More About Paris

Paris is beautiful in spring. Still not overcrowded and the weather is warm enough to spend the whole day on its streets. A trip along the Seine is a terrific way to see the city from a different perspective. We got on one of the Bateaux Mouches and enjoyed the tour. As far as I can remember there was a guide on the boat, but most of the time we listened to a recording on individual handsets. It cost around 10 Euros, but we paid less thanks to the coupons included in the 5-day Paris-Visite-pass that we bought for getting around Paris.

Montmartre is famous for its extraordinary night life, but we didn't go to any of those clubs. Having kids, you simply think of other ways of entertainment. However, Montmartre by day is a bustling area, especially Place du Tertre with many street artists. The Sacre Coeur Basilica is the crown of Montmartre, all in white and so out of this world.

Versailles was a disappointment, though. I expected to see a splendid palace with sumptuous rooms and lavish halls, but it didn't live up to my expectations. First of all, waiting to buy the tickets was a nightmare. They were so disorganized in the ticket office that we waited for almost two hours to get in. Inside everything looked a bit shabby. Even the well-known Hall of Mirrors didn't make such a strong impresssion on me as I thought it would. And again, it seems that the theory Expect More - Get Less (but also the other way round) totally applies to me.