Hopeful of a reset to our jetlagged bodies, we were up at 8am local time and after repacking our day bags we were on our way to see the city.
We started out with another walk through the Latin Quarter to cross the Seine at Pont Neuf and arrived at Isle de la Cite. Here we found a cafe named La Rose de France where we enjoyed Camembert and bread, an omelette and coffees on the sidewalk patio and watched the people go by.
It looks like we won’t have the best weather while we are here, but there are so many “indoor” attractions that we hope to stay relatively dry. We started out with two attractions on the island.
Saint-Chapelle is one of the most famous destinations in France and it is truly amazing to take in – as Mimi noted, the stained glass is incredible and really overwhelms you when you first enter. Our day was not sunny but even then the light and colours are dazzling and the magnitude of the story telling and theology represented are enough to keep you here a long time.
As if that’s not enough, there’s also an extensive narrative of how the glass and building have all been restored, and the transformation is amazing – the work done and skills and ingenuity employed are incredible, and you are left in awe of a sacred place that not only feels profound but also renewed and very much in the present.
Right next to Saint-Chapelle is La Conciergerie, historically the orgininal palace of the kings of France, but perhaps more notoriously known for as the prison of the French Revolution where Marie Antoinette spent her final days.
As Mimi noted, the space is complemented by a tablet based tour that provides you with an augmented reality type experience of the space, showing how it was used and what it may have looked like – suddenly every medieval historical fiction that you’ve ever read comes to life! The production values are extremely good and you find yourself caught in a jusxtaposition of entertainment and horror when you consider the things that have taken place in this spot.
From La Conciergerie we walked around the Cathedral of Notre-Dame which remains closed, but nevertheless makes you feel small as you see it from all sides. The story of its restoration is also impressive, and is novelly represented by photos and illustrations all the way around its boarded pedestrian walkways.
The rain was beginning to get heavy by early afternoon so we scooted over to Ile Saint-Louis and took shelter at Brasserie de l’Isle Saint-Louis where very professional staff took care of us with espressos and tea. We were already starting to feel the museum shuffle but the stop was refreshing.
After giving up on the rain stopping we decided to try to make the 15 minute dash to the Musee de Cluny only to be disappointed by conflicting guide book information about what days it is open (NOT today) and so we made our way back to our hotel room and changed to dry clothes and rested for awhile.
Late in the afternoon the weather eased up around us and we ventured out once again for another pinnacle attraction – the Eiffel Tower. Our trip over was by foot and Metro and didn’t take us long, and soon we were at the base of another monument that is so iconic that it actually feels a little surreal to be there.
From the base we did none of the stair climbing Mimi adventurously took on, choosing instead the two elevators to the mid-levels and of course the lookout at the top. All levels give wonderful views of the city and put the monuments and attractions in a common relief.
Despite the cloudiness of the day, we did get skies that were clear enough to enjoy a sunset at the top, and another very impressing experience of the city transforming to its lit up nighttime skyline. A great show!
Back to our hotel from here the way we came, with a stop at a hugely novel Neopolitan Pizzaria near the base of our hotel (pizza seems very big around here) which, after some initial confusion about what we wanted, was very satisfying after a day that has been an exciting, wet, impressive and awe-filled adventure.