Paris & Versailles, Day 3

On our second day in Paris, Mija and I woke up earlier than the rest so we could get around the city before our scheduled trip to Versailles in the afternoon. We took the tour bus again using the same receipt we had the other day (which was valid for 24 hours), therefore saving few Euros. We stopped by the Invalides and took some pictures. It was freezing cold that time so we did not spend so much time there.

Bridge in front of the Grand Palais

Overlooking the Eiffel Tower

Invalides Palace where Napoleon Bonaparte's remains lie

Our next stop was Le Sacre-Coeur. The church took our breath away! It was gigantic and we have never seen something quite like it before. However, it looked more like a mosque than a church. After a short prayer inside, we walked to Moulin Rouge passing by Paris' red district. Then we headed back to our hotel to meet with Mija's cousin Mark & his wife Mariesse. Only the 4 of us went to Versailles since Manang Mitzi & Kuya Ghil had already gone to the place a few years back.

Le Sacre-Coeur

Perfectly framed. Thanks I brought my tripod.

Moulin Rouge

Like Le Sacre-Coeur, Versailles is enormous! If not for the extreme cold weather and our flah-like tour guide, we could have stayed there a little longer. Anyway, our trip to Versailles was both educational and entertaining. Educational because we profusely learned the history of French Monarchy from our walking-Google Parisian tourist guide, and entertaining because of the vast collection of paintings, furnitures, and other artifacts still preserved in the palace that we came to see in person. In that place also I first saw snow (Mija had first seen it in Canada)!

Versailles Palace's Facade

Queen's Bed (Marie Antoinette)

King's Bed (Kings Louis XIV-XVII)

Versailles Palace's Garden

Grrrrrr! 

After a tiring day, we all succumbed into a deep slumber. However, around 2 in the morning, a call from Philippines shattered us. We had been informed that Mija's maternal grandmother died. The sad news kept us awake the rest of the dawn. Mija and I were supposed to be in Europe for 2 weeks and we were scheduled to visit 8 countries but because of the Lola Mary's death, we have to cut short our trip and have to cancel our trips to Germany, Czech Republic, Belgium, Holland, and Hungary. Mija used the rest of the dawn in cancelling our bookings in these places. We wasted more than 50K in penalty and uncancelled bookings but it was all for the chance to see Lola Mary before sending her to her final resting place. Instead of going home on the 16th of January, we cut the trip to January 11.