Day 10- May 28

 (picnic by the Versailles' Grand Canal)

 (feeding the ducks [that were sometimes scary and growled at me])

 (part of the gold gate entrance to the extravagant Palace of Versailles)

 (sunset from the river cruise)

         (Eiffel Tower from the river cruise)

           Today was our free day for “Paris Arts and Culture”.  I decided to go to Versailles on a bike tour with the same company we have been using all along.  We kept hearing how great this particular tour was, so I was really excited for our day.

            We met at the bike tour’s offices, then took our bikes to the closest train station.  I didn’t know you could take a bike on a train, but apparently you can.  We rode the train for about twenty minutes, then arrived in the small town surrounding the palace of Versailles.  We bought baguettes, cheese, and ham at an outdoor market for a picnic lunch, then continued on to the grounds of the Versailles palace and gardens.

            The morning was spent riding around the vast gardens of Versailles, stopping along the way for our tour guide to teach us about the history of Versailles as well as the people that lived there over the years.  The scenery was beautiful, and we had a wonderful, relaxing picnic lunch next to the Grand Canal behind the palace.  After eating and lounging in the sun for about an hour, we got back on our bikes to ride back around to the front entrance of the palace.

            Then we went inside the palace for an audio-guided tour.  The architecture and decorations were beautiful, but the palace was so crowded with people that it was difficult to see well or more around freely. 

            We then rode our bikes back to the train station to catch a train back to the bike tour office.  By this time, we were hungry for dinner so after we made our way back to the hotel we ate a quick meal at a nearby restaurant.  Then we headed up to our hotel rooms to change for our last activity in Paris- a nighttime river cruise.  

            The whole group was together for this scenic cruise along the Seine River, and it was a blast.  We pulled out of the dock just as the sun was setting, so we were able to see all the sights of Paris in a beautiful light.  We were on the boat for about an hour, so as we were heading back to the dock it was dark and we were able to see the Eiffel Tower light up and then begin to sparkle.  It was a great way to end our short time in Paris.

            After the cruise, Jessica and I went back up to our room to get packed and organized for tomorrow.  We leave at 7:30 am for the city of Avignon, France!