Bog blog!

LET THEM EAT CAKE!

It was hard to choose, so we had to go back for seconds....thirds maybe...

                                      Another couple of Paris must-do's ticked off the list

A sliver of Versailles

A ha! So thats how they do it!

A short train trip south saw us spend most of Wednesday at the Palace of Versailles - where eventually ole King Louis X1V installed the Court and Seat of Government in 1682. They sure knew how to do things on a grand, over the top scale back then. A bit mind boggling.

Humans aye. How times of travel have changed in many respects. A lesson in patience and deep breathing when you are swept up in a sea of people from all sorts of different backgrounds rammed into a room trying to absorb the experience - which for some means push front and centre, ipad out, 360 panoramic, close up, selfie - and then move on to the next one. Its a man eat man world when it comes to sightseeing I tell ya.

Speaking of selfies....

A peek of the canal




But that period of history is intriguing so it was amazing to see it in all of its sumptuous glory, and as with the interior, the exterior is huge and sprawling, so what better way to experience it than hiring a bike to get around. We spent a perfect sunny day peddling around the ridiculously large Grand Canal and were just buzzed to soak up the surroundings.

Our bedroom

A visit to the Louvre Thursday was equally as great - culture coming out the ears.

I was there before the 9am opening so the queue wasn't too bad. I did pace it to see Mona Lisa before the masses of hordes.... and how amusing she was - so much hype for a wee painting behind bullet proof glass, people shoving themselves to the front to get a picture taken. Does it take away the moment? Yep, it does a bit.

My view of Mona Lisa

But what a huge space - room after room filled to the brim with loads of other incredible art history, and as Neat and I agreed later that day over our debrief glasses of wine - you just get such a buzz out of seeing the real thing after studying it from a book all those years ago in a school classroom - in Whanagrei no less.

Ingres

Last lunch with the Harres at Cosi

Savoured our last proper Parisian pastry and coffee this morning and then we met the kiwi Harres again for a delicious lunch at Cosi, Dave then insisting we check out the hotel where Oscar Wilde died... then check out St Germain...

And low and behold a few hours later we now find ourselves in a country where 'Bog' is 'Hello' and the streets are dark and narrow and the rain is falling. Thinking lots of my nana.

And I must mention, Neats drove our wee car on the right hand side of the road like a pro. Yo.

And a midnight blog would not be complete without just mentioning that we both noticed our loo paper here in Zagreb has colourful football players on it...must be world cup time...?
Ahhh, Brazil vs Croatia.
Is that wrong to wipe ones a**e on that?

Sorry. Its been a loooong day :)
Love from us x

Jacques Louis