July 29, 2008 Paris Journal Part IV

A good night’s sleep pays for the sins of enthusiastic travel- today we are up earlier and off to the old city! In the middle of the Seine that splits Paris into North and South, are the original islands of the original Roman settlement- Ile de la Cite and Ile Saint-Louis. Our first stop, after crossing Pont au Change and walking up the beautifully shaded Boulevard du Palais, is La Conciergerie. This is an old palace with the best gothic interior example in Paris. It later became a revolutionary jail.

Not that you can see it, but in my actual journal right here there is a nice red wine spill during the writing of the actual notes. Cote du Rhone, Chatalet. Nothing special I can remember, but I did write down the name. Now, I’m typing this on a computer from notes and memory months later, but the stain looks fabulous.

The most famous “visitor” to the jail La Conciergerie was Marie Antoinette. The gothic architecture was nice to see. The rest of it was incredibly depressing. Sure, high arches are fantastic, flying up to meet each other in odd points. But the small cells with hay on the floor and little else weren’t what I was interested in seeing in Paris.

From Paris 2008

Saint Chappelle

From Paris 2008

After La Conciergerie, we visited Saint Chappelle. The upper chapel is quite amazing, and I’m surprised so few hear about it before visiting. Notre Dame is bigger, but not nearly as spectacular in artistry. Pictures say much more than I ever could. A friend, Monika, told us we had to visit Saint Chappelle and we owe her dearly for that insistence.

From Paris 2008

Notre Dame was our next stop, but was extremely disappointing. First of all, it is free! We bought a 4 day museum pass and I was not happy to get something free! Ah, well. Ok, Notre Dame is big. And quiet. Hmm… interesting frescos, but I just liked Saint Chappelle so much more. The best part of Notre Dame is the outside- so many gargoyle rain spouts and flying buttresses.

From Paris 2008

From Paris 2008

After the obligatory visit to Notre Dame, we crossed the bridge to Ile Saint-Louis. It was mid afternoon and that was a shame, since it would have been a delight to eat lunch here on the quiet and picturesque smaller island in the river. The best ice cream shop is on the main street on this tiny island, but it is open only Wednesday through Sunday, and we came on a Tuesday. A complete mess and many points lost for me.

From Paris 2008

Ile Saint Louis and Phyllis

From here we hopped back on the Batobus to go to the Louvre stop, then cross over to the Musee d’Orsay. It is a huge and newer museum that is a converted train station. The main hall, open for four or five stories, is a statuary on various open levels. We made our way upstairs for tea and a bite to eat before heading to the impressionists. Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” is my favorite and astonishing in person. Another wing has the realists with “Whistler’s Mother”. I can only take that suicide inducing genre for a few minutes and I scamper away down the hall.
We meandered briefly through the Jardins du Luxembourg, just to see what it is like and to watch people. This is another beautiful and large park and garden with shaded lanes, ball fields, tennis courts and a central pond and fountain. As with some other places, at another time of day we would have spent much more time here.

From Paris 2008

From Paris 2008

Steak Frites. You go to Paris, you like to eat at bars/cafes on the corner and watch the people, you are going to have to order steak frites perhaps many times. And we wind this day up somewhere in the 6th arrondisement, I think, sitting on a corner and eating steak frites, drinking bottled water and rose. It was a very hot and humid day- well into the high 80s and I’m wishing I had brought more t-shirts. As we end the day with our wine, the man with the ponies from Tuileries walks down the cobblestone street by our café.