in preparation for this vacation, i made a list of places/things i wanted to see/do in each respective city. i didn't realize it at the time, but the list i made was very auspicious -- so many places to go, things to see, experiences to have. when i made the list, i didn't (because i couldn't know any better) really consider two important factors: a) time (as in the time it takes to get to a particular monument, for example, time to see, time to reflect, etc.); and b) fatigue (museum going is (in a good way) tiring!). all things considered, though, i am making my way through the list with great success (of course, there are some things i won't see -- versailles, for example -- which is just more reason to plan a return trip ...).
on monday, i decided i was going to see sainte-chapelle (holy chapel), another example of gothic architecture built by saint louis, which resides in the heart of the palais de la cite (city palace) on the ile de lat cite, about a 20 minute walk from the flat. sainte-chapelle is also very close to notre dame, something i did not realize when i was at notre dame the first time. considering the close proximity of the two monuments, i thought i'd go back to notre dame and take the tour, since it was covered by my paris museum pass (another thing i did not realize earlier in my stay) and i'd be in the neighborhood.
when i arrived to sainte-chapelle, the line for entry was about a block and a half long (and no priority entry with the museum pass). i would have simply waited, but the museum was closing for an hour and the line was not moving quickly enough for me to enter before the scheduled closing. no big deal, i think, i'll just do the notre dame tour and come back. easy.
foiled again.
no priority entrance at notre dame, either, and the tour queue was at least two blocks long and not moving at all. by this time, the light drizzle had turned into a more persistent rain and the wind had picked up speed -- not the most favorable conditions for waiting in an outdoor line for who-knows-how-long. solution: back to shakespeare and company, which is just a short walk around the corner (and a place to which i wanted to return anyway).
when i was at shakespeare and company the first time, i adhered to my rule-following ways and refrained from taking photos (except for the one i snapped when i thought no one was looking and then worried about for the next two hours...). this time, this time, though, i think: a) everyone else is doing it; and b) while two wrongs don't make a right, you only live once; and c) i am in paris! and at shakespeare and company!
so i took a couple (illegal!) pictures (rebel!). this is a shot of one of the sleeping spaces (remember, in its glory, the shakespeare and company had 13 beds on site and was home to many a driftless wanderer ...) -- there was another bed, sort of adjacent to this one, too (covered in a similarly ratty bedspread), and a sitting chair in the corner, where, the last time i visited, a lazy, fat, fluffy white cat slept peacefully. i really wanted to get a shot of the cat, but she was off in the other room, where someone was giving an interview on camera (and that's all i'd need: get caught on tape violating the rules). it might not look like much in this photo, but if you read jeremy mercer's memoir, you'll get a better feel for just how remarkable this place really is.
when i finished at shakespeare and company, it was about noon -- still two hours to burn before sainte-chapelle reopens. i walked by the notre dame and the queue for the tour was even longer than it was before i headed to the book store (not surprising). i walked around the neighborhood a bit more, scoped out some of the souvenir vendors' wares, and then decided i should get some lunch, which would give me an opportunity to escape the elements for a bit longer and fill the open space before the chapel reopened for visitors. up until this point, the only restaurant i'd frequented was the pizza place i went to several days prior, where i was one of about four customers. i don't have any issue with dining in restaurants alone -- it's really no big deal, if you ask me -- but the paris cafés are somewhat intimidating: they're filled with locals, all of whom seem to know each other (perception, i suppose), and they're very, very busy. do you just go in and sit down? wait to be seated? need a reservation? everything is in french (why didn't i learn more french before arriving?!?)! overwhelming for someone who hasn't quite come into her paris legs, yet.
today, though, today i am going to figure this out (again, i'm in paris! -- the cafés are not to be avoided (just because i don't know exactly what to do) because that would just be foolish ... er, stoooopid). thus, i walk in and make eye contact with the waiter, hold out my thumb, and ask: une? he pointed to a table and that was that: i am in and seated and ready to dine (by the way, i had no idea what café i'd entered before the menu (below) was presented to me; i simply noticed there was a healthy crowd inside and took that as a favorable sign).
