From riches to riots

Today was our first full day exploring Paris. The plan for the day was to see Versailles and head to the Eiffel Tower to watch the France/Spain match. Upon waking, we had a delicious breakfast consisting of various French pastries and headed towards the nearest Metro station. One very noticeable difference between the US and Europe is the efficiency of public transit. The Paris Metro system makes traveling  a breeze, which is great when your destination requires traversing the entire city.

We arrived at Versailles a little after 1 and were immediately struck by the sheer size of the palace (well, that and the gold fence surrounding the property). We hopped in line and began our tour of possibly the fanciest house in the world. Every room seemed to be decorated floor to ceiling with expansive paintings, portraits of monarchs long dead, or busts of Greek deities. As we walked through the palace, the sheer opulence was astounding. If France ever needs some economic stimulus, they should start by renting out some of the rooms. After walking through the palace, we were able to sneak a peak of the surrounding gardens before heading back to the Metro and downtown Paris.
  

Our tour of Versailles left us hungry, so we grabbed dinner at a brasserie (a café/bar combo). From here, we walked over to the Moulin Rouge, then back to the Metro heading towards the Eiffel Tower. We ended up arriving just as the match was starting, so our viewing position was less than ideal. However, the poor viewing angle was trumped by the fact that the outdoor monitor was literally in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower. Spain scored early, but the French fans stood strong. The first half ended 1-0, but France had the momentum. The second half started slow, and that’s when things began to turn for the worse. First, we noticed that several fans had ignited flares. This would have been fine, except France hadn’t scored. Next thing I know, all the fans around us start running as some jerk began shooting Roman Candles into the crowd. Things seem to settle down for a few minutes, so everyone returned to watch the game. About 10 minutes later, Spain was awarded a penalty kick and made the score 2-0. Around the same time, the fierce loyalty of the French fans seemed to transform into a strong desire for property damage and inflicting personal injury. Bottles filled the sky as several flares, Roman Candles, and smoke bombs were burning all around us. Police sirens and cops in riot gear lined the base of the Eiffel Tower, trying (and failing) to restore order. We ducked around the police barricade, passed under the tower, and headed back towards the Metro.
 

While passing under the belly of the tower, we were fortunate enough to witness quite the majestic event. Every hour in the evening, the tower puts on a show for those in attendance, dazzling spectators with a light show. We stood and watched the tower do its thing, watching the pulsing white lights against the yellow glow. It took several Metro transfers, but finally we made it home. Today, we are going to take a walking tour along the Seine River. Check back tomorrow for more of our Parisian exploits.