Our first full day in Amsterdam was jam-packed. We started out early (this on day 8 of 10) with a bus and walking tour around town. We hired a local guide for this part, and I felt really bad because a lot of us (including me) fell asleep. Some of our stops included a windmill…
travel
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Amsterdam canal tour
We left Paris and took the train up to Amsterdam, passing through Belgium. It was another peaceful and nap-filled ride. Once we arrived, we dropped our stuff at the hotel then headed back to the heart of Amsterdam for an evening canal tour. I think a canal tour is a must for any visitor to…
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Sacre Ceour, Montmartre, and the Moulin Rouge
Our final dinner in Paris was at a traditional creperie in Montmartre. On our way, we walked through the arrondissement and stopped at Sacre Coeur. Our tour guide, Mario, likes Sacre Coeur more than Notre Dame so he gave us over an hour there (while a church service was in progress, no less). Sacre Coeur…
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The Mona Lisa
We had a limited amount of time in the Louvre. Because of this, we prioritized seeing the Mona Lisa. Plenty of people had warned me that it’s not that big and you can’t get that close to it, but I felt compelled to see Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece. Honestly, I thought the warnings were misplaced….
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The Louvre Pyramid and grounds
From Versailles, we returned to Paris for a trip to the Louvre. Mario, the worst tour guide ever, actually suggested we bypass the greatest museum in the world to go back to the perfume factory museum. We told him to shove it. We also found a gluten-free creperie in the same arrondissement as the Louvre,…
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Versailles Palace
Our tour package included a guided tour of the interior of Versailles; this tour guide was separate from our regular tour guide. Having done it, I can’t say I would recommend this particular option. I think a self-paced, recorded guide may be better. Versailles is extremely popular, so it is incredibly crowded. We were packed…