Gettin' to Paris

Friday started out the way most of the travelling days did, on the bus.  We made good time through the farmlands of central France, seeing more beautiful sunflower fields, along with corn and other staple crops. (And the errant Castle and Church!)

Mr. Fox in Beaune, France

We had a mid-morning stopover in the small medieval village of Beaune, France.  We simply walked around and window shopped, however, Emmy (with her personal shopper, Michael) bought a beautiful new dress (and some other things I'm told).

Mr. Fox at Versailles

We arrived on the outskirts of Paris a little before three in the afternoon where we made a stop at the Palace of Versailles.  The palace to Louis XIV, Louis XV, and the last palace Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette saw during the French Revolution.  The palace is huge (over 1700 rooms I think), but crowded.  It was beautiful, but as you move from room to room, you get crushed going through the doors!  There as a lot of pushing and shoving (and that as just our group!).  In one instance, a rather rotund man was pushing Lisa with his stomach.  Michael put his hand between his mother and the fat man, pushed him back and said, "No, too close!"  Michael said that the man stood there with the look on his face saying..."did that just happen?"  Oh, the adventure that is Europe!

The palace was a little overwhelming, and the guide not very good, so the group hightailed it out of the Kings abode, into the courtyard, and off to the meeting spot at the main gates.  Needless to say, we have been to Versailles, and that is all we're saying about that. (I will post some pictures though).

Mr. Fox getting ready to enjoy the Moulin Rouge!

After making it into the city and checking into the hotel, we were off to our evening adventure, The Moulin Rouge! (Red Windmill in English)  Here we were treated to a nice meal in the largest cabaret in Paris. The highlight of the show, for us anyway, was when Micheal was selected out of the audience to participate in the show by the mime.  He, a Chinese man, a Chinese woman, and a German (Michael thinks) woman all joined the mime on stage for some antics and a very funny skit.  Michael stole the show by ad-libing and generally giving the mime a hard time, it was very entertaining!

It turned out to be a pretty long night and we were all ready to get back to the hotel for some sleep for our last day in Paris (and Europe!)