigarette when this South Korean guy came out to smoke and he started talking away, and I couldn't understand what he was saying until the moment an American lady joined in ...