Paris Day 2: Giverny and Versailles

Today, I had scheduled a tour outside of Paris, since it’s a Sunday and I figured a lot of places would be closed.  The bus departure time was 8:15am, which meant setting an alarm.  Maybe it was the wine from last night or the lack of sleep from the past few days, but my alarm went off at 6:00am and then I promptly fell back asleep . . . and woke up an hour later.  Now those of you that know me, know that I like to plan extra time and have a leisurely morning.  So, waking up an hour late meant that I could still make it the bus, if I showered in five minutes, skipped breakfast, and ran like hell to the meeting point.  I made it just in time, but I was a hot mess with a slight hangover. The first stop on the bus tour was Giverny to visit Monet’s home and gardens.  When I was 14 or 15, I went to see the Monet exhibit at the Art Institute of Chicago, and it’s had lasting impression on me (pun intended).  I remember so clearly looking at the series of haystacks and water lilies and learning about Monet’s technique.  I also found out that he had the same birthday as me which, as a kid, was another fascinating connection.  (Ha ha.)  So, visiting his gardens and seeing the inspiration for the water lilies and bridge over a pond was very special for me. 

Now, I’ve been on quite a few bus tours in several countries and lunch is usually fairly simple and a quick break . . . but not in France.  We had a lovely three-course meal (think white table linens and full place settings) of more delicious French cuisine with endless bottles of wine.  I’m so in love with French food that I considered cancelling all of my other activities to just do food tours and fine dining.  Maybe next time.
After lunch, we ventured on to the Palace of Versailles.  What can I say, other than the palace and the gardens are the epitome of opulence.  By this point, the temperature was up to 87°F, and I was roasting.

We headed back to Paris around 5:30pm, and I managed to catch a few zzz’s on the bus.  I woke up just in time to pass the Arc de Triomphe.  I didn’t get any pictures, but I can say I saw it.