The Third Day
On Saturday we were able to squeeze a lot into a short amount of time. We began our day with a trip to Versailles. After a quick jaunt through the palace we made our way into the gardens which were simply incredible. There sheer size was quite amazing.
Versailles Palace
Versailles Gardens
After the Versailles trip we traveled back into the city and enjoyed a light lunch with the UK team. All the team members tried at least one piece of escargot.
The UK team had to leave right after lunch to catch the Eurostar train back to London. We said our final goodbye to them.
After they left we were still hungry, so we made our way to the famous Angelina’s for hot chocolate and deserts. The hot chocolate was unlike anything I had had before. It was incredibly rich and very thick. Everyone filled up very fast. We decided to get some fresh air, and went souvenir shopping.
Once we had gotten a little something for everyone on our lists we took the Metro to the Eiffel tower. There was an hour wait to get tickets, but luckily we had purchased them ahead of time at the hotel. The Eiffel tower was incredible. This year is its 120th anniversary which is amazing to think about. It’s an engineering feat to this day.
Eiffel Tower
We had to make haste, though, because we had a scheduled boat tour. We made the boat just in time and were able to get outside seats. The boat took us along the Seine River to see some of Paris’s buildings and bridges.
After the boat ride we decided to grab dinner even though it was really late at night. We figured we’d get some crepes, per my suggestion. Unfortunately the people working there noticed that I didn’t really know what to order and just set us up with the sweetest thing on the menu: a crepe with Nutella, chocolate and bananas. After a serious desert at Angelina’s, this isn’t really what we wanted but they were still pretty good.
We took the Metro back to the hotel. Everyone was pretty wiped and ready to get some sleep.
What a fantastic photo of the Eifel Tower in the evening. You’ve captured “The City of Light” through this wonderful picture of one of its most recognizable landmarks. I’m guessing that with Team 7141′s interest in engineering, you all found this 120-year-old feat of engineering one of the most memorable stops on your remarkable itinerary. Merci et a bientot!
Maverick
June 23, 2009 at 10:59 pm
I too am looking forward to your photos once they are posted. Your team has had a very special experience and I am so very proud of the team and your mentors and your parents for the support they have been able and willing to give you. The world has become much smaller and you young people have now experienced that in a very personal way. Go Team 7141 Madison West!
paula a. sweeney
June 24, 2009 at 12:21 am