I was definitely a little overwhelmed by the sheer volume of people in Paris. So I decided to get up with the sun, wander to the train and head out to Versailles before the hoards. The streets were actually pretty peaceful, and when I hopped on the train near Notre Dame it was virtually empty. However, by the time we got to Versailles at 10am the train was bursting with people. As I stepped off the train I was amazed to see about 500 people walking up the platform ahead of me. I did manage to find a few quiet spots in the palace itself and off to one corner of the gardens I had about 200 square yards to myself, but for the rest of my visit, it was really almost unpleasantly crowded. Paris is apparently the most visited place in the world.
The palace is truly magnificent. The opulence is incredible - the three King Louis definitely went all out...
I returned to my flat, exhausted and flopped down on the bed. I dragged myself up again at sunset and rushed to the Eiffel Tower. It too was a frenzy of activity, with skaters, mini statue sellers, and in a corner near the Ecole Militaire, a group of about 50 people that had gathered to tango.
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