Tuesday was pretty chilly, which wouldn’t have been bad except we had to wait in line to get through security at the Palais de Justice for over half an hour! Once we got through airport-like security, however, we were then able to head to the Saint Chapelle cathedral. It was strange to see lawyers and judges power-walking across the cobblestones with their long black robes and pleated ascots…I was hoping to see some powdered wigs, but no such luck.
The cathedral was originally built in order to house the crown of thorns, one of the most holy relics. The crown is now stored in Notre Dame and displayed on the first Friday of every month, so I’m hoping to get to see it next week!
When we first entered the cathedral, I noticed how low (compared to most other cathedrals I’ve seen) the ceiling was. Apparently, the bottom level was reserved for the servants to worship. Heading up a tight spiral staircase, I made my way to the top level…and I literally let out an audible gasp. I’d thought I’d seen enough cathedrals and stained-glass to last a lifetime, but this place totally proved me wrong! It was breathtaking! The ceiling was so high, the colors so bright, the stained-glass so detailed. I wish my writing and my pictures could do it justice, but there’s just no way…
Wednesday was our first really intense walking day. A small group of us started at Notre Dame to begin our “Historic Paris Walk” as outlined by our guidebooks.
Even though I’d seen this cathedral a million times in pictures and movies, it was still impressive! The sheer size of it is very surprising. I wanted to climb the tower (400 steps!) but we didn’t have time, so I plan on going back at some point. Inside was beautiful, although it was very crowded. They had haunting chants playing throughout which really gave the place an extra bit of cathedral-ly vibe.
Outside there was a massive statue of Charlemagne and in the square was a bronze medallion marking the very center of the city…Point Zero.
We then headed underneath Notre Dame to the Archaeological Crypts. It was dark, gloomy and damp, small lamps lighting what remains of the ancient Roman and medieval structures located directly beneath the cathedral. This really put the city into perspective for me…some of these structures are as old as the 3rd century!
After that, we headed directly behind Notre Dame to the Deportation Memorial. The French government was, sadly, responsible for deporting some 200,000 people from France during World War II for the Nazis. This memorial was beautifully simple; white stones, a sharp and angular sculpture, resembling prison bars, a small niche that led to an inner room, and a gated passage lined with glowing crystals, one for each person who was deported, ending in an internal flame. The walls were scrawled with quotes and above the door was the line, “Forgive, but never forget.”
Next we made our way across the Seine and found Robinier, the oldest Parisian resident…an acacia tree! It was planted in 1602, so this guy has seen a lot!
Right around the corner was the Shakespeare & Co. bookstore, the most famous English bookstore in Paris. It was frequented by such great writers as Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, James Joyce and Gertrude Stein. I have yet to buy a book there, but I feel obligated; hopefully some of the writers’ magic will rub off. Apparently they rent the upstairs apartment for free to struggling writers…how do I sign up for that?!
We then went to the Cluny Museum. Known for its medieval collection, I was very impressed with the art and artifacts they had. We also had the chance to see the famous “Lady and the Unicorn” tapestries…a series of six massive tapestries depicting ladies frolicking with unicorns, five of which illustrated the five senses. They also had a great collection of stained-glass and even had the original heads of the statues from Notre Dame! (The statues had been beheaded during the French Revolution, found, buried in a school teacher’s backyard, then found in 1977!)
By this time we were getting tired so we peeked into St. Severin’s cathedral to check out the massive organ and the colorful stained-glass, stopped by the #22 Rue St. Severin to see the city’s narrowest building, then called it a day!
But wait, that’s not all! We had to meet at the Louvre that night for a special tour of the underground castle (lots of stuff is buried in Paris apparently!) that was recently found while excavating the foundation for a parking garage. It was crazy to think that this 12th century building was just sitting there, underneath the world’s most famous museum, just waiting to be found!
After the brief tour, we were free to explore…I went to see the Venus de Milo, then made my way through the Egyptian and Babylonian wings. There were massive statues, tiny artifacts, a mummy, mummified cats, mosaic walls, even the Code of Hammurabi! I was so tired I didn’t spend any more time there, but we have another, full day tour scheduled for next week, so I’ll get to see a bunch more then.
I’ll post this weekend about my first solo trek through Paris, complete with some pretty great pictures!
An American in Paris... 