We began at Ste. Chapelle, inside the Palais du Justice. We were able to see the outside of the Cathedral - but Jeff balked about paying the entrance fee to view in the inside. Our second day in Paris and my husband (self-proclaimed "cheap stingy bastard") was already complaining about the prices of everything (which even I admit were steep). We purchased a 3-day museum pass before coming to Paris, and Ste. Chapelle was included - so, we refused to pay to go in before we could use the pass. Of course, we did get some great pics of the outside. We did see the inside later in our trip.
From there, we were off to see Notre Dame de Paris. I was covered in goosebumps when we turned the corner and saw her splendor. I just stood in awe of the beauty and enormity - and truly of someone's vision to build a structure that grand in the 1100's. I can't imagine what the groundbreaking must have been like - and then to die before it was ever finished (it took 200 years to complete). We took pictures outside and then reverently wandered in.
The small chapels around the nave were ornate and beautiful. I was just amazed by the architecture and the enormity of it all. The artwork and sculptures inside certainly match the majesty of the structure. I just felt so small standing in front of the famous stained glass rose windows. Everything was just breathtaking.
After seeing the cathedral, we wandered outside to the rear courtyard to admire the flying buttresses.
After hours spent admiring Notre Dame, we wandered onto the smaller island behind the Ile de la Cite, the Ile St. Louis. It is an adorable spot - apparently known for a famous ice cream vendor that is supposed to serve the best ice cream in Paris. Jeff's lactose intolerance kept us from indulging - I would've felt too guilty eating the best ice cream in Paris in front of him! The Ile St. Louis was a perfect spot to see the narrow Parisian streets with lush windowboxes. Jeff particularly loves the Smart cars and motorcycles that fit on the streets.
We left the Ile St. Louis and headed across the river to the Left Bank and the Latin Quarter. At this point, we were getting hungry - so, we sought out a quaint cafe hoping for lunch. The restaurants in Paris only serve meals at limited hours, which we had missed due to sleeping late. Instead, we settled for a refreshing Perrier, Orangina and some Brie and Baguette.
We proceeded to wander around the Latin Quarter - getting disoriented on the narrow and windy streets. For the first time in my life, I didn't really mind wandering aimlessly - not really knowing where we would end up. After a while, we did consult the map and found that we were not far from the Luxembourg Palace and Gardens. We agreed to end our wandering and walk with purpose to check it out. It was magnifique! The gardens were gorgeous - and full of people lounging, sunbathing, reading, writing, etc. What a great place to sit and think, or to just relax. It was a beautiful sight. The pictures just don't capture its beauty.
We took some time to soak in the glory of Luxembourg, and to plan our next destination. From there, we headed to St. Sulpice, which is only a few blocks away. This church, most recently famous again in Dan Brown's Da Vinci code, felt completely different than the gothic style of Notre Dame. It was great to see them both on the same day to compare and contrast their very different structures and beauty. St. Sulpice feels more open - with high, round windows that make the church have an light, airy feeling. In retrospect, I guess it feels more heavenly.
In the rear of the church was an ornate sculpture of the virgin Mary and Chrust ascending into heaven that was golden and magnificent.
More to write later about this day later... as you can tell, our days were packed full of adventure!
1 comment:
Wow! girl...i am jealous of your trip...in the best way of course! seriously i loved thepics...what a great blessing to be able to make such a trip!
Kate
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