First of all, my iMessage on my phone hasn't been working for the last few days. That was my main source of communication to those who also have iPhones. I have tried just about everything besides completely resetting my phone. I'm really annoyed but if anyone tries to text me, I'm sorry it doesn't work.
On Friday, our program took us to Versailles! I was really excited because when they went in June, I had scarlet fever and missed out. We took about a 45 minute train ride on the RER (which is kind of like the metro system) from the center of Paris to Versailles. There was a lady sitting by us that told us to be quiet because in France it is very rude to be so loud. Well she was rude. The train station was literally 2 blocks away from the chateau.
I remember the first time I learned what Versailles was. I was a junior in high school in Mr. Baileys US history class and we were learning about WWI. He was walking around with a hat filled with slips of paper with research topics written on them. I was getting nervous as he walked around the classroom because I knew we would have to write a paper and give a presentation on the topic we chose. I turned to Nakale as I picked out a piece of paper and said, "I bet I'm going to pick something that I wont be able to pronounce." And sure enough I picked the Treaty of Versailles. I should have known what that was way before I was 17 years old, but I didn't and had to ask Bailey how to say it and Googled what it was when I got home.
But it was so cool to see the place where the treaty was signed! It was HUGE and the gardens were even bigger. It's weird to think that that was someone's house.
The Hall of Mirrors! And so many tourists....
I had a mini photo shoot with Jenn :)
These next few pictures are from the courtyard in Marie Antoinette's house. It was on the far side of the garden and one of my favorite parts of the whole day.
This was the cutest little fresh orange juice stand. There is a little machine and they squeeze the orange right in front of you. I have seen these machines all over Paris and one cup of juice is really expensive so I bet at this one it was even more.
A GIANT pool table!
Marie Antoinette
As we were leaving the garden to get on the train just in time for me to make it home for dinner, my friend Maddy, who also went to Versailles, called me and said that she was sitting on the train at the station and someone had said that it was the last train leaving for Paris tonight. It was about 6 pm when she called and I got a little panicked and confused because we were told that the last train to Paris left at 11:55. I found some other girls from the program and headed over to the station. Jenn stayed for the firework show (which she said was amazing and I saw lots of videos that were awesome) so we said goodbye. I made it onto a train and and literally typed out a text to Maddy that said "I made it onto a train! I haven't left yet but I am on one." I almost sent it and stopped myself and thought that I would let her know that I was on the way back to Paris when the train was actually moving. There were an announcement in French and another one that was really staticky in English and couldn't understand it. Everyone around me spoke English so no one knew what was going on. But all of a sudden, people just started pouring out of the parked train next to us and the platform was full of people. I didn't think anything of it (and neither did anyone in my car because everyone calmly stayed in their seat. So I am just looking out the window and I see a group of my friends including Maddy, the one who called to warn me there were no more trains leaving! It was a great coincidence because they yell at me to get off the train because apparently, that announcement said there would be no more departures for the night! I get up off the train and talk to my friends on the platform. The people who I was sitting by start talking to me through the window asking me what was going on and I told them to get off because the train wasn't going to leave. My friends had someone translate for them on their car and they learned there was a wreck on the track so no more trains on that line could move. A wreck. It was weird because in our moment of panic of how are we getting back to Paris, we all realized that on the way to Versailles, we were talking about the train crashing. The station was packed at this point. So many tourists didn't know what to do. We crossed the street to some bus stops and tried to figure out the bus system. We couldn't figure it out so thought about taking a taxi. But for 7 people that would still be so expensive. We just called someone from ISA and they told us what bus to get on. That was also packed but we made it to the very edge of Paris. We then to a metro to Champs Elysees and found something to eat. I had called my host parents right before we got on the bus and let them know that I would not be making it to dinner. I am so sad to hear about this accident. The train came off of the track and I think hit the platform at a stop. So scary. It crashed only 45 minutes before I was sitting on that train ready to leave. 6 people died and many were injured.
After dinner we went to a very famous macaroon shop Laduree and I got the cutest little box of 6 different kinds of macaroons. My all time favorite is citron (lemon) and pistachio is a close second. I had heard it was really good so tried it for the first time on that night. It is the green one in the picture. My friends and I had planned on going to the Eiffel Tower at night after dinner which is one of my very favorite things to do because it is sooo beautiful. Pictures don't do it justice. But no one else wanted to go. Some of them were tired and some changed their minds but I still really wanted to go so I did! There was a concert going on and since it was the weekend of Bastille Day, it was packed. So I sat on the memorial on the end of the grass area and took pictures. I figured that would be the safest place because there were only tourist families and an Asian man eating dinner there. I took wayyyy too many pictures and ate 2 of my macaroons. It was magical.
Lemon, Salted Caramel, Pistachio, Raspberry, Chocolate, Coconut
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