Slanted Rays

This image features the Château de Versailles from a distance. A long, winding line of people are waiting to enter the château. The old, stone structure stands on the left, with a golden gate in front of it. To the right, a taller structure that appears to have a hallway with a mural and columns is actually an optical illusion; the columns are painted it using perspective to trick your eye. Hello! I have decided to scatter my Adventures in Tourism blog posts, rather than foregoing them altogether or writing the remaining posts one after another. Eventually, I hope to evolve to posting about strange and interesting places that I visit in the United States. For today, I want to tell you about my visit to Versailles. I procrastinated on visiting Versailles until my last day in Paris. After a week of post-study-abroad travel, I wanted nothing more than to stay in the hostel and rest. However, I dragged myself to the metro station and headed off to Versailles. With the advent of...

1.     Being able to get anywhere in the city through the magic of walking and public transportation. This image features the tracks of one of the metro stations in the Champs-Élysées. Above the tracks, there is a peaked rooftop and a decorative triangular-shaped stained glass feature in light blue. 2.     The weather. As it turns out, it is much easier to dress in warm layers than it is to constantly evade heat exhaustion. 3.     Constant access to interesting shops, and, in particular, the papeterie section of Gibert Jeune. The exterior of Gibert Jeune's papeterie department. A yellow shade in front of the building reads "Papeterie - Loisirs Creatifs", which translates to "Stationery - Creative Hobbies". 4.     Taking walks in interesting places. I would often walk to the Bastille from my homestay or wander around the Marais. The July Column in the Bastille neighborhood on a cloudy day. The...

The only surviving picture from my fourth day in Rome, featuring a set of statues at the Piazza de Popolo.   Hello! By my fourth and final day in Rome, I was exhausted, nearly out of phone storage, and impatient to get on the train to Florence. We checked out of our AirBNB at 10 AM, so I spent the day lugging around my travel backpack filled with everything I would need for the week. Still, I enjoyed a pleasant, relaxed day with limited responsibilities beyond ensuring that I caught the train to Florence. In lieu of the usual "photos with commentary" Adventures in Tourism blog post format, I am posting an excerpt from my journal, with minor edits for grammar and clarity. I am writing this while resting at the Piazza de Popolo. My phone has cursedly run out of storage space, so I am unable to take photos, and Google Maps won't load correctly. However, I am trying to see this as a positive. When I'm traveling, I always feel bad taking the time to look after...