Today morning, I opened the curtains to look out on to the Gothic church, complete with gargoyles, to a glorious sunny day looking forward to delights the city has to offer. Our hotel does offer breakfast in the room as there is not enough room for a breakfast area but we opted for the fresh local variety that the several Boulangeries in the neighbourhood offered. I got the breakfast goodies while my son got ready, it gave me chance to explore the window displays, particularly of the bakeries and chocolatiers which are stunning; strolling along and taking in these windows is really nice, soon we became regular customers.
 
                Palace of Versailles

Today we were going to Versailles, we walked to Musee-orsay to go to Versailles Rive Gauche but the station was closed so we walked by the river Siene to Invalides . The walk was really nice and we were amazed by the mass of the Louvre from the other side of the river, we also admired the bridge Pont Alexandre III near La Invalides with its ornaments, sculptures with cherubs and nymphs, gorgeous lampposts. At Invalides we got RER tickets for Versailles and on the train we were entertained by the Accordion players.
Upon reaching Versailles we saw long lines snaking around the Palace gates but they moved fast, after 40 mins we were inside the palace. We got our audio guides and were soon brought through the magical palace of Versailles; the room was bustling with people pushing for better views. The opulence by which the last remaining monarchy of France lived was reflected in their residence, the Manicured gardens were breath-taking and an escape                                          to Marie Antoinette's world. 
 
                      Champs Elysees Boulevard
 
 We had lunch at the café at Angelina's café at the Palace, which was average, we were foot sore and the weather was steaming hot so we went to the hotel for a much needed siesta . Rested and fully energised, we took the metro to Champs Elysees where we walked the boulevard to the Place de la Concorde. The boulevard was not quite as impressive as I had imagined with a number of chain stores, smart shops, burger bars and overpriced cafes, It was almost like walking the Oxford street.

                  Place de la Concorde

Concorde is French for "harmony" but it is ironic that this was the place where thousands of royalists were beheaded by the Guillotine during the French revolution; the obelisk marks the spot where Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were beheaded. The Egyptian obelisk which was gifted to the French in the 19th century marks the spot where the Guillotine used to stand.
We continue through the Jardin des Tuileries, admiring the sculptures but the fountains were not working. 
 
                  River cruise

  We had coffee at riverside café, then it was time to catch the 10pm Bateaux Vedettes du Pont Neuf cruise which was 13 euros but I had booked it in advance online for a discount of 2 Euros each. We sat outside on the top deck and we caught our first glimpse off the sparkly, twinkly Eiffel Tower, Beams from it shone in our direction every few seconds for about twenty minutes, always a thrill! It was a lovely way to see Paris, our guide pointed out the main sights and we passed 22 bridges, just as many landmarks, countless Parisians partying by the river on a Saturday night. We had pizzas and wine at the café on riverside near Pont Neuf.