Versailles, Eiffel Tower, Euro Cup (June 23rd)

Technically, my second day in Paris began in the middle of the night...when I fell off my bed. I don't remember much other than having really painful calf cramps, turning over, and then ending up on the floor with the mattress on top of me. Jenn woke up at the sound of the crash and asked me what happened. Still unsure myself, I mumbled a response, climbed back in bed and fell back asleep for a few hours. When it was actually time to wake up at 8 a.m., I felt somewhat rested. This morning would begin at the Palace of Versailles. Versailles is extremely easy to find. It's a gigantic, ostentatious mansion. Although we had purchased our tickets online the day before, apparently so had everyone and their mother. We ended up having to wait in line for close to an hour before actually making it inside the building. However, it was worth it. Inside was absolutely gorgeous; French kings know what's up. The audio guide was very informational, interesting, and definitely made the trip worthwhile. I think we spent a solid two hours walking around this mansion, but I'm very glad I went. It's hard to imagine being that wealthy and having a mansion that spans hundreds of acres. I actually don't think I would like it much at all. Well, I might like the giant Hall of Mirrors, but that's it. ;)

After leaving Versailles, we hopped back on an above ground train back to the center of Paris. While on board, two ladies climbed aboard to check our tickets. However, before I was even asked for my ticket, I was reprimanded for having my foot up on the seat in front of me...in French. All I heard was 45 euro. However, to clarify, I left my foot up on the seat and pointed at it, asking in disbelief "45 euro? For my foot?". Yes, for whatever reason, my foot was worth 45 euro. I graciously took my foot off the seat and wiped it down with my jacket. Jenn misplaced her ticket, and was searching frantically for about five minutes before she found it. Turns out, she would have only had to pay 25 euro for not having her ticket. Word to the wise: Watch your feet in France; they aren't joking.

As if walking around a giant mansion all morning wasn't enough exercise, we decided to climb the Eiffel Tower that afternoon. For 9 euro, I bought a ticket to climb the first two floors of stairs and then take the elevator the rest of the way up. There was no "climb to the top" option or I would've done that. Maybe. The walk up to the 2nd floor wasn't that bad, but it wasn't easy either. When I made it to the "top", after catching my breath, I looked over the ledge to see a breathtaking view of the city of Paris. We spent about 30 minutes or so there before waiting in yet another line for the elevator to the summit. The ride to the top of the Eiffel Tower was rather quick and rather crowded. Once at the top, I connected to the convenient WiFi network and phoned my parents. Unfortunately, neither of them answered. SAD. We meandered around for a while before heading back down. The climb down was much easier, as expected.

From the top of the tower, we overlooked Trocadero Square, where we would be watching France play Spain in the Euro Cup later that night. Before the game, however, we needed to get some food in our stomachs. With time pressing, we settled for a semi-local place close to the square. Dinner was good, but nothing to rave about. I had a Frankfurt and fries. As you all know, soccer is THE SPORT of Europe. For tonight's game, a giant TV was set up in Trocadero Square. We didn't arrive in time to get a seat in the actual "square", so we ended up standing on a set of stairs...along with thousands of other people. It was absolute chaos, which made it the experience of a lifetime. With a Nutella crepe in my hand, I was ready for the game. The game itself wasn't particularly thrilling (France lost 0-2) but the atmosphere was wonderful. In a crazy way. I didn't understand anything people were saying, but from hand gestures and volume level of voices, I got the gist of what was going on.

After the game, we walked down to the Eiffel Tower. Just a 10 minute walk away, the Eiffel Tower was stunning at night. As we stood in the grass in front of it, it lit up. Hundreds of lights flickered on and off, lighting up the night sky like stars. As the night drew to a close, we climbed aboard the metro and headed back to the hostel. I hopped in bed and drifted off to sleep, hoping to stay on the bed tonight.