Paris Day 4

Versaille Day!

Many exciting points before we even get to the first picture.

1- We got up early(ish) and out of the house only like two hours after our planned departure time. This is the best we can hope for.

2- We got to ride the train (hooray!).

3- More musicians on the train. This time there was an old guy playing an accordion. So, you know, my dad could work in France when he retires.

4- Hazel spied a McDo and whined and whined for it. But in French.

Because we were in France. In Versaille to be precise.

Hazel was carried a lot. Not just in Versaille. Everywhere. All over Paris. Luckily, we keep her small and easy to carry. Still 35-lbs gets heavy.

Flora did not come with us to Versaille. Instead we took Sparkle-Heart-Pinkie-Pie, (who also apparently appeared at the Louvre. Ninjas are sneaky that way, and I am not that observant) or some such nonsense. Hazel is an erratic and crazy namer. And changes names based on the wind. Or something. Anyway, this ninja was there.
We played a few rounds of zombie tag. Please note: Hazel is too exhausted to walk the 3 blocks from the train station to the château but has plenty of energy to run around and play zombie tag. For hours.
I believe there was a statue in front of us that we were copying. Or maybe we are just dorks. Or both. Probably both.
Marie Antoinette's hamlet is the most adorable thing ever. If you go to Paris (and you should go to Paris), you should go visit M.A.'s hamlet. Especially if you have a young girl, or have ever read a fairytale. Actual thatched roofs. With FLOWERS growing on the top!
Hazel also loved it. Obviously.
This was the best part. These fish were giant, slimy and disgusting. There were hundreds of them. Thousands, maybe. We had a bag full of cereal and fed them handfuls of it and they swarmed (or whatever fish d0). They had giant gaping mouths and made a gross noise and pushed each other out of the way, and out of the water.

It was awesome.
We took a lot of corny family pictures.*
After the hamlet, and a visit to the farm, and some more gardens, we went to the actual chateau. It was packed with tour groups and it was hot and it is huge. Not quite Louvre huge**, but big enough. And did I mention the crowded and hot??

Luckily, there is a lot of repetitious gold decor and ummm... pictures. And chandeliers. We love chandeliers here in the Wilde Manor.

This room is called the Hall of Mirrors. It is fancy and famous and has a TON of chandeliers. Hazel's mouth literally dropped when she saw the room. We recreated it for a picture. She would like her room to look just like this. But without so many tour groups.
We were done with Versaille and the lame crowds and we headed back to the city. We rode the train into town and got off early to find some dinner. First, we happened upon the square in front of the Hotel de Ville. It was reasonably empty and slightly windy and Hazel thought this meant it was time to fly a kite. Keep in mind, she was too tired to walk from the metro station to the square (like a block) but she had the energy to run around flying a kite for about 30 minutes. (See Zombie Tag at Versaille)
We then wandered into our (temporary) neighborhood and ate falafel and shwarma from the falafel shop endorsed by Lenny Kravitz. I will now go on record as saying I will eat any falafel that Lenny Kravitz endorses, because it was delicious.

Then we stopped at a playground.

But not just any playground. This one had a UNICORN! And kids. (not pictured)
I think I already posted a picture of the elevator in our building but this one better demonstrates the teeny-tiny nature of the lift. Geoff had to smush his shoulders in to fit. At least it was tall enough to fit two people in, if you stack them.

More to come???? Yes, probably. But not today.

*Hazel says her most favorite part of all of Paris was, "Spending time with my family." Aaahhh...I love my corny kid.

** I just Googled the size of both. Versaille is 51,200 square meters, the Louvre is 652,300 square feet. So, both giant.