Day 3 July 18, 2012 We awoke early after a wonderful night's sleep. I forgot to mention that when we opened our baggage after arriving at the hotel we found that our clothes were all wet. The baggage must have sat out in the rain. We hung our clothes all over the room and this morning everything was dry. We met my sister and brother in law and walked over to the train station for our trip out to Versailles. We grabbed a pastry and coffee at a stand in the station and took the 50 minute trip Versaille. While we were waiting on the train we started a conversation with a young woman who worked in the library at Versaille. She gave us all the scoop about where to go and what to do. we reached the front of the palace just before 9am when it opened and the lines to get in were already very long. We had been told by Rick Steve's that if you had a museum pass you could go to the front of the line. I guess no one else talked to him so we waited in line. The line went pretty quickly. I had brought my walking stick with me in anticipation of my knees hurting and that made me a handicapped person here in Paris. Mark and I got to ride the elevator and pass up the crowd. We used Rick Steve's podcast to take us through the palace. It is more than exquisite. The opulence was mind boggling. They also have huge modern art object throughout the palace. Many were made with fabric. I have some great photos but haven't figured out how to get them onto my iPad yet. We strolled through the magnificant gardens for over an hour and did not see all of it. There are hundreds of fountains and many lakes on the grounds. These folks really knew how to live. Given that the rest of France was starving it is no wonder that Louis XV! and his wife Marie Antoinette were beheaded. We had a lovely lunch at a cafe in the gardens. Had great salads. We got back on the train and headed for the Marai district and the Jewish section of Paris. My sister had a map but unfortunately it was not easy to read. We walked for what seemed like miles before we finally found the area. It was well worth the blisters. Lots of Felafel shops and Kosher bakeries. Also several shops that sold very nice Judaica. We then headed over to the Holocaust Museum. It was very hard to get in as there was a guard at the door who questioned you and then you had to go through a meta detector. Once inside it was disappointing as everything was in French and none of us speak French. The guard was nice enough to call us a cab. We headed back to the hotel. Had a nice dinner at St. Ferdinand Cafe where we also got free internet. I have found that almost all restaurants here have wifi and will give you the password if you ask. After dinner we headed down to the river and took an hour long cruise on the Seine. We again were afforded early boarding since I had my cane with me. The Eiffel Tower is lit at night and it was an amazing site. Every hour they turn on flashing lights that twinkle all over the Tower. Sandi, Rick and I headed back to the hotel and Mark decided to go to the Eiffel Tower at night. Sandi, Rick and I stopped at a cafe for a glass of wine and Mark soon joined us as the lines were too long at the Tower. Finally got to bed at 3am and slept very soundly until 8:30. Day 4 July 19, 2012 Morning came much too soon for me. Mark and I had a roll and coffee at a local cafe and Sandi and Rick went on their own to do what we had done the first day we were here. Our first stop was at the Harley Davidson store so I could buy a Harley T Shirt that said Paris on it. Motorcylces and scooters are everywhere here. This is definitely the place to have a Harley Franchise. Mark and I walked to the Arch de Triomph. What an amazing structure with some fabulous bas relief sculptures. All of the main roads in Paris converge here and the traffic is really hairy. You cant even cross the street...you must use a passage way that goes under the street. Mark walked the 238 steps up to the top of the Arch but I knew that my knees would be able to do this so I waited down below and people watched. Then we headed out for a stroll along the Champs Elysses. A broad tree lined walk way with all kinds of shops. Felt much like the Miracle Mile in Chicago or Fifth Ave in NYC. We then headed back to the Notre Dame because I said that I was willing to wait in line to see the inside. The lines were much shorter and moved very quickly. What a magnificent cathedral. We paid for the self-guided audio tour and I was really glad we did. I learned much about Catholicism and the story of Mary. The rose windows were breath taking. They have plague honoring a man who was Jewish who converted to Catholicism. I forgot his name but the church hasn't. We walked across the bridge to Il Saint Louis. We wer literally attacked by a band of children who were trying to convince us that they were deaf and that we should sign a paper and give them money. I kept saying no and they kept running around me and shoving the paper in my face. I knew that they were not deaf as I heard one of them speak and they understood my refusal. I believe that these children never saw any of the money they collected. They were out there working for an adult who took all the money. They may even have been trying to distract us so that one of them could pick our pockets. They were quite unnerving. This island in the river is where the City of Paris started. We had a lovely lunch of crepes in a cafe and then walked the streets. The streets are lined with small shops selling lovely goods. I actually did some shopping for gifts here. We headed back to the hotel on the subway to gather our baggage and move to the cruise sponsored hotel, Le Meridian. The hotel was a short walk from our former hotel but dragging three pieces of luggage it felt like a marathon. Got to the hotel and were surprised to find out that it was a Starwood Hotel so i hope to get some points for our stay. Our room is bigger than the previous one but the shower is still a handheld nozzle in a very deep tub. Everytime I get in and out I pray that I don't become a statistic with a broken hip. Made contact with Sandi and Rick and went to a nearby Italian restaurant for dinner. Not great but good and reasonably priced. We traded stories about our adventures of the day and then we went back to the hotel for an early be time.