Versailles and the Right Bank

Panoramic view of the first section of the Garden of Versailles

Ponte Des Arts "Love Lock Bridge"

Paris has no lack of excitement! We opted to explore the city by foot and metro, without purchasing any tour passes or guides. Armed with my trusty Knopf Map Guide of Paris, we were able to maneuver along the small spiraling side streets of neighborhoods, to the giant grandeur streets of the glamorous right bank. One of my favorite moments was getting off the metro at Louvre Rivoli, and first experiencing the area from underground. The giant glass pyramids located outside of the Louvre actually come to a point underground, and looking up at the prysm sky is a uniquely beautiful experience. 

It is memories like this which stick with me forever. Everyone walking briskly past me, clutching their Longchamp totes and messengers, neatly tucked under their arms, as their scarves fluttered in the wake of their journey. I remember standing there in awe, slightly disheveled in comparison, looking up at the sky from way down below in pure bliss.

"Had a moment where everything just clicked and made sense and I felt more in tune with myself and the world around me than ever before"

We got lost on the way to Versailles. I mean hours late for our tour lost. In the midst of it I remember thinking, this is not what Pinterest is alluding to with the term, "wanderlust". My version should likely be deemed, "wanderlost". The mapguide only covered Paris, and getting outside of the city was a bit intimidating. Eventually we figured out to take the RER C to Versailles Rive Gauche. The journey was short and worth the wait. We spent a few hours taking in the beauty that deserved days of discovery.

Paris is more than just the city of love. It's a city of wonder and room for the imagination to wander. While walking along the Siene, I recalled Hemingways writings, and the book stalls along the river which he often describes in his novels. I had the sense that nothing had changed between then and now. That I was touching the same bindings of the old books Hemingway touched. That the colors, sounds, and feelings he felt were mine now too. And that is something nobody can ever take away from me, that I'll cherish forever.

Happy blogging

xonatasha

PS: I highly recommend Random House LLC publishing company (Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group) for this  selection of mapguides. I have used several in the past, and not only are they aesthetically appealing, but also highly useful for efficient travel. Even for the not-so-savvy traveler!

My Knopf Guide of Paris and I in the Garden of Versailles