Versailles Gardens + Avignon, France

Now I understand why Marie Antoinette lost her head over this place, Versailles is just gorgeous. The garden is just a quick and cheap train trip away from Paris. It is easy to get to, you just take the metro RER C to the end of the line, be sure you get off at the right stop for the palace. The train takes something like 30 or 40 minutes each way.

From the train station, cross the road and at the Mcdonalds, turn left (towards the starbucks and around the corner). While you won't come upon the Chateau from the front, the tree-lined streets on this side make the short walk entirely pleasurable. Just follow the crowds to walk to the palace, it's only about a 5 or 10 minute walk. My advice is to go early to avoid the noisy crowd.

We decided to spend half day visiting just the gardens, not the chateau.The gardens are huge and very well kept. We sat outside with our packed goodies and enjoyed the garden views,the various fountains throughout the place. Louis XIV didn't think the Louvre was big enough so he built the Palace of Versailles and in doing so almost bankrupted France. I cannot imagine how much money royalty had back in those days and their vision to create such magnificent building and the creativity of those gardens. We spent for almost 5 hours just admiring the gardens.

So if you're in France you should definitely visit it. This is one of the world's great wonders.

Avignon

Known as the City of Popes, the walled city of Avignon was home to seven popes throughout the 14th century, who protected their papal territory by building enormous fortifications. The city charms visitors with its ancient streets, restored medieval ramparts and the Gothic architecture of the Palace of Popes. At the foot of the palace is a large area filled with restos and cafes where people can enjoy the great atmosphere.

This is a historic site and if you are really interested in the history of the popes, then you might find this place interesting, otherwise, just check it out from the outside and then move on to the rest of Avignon which is much more interesting.