Sunday, 21 December 2008

Ending Day Two...

By the time we headed out of the palace to the gardens, it was starting to get dark (possibly 5-ish). Didn't help that the sky was overcast and got the usual drizzly weather again. Still, since we're here, may as well take a stroll.
I'm sure this place would be really beautiful in spring and summer. But as I was reading other travellers' blogs just before i posted mine, i have to say, they have so much clearer photos inside the palace and greener/ clear sky photos of the gardens, coz of the the sunny weather. However, they were all plagued with disney type queues and very crowded halls...

Our experience of the 'packed' Hall of Mirrors is nothing compared to the peak season herd! =)

Just as well lah, you can't win it all!

View from the top of the stairs in front of the palace. There are actually additional buildings peppered on the left and right side (that you can't see here) and we seriously didn't have time to cover, even though I'm sure they are just as beautiful.

Thank God for joint wisdom that we didn't pay for the extra entry fee to go to those areas when we initially bought our main entry tickets. =)


Fountains weren't running too...maybe they were afraid the water would freeze...hehe...

Because it was just so beeeg...it was not possible to finish walking, thus, we marked where we'd do a U-turn and walked for a stretch, just to enjoy the cool weather and fresh air. =)

Photo time at the U-turn point! And the temperature was dropping and ge gets all bundled up...hahaha...=)

I think what we enjoyed the most about the gardens (given it's current state) was these adorably trimmed trees...they came in several designs...from conical shape, to snowman-like and even an alien with arms! some even looked like a stick-woman in a skirt...hahaha..there were many designs and we thought the gardener must have a bit of fun eh? -- u can see some of them just on the left of the pic above. =)

Time to say goodbye to Versailles!...Mmmm...still like the way they light up their places, gives a sense of serenity...=)

The cobblestone pathway back to the main road. We walked about half the stretch on the uneven cobble path, before better sense hit us and we took the smoother center path...obviously not thinking too much liao ...hahaha...and just trundled along the way!

Enroute to the train station, we decided to pop into one of those unmistakable souvenir shops, ideally located to lure tourists like us! =P

We bought pressies for home! =) Me got tees for Moomah and Bowl (S$50 each!...special design lah..that I know moomah will like...hee...) and ge got a cheap deal on nice, good quality tees, which she later regretted back at the hotel for not buying more..hahaha...=P


Since we missed getting it that morning, how could we resist not having on on the train ride home??? Getting into the festive mood, ge got the toffee nut latte and moi, the dary cherry mocha...slurps! (I can strangely remember what we drank one neh...=S)

Now...haha...I suddenly recall ge's irk-ish reaction to visiting the starbucks toilet while I ordered..hahaha...

Then it dawned upon me that I had not visited the loo since morning in the hotel!...wah...I'm amazed at my bladder...LOL...=P

Getting back was getting easier, as we quickly familiarised ourselves with the tunnel exits of St Michel station.

Dinner was going to be settled in one of the makan places along the back street which was discovered the day before with its selection of food varieties! =)

And just so that i'd remember the street...hahaha..here's the google map! It's called Rue de la Harpe. (orange arrow points out La Petite Bouclerie.)


Now, we're all used to the term 'set meals'. Over there, they call it a 'formulae'!! Hahaha...it's really a formula lor...you can pick one entree, main and desert...Your choice! for the price stated in Formulae A or B....=D

Little did we know,...It was a formula for an overdose of crepes!!!...hahaha...it's like one of the french staples neh...They make their crepes differently from what we're used to. See the prata looking thing with an egg on it? =) i was experimentive here and tried a blue cheese crepe! It was quite a challenge...*ahem*...an acquired taste I say!

The 'addictively chewy' baugette comes with all meals here..=)

It was a really cozy place! And it seemed, like almost all our dinners, we came before some groups and left only after they'd gone!!! They don't rush to turn tables unlike back home...
Hmm...that jug of drink that came free with the meal...err...can't remember what it's called..but it had an alcoholic kick to it, with the texture of apple juice!

We got red-faced quite fast due to that...but the drink grows on you and I recall drinking quite abit...heee...warmed us up and loosened tongues...perfect combi for a chilly night...=) Now I remember... we talked about guys! hahaha...=P

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