The Versailles and Montmartre

Saturday we went to the Versailles. The place speaks for itself (as you can tell if I ever upload my pictures). It was massive and beautiful (I don't know how often you would be able to say that about anything). We got there about 2 and left at 6. We went back to the Latin Quarter that night. Actually by that time our party had gotten to ten people (it was ridiculous!). Various people from our group were filtering into Paris over the weekend and we managed to meet up. After dinner we bought bottles of wine and drank them by the Seine. I know it sounds lame, but we were on the side of a river chugging wine like Parisians as boats passed by and waved--fuck you, it was exhilarating! We went to a bar, led by another one of Jeremy's friends studying in Paris. It was a bit stuffy, but it had a French ambiance (and prices) and my mojito was top notch. The next day we split up and our massive group turned into three: Julia, Ashley, and moi. We went off to see Place Saint-Pierre (we didn't know what it was but we saw it from the Tower and wanted to see it up close). When we got off the stop, we couldn't find it and ended up exploring the neighborhood we were in, Montmartre (though a bit further off from Moulin Rouge). It was beautiful and had such a rustic feel! We eventually climbed the hills necessary to find Place Saint-Pierre, which was as beautiful as everything else in Paris. The region of Montmartre we were in was so great! The cafes, the markets, the carousels--there was even a jazz band! It was a great end to the trip. We got on the bus at 4 in the afternoon and arrived, as advertised, at 11:30 in Amsterdam. I think one of the best parts of the trip was the realization of what it means to live in Amsterdam. We all felt like we were going home--I was happy to see my bike and walk by the canal on Prins Hendrikkade! Anyway, that's enough gushing for a blog post.