Vicki had to try out the French wine and we picked up some bread and cheese for a late night snack.
We don't seem to get out of the house much before 11 or so, but then spend the next 8 or 9 hours touring the area. We're probably getting the most out of our time, and we're getting plenty of exercise. On Thursday, we decided to take one of Rick Steve's walking tours (http://www.ricksteves.com/images/france/historic_paris.pdf). We started at Notre Dame and ended by Sainte-Chapelle church. Notre Dame is amazing, both inside and out.
Can't you picture the movie "Hunchback of Notre Dame" in these towers?
Once again, I (Tom here) failed to make confession, despite numerous opportunities! There was a noon mass going on, featuring a priest from Brooklyn, complete with the accent. We didn't partake, simply observed. The artwork in the small chapels is outstanding. The church was started in 1163, completed in 1345 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre_Dame_de_Paris), completed mostly by free labor of the devout citizens of Paris, still in the funk of the dark ages.
We then went outside, and found "Point Zero", which was once the geographical center of the Franco-Germanic Empire. A group of teenaged Americans were there, and teacher Tom explained some of the history to them, and we took a photo of all of the feet.
Behind the church, another young American group was playing music, what looked like a High School Band. While I thought about sitting in on drums, I thought it best to let the young man continue, he was doing just fine. We passed the Pont des Arts "love locks", and saw this lovely bride getting a professional photo. The story goes - if you "lock your love" on the rail, throw the key in the Seine, your love will last forever!
We continued our walk into the older parts of Paris, on the "Left Bank" (La Rive Gauche) of the Seine, past the booksellers and posters. I especially liked this group of posters, reminded me of my old Aspen buddies (pay attention, Joe) ....Hippies use Backdoor!
The day continued with a stroll down the Seine river. About 7 o'clock we thought we had hit the wall of exhaustion. But, we took a few minutes to sit and people watch along the Tuileries Gardens and decided we probably could make it to the Eiffel Tower. Once you see it towering over the trees, its a must see attraction. The lines weren't too long (about an hour) and it was great to see it all lit up at night.
The views from above were incredible. You could see all of Paris and down the Seine River for miles.
The Louvre is an all day affair, actually an "all week" affair if you have the time. We spent all day on Friday and didn't even make a dent. It is an AMAZING museum. The artwork, the sculptures, the glassware....and on and on....it is so beautiful and majestic. A must see if you ever get the chance. Here are a few of the pieces we enjoyed.....Venus de Milo
Of course, the much recognized "Mona Lisa"......much smaller than I expected it to be!
A piece by Raphel
We were able to visit with Donna a friend from Aspen who lives in Paris. She was a wonderful host and took us up to see the Sacré-Cœur Basilica where we had a late night dinner and a great time to visit. She also packed us a wonderful picnic lunch the next day and we sat along the Seine before going out to see the American movie "Midnight in Paris". Thanks Donna!
We finished our Paris trip with a day of the "Tour de France". We left early in the morning and arrived at the
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