So One Time...

So one time I got shoved from room to room in the Chatau de Versailles. True story. Louis XIV knew how to do bling. Everything from the entrance gates, hallways, bedrooms, and kitchens...nothing was dull. As the King of Bling, he also housed many partners, diplomats, and important visitors. It was so awesome to walk through various rooms and a chapel and just look at all the detailed decorations. Elaborate paintings filled the cielings, gold plated crown moldings, deep colors on the walls, and marble floors were plenty. I've never been in a more beautiful building. And apparently no one else had either... and they were extremely eager to get through each room. At one point, as hundreds of people were filing into another room, a lady began pushing me from behind and using me as something similar to a riot shield. I think people lose their manners in large crowds. We've all experienced being shoved into one place or another so that some other tourist can have our spot. In the words of Stephanie Tanner, "How rude."

The Hall of Mirrors was one of the most spectacular rooms that I've ever been in. As you can see crystal chandeliers line the whole room, magnificent paintings scale the roof, and mirrors line the walls.
















So one time I went to the Eiffel Tower after visiting Versailles. Upon seeing the monument, D was impressed with the "structurally efficient design." It was bigger, and more beautiful than I could have ever imagined. I kept having to remind myself that I was actually there and NOT just seeing a replication somewhere in the US. It acutally exists. So strange. To save some cash money, we (actually they) decided we were going to hike up to the second viewing landing. That wasn't my idea of a good time... but I have to admit it was a good one! E didn't kick our butts by running up because she's is scared of heights... so she ended up going at a pace that I could hang with. as we began to rise over the city, the view became more and more spectacular. Paris is beautiful. The city is so old. Every building had character and wonderful details.
WWIII at the Woman's bathroom on the second landing almost broke out. It was pretty intense. There were Spanish ladies in front of use, Indian ladies behind us, and one French lady bathroom cleaner involved. At the tour they don't let many people into the bathroom at one time, so you have to wait in a line outside of a glass door. Well... a French lady was making the Spanish ladies mad because they had been waiting in line for at least 20 minutes to use the WC. And the French lady wouldn't let them in. Just as the French lady opened the door, an English lady squirmed her way though the long line with her daughter (all freightened and such) as her excuse and proclaimed " Excuuuuse me, my daughter... it's an emergency, she just can't wait any longer. AN EMERGENCY!" So, the Spanish ladies didn't get in after all! We all just kind of looked at one another, and half heartedly joke about our bathroom situation being an "emergency"... but it was about 10 minutes when a shade came down the bathroom window explaining in French that the lady was cleaning the bathrooms. Really?!?! While there are many many many people in line? When the Spanish ladies were already upset? And thats when everyone turned on the French lady.The Spanish ladies began banging on the glass door, the Indian ladies began laughing and yelling, and the English lady never came out of the bathroom... We left the line and decided to take the elevator to the top.
What. A. View.