healthy crowd, indeed: the place was spinning with excitement. most of the tables were filled; people were chatting and laughing; waiters were bouncing from one table to the next, filling drinks and serving plates. before i had a chance to properly study the menu, the waiter was at my table, asking me if i was ready to order. feeling rushed and like i had to keep up withe pace, i ordered the first familiar thing that caught my eye: tortellini with 4 fromage -- it was one of the plat du jour selections. and i regretted my decision as soon as the order came out of my mouth: a) i'm not a huge tortellini fan; b) i don't generally eat heavy pasta dishes in the middle of the day (and i'm not in italy, after all); c) i could have ordered something like this at home; and d) what are the four cheeses (it did not occur to me in the split second during which the order was placed that there may be chèvre in the cheese sauce, the one (and, so far, only) cheese that my palate just does not tolerate)? alas, the order has been placed and lunch shall go on. the plate is set before me -- looks good and fattening! -- and i smile and say: merci. i bring a tortellini to my mouth and know immediately there is goat cheese in that sauce. well, when in paris ... (and truth be told, it wasn't that bad, the goat cheese.)
i ate about half of the dish and ordered a café (coffee -- espresso, really), which is french custom, to round out the dining experience. all in all, it wasn't so bad for my maiden voyage into the paris café culture (interestingly, rick steves -- my new best friend, ok? -- has a podcast on the paris café scene, which i listened to after lunch, whilst i was waiting for entry into sainte-chapelle). i should also note that since dining at the quasimodo (and listening to rick), i have made my way into other cafés, where i have enjoyed a number of cups of strong parisian café and some fine people watching.
after lunch, i walked back to sainte-chapelle, and even though the chapel was not due to open for about another hour, a queue has started to form. not wanting to be stuck out in the cold, i simply joined the crowd and prepared myself to wait with the others (two things: 1) i learned early on in this travel adventure to carry earbuds in my pocket; and 2) thank goodness for audio downloads, as they make waiting in line tolerable, particularly when its cold and raining).
an hour later, i'm through security (note: i've noticed a much higher level of security in paris than i did in london -- at some places, there are guards patrolling, dressed in fatigues and carrying very large guns) and on my way inside the chapel.
well.
worth.
the.
wait.
the sainte-chapelle, which actually consists of two chapels: the lower chapel, which served as parish church for all of the inhabitants of the palace, and the upper chapel, with the stained glass, was built to house louis ix's collection of relics of christ, including the crown of thorns, the image of edessa, and other relics. the chapel was damaged during the french revolution and restored in the 19th century. now, it retains one of the most extensive on-site collections of 13th-century stained glass anywhere in the world.
fifteen huge mid-13th century windows fill the nave and apse (several of which are currently being restored, and were, thus, not visible), while a large rose window dominates the western wall. each of the windows tells a different story: three of the eastern windows illustrate the new testament, featuring scenes of the passion, scenes from christ's childhood, and scenes of the life of john the evangelist; the windows of the nave are dominated by scenes from the old testament, including illustrations of from the book of genesis, exodus, joseph, numbers/leviticus, deuteronomy, judges, and so on; and, finally, the last wall shows a series of scenes showing the rediscovery of christ's relics, the miracles they performed, and their relocation to paris in the hands of king louis (fortunately, tourists are provided with a written guide that walks them through each of the windows, explaining the illustrations on each).
after visiting the sainte-chapelle, i did a little more reading about the building. it's actually been under restoration since the late 1970s -- air pollution, nature herself, and the large number of visitors cause damage to the stained glass windows. interestingly, most of the funding for the restoration has been provided by private donors. a national historic monument since 1862, the sainte-chapelle is considered one of the world's most beautiful buildings still standing.
after being draped in such rich history, i decided to walk for a while, allowing