Day two:
Today was a day free for our group to explore the sights in Paris. A large group of us (27 to be exact!) opted to join the optional morning excursion to the Palace of Versailles.
The palace was built in the 17th century for King Louis XIV. The court of Versailles was the center of political power in France for a little over a century when the French Revolution began. The palace was almost destroyed during the revolution, as a result of which its importance and utility decreased.
Our guide Antoine led us through the rooms of Versailles, the most famous of which is the Hall of Mirrors which has 17 massive mirrored arches opposite 17 windows. There are 357 mirrors in all and the ceiling of the hall has intricate paintings with gilded statues around the borders. We stopped to take a group photo in the marvelous Hall of Mirrors.
After touring Versailles, our bus driver, Yves, was kind enough to drop us off in front of the Paris Opera House, or Palias Garnier, one of the most beautiful buildings in all of Paris so that we could venture out on our own into the city. A handful of us headed to the Louvre Museum, which is the world's largest art museum and a historic monument in Paris. Located on the right bank of the Seine, the Louvre is home famous works such as da Vinci's Mona Lisa and Alexandros' Venus de Milo.
Today was a day free for our group to explore the sights in Paris. A large group of us (27 to be exact!) opted to join the optional morning excursion to the Palace of Versailles.
The palace was built in the 17th century for King Louis XIV. The court of Versailles was the center of political power in France for a little over a century when the French Revolution began. The palace was almost destroyed during the revolution, as a result of which its importance and utility decreased.
Our guide Antoine led us through the rooms of Versailles, the most famous of which is the Hall of Mirrors which has 17 massive mirrored arches opposite 17 windows. There are 357 mirrors in all and the ceiling of the hall has intricate paintings with gilded statues around the borders. We stopped to take a group photo in the marvelous Hall of Mirrors.
After touring Versailles, our bus driver, Yves, was kind enough to drop us off in front of the Paris Opera House, or Palias Garnier, one of the most beautiful buildings in all of Paris so that we could venture out on our own into the city. A handful of us headed to the Louvre Museum, which is the world's largest art museum and a historic monument in Paris. Located on the right bank of the Seine, the Louvre is home famous works such as da Vinci's Mona Lisa and Alexandros' Venus de Milo.
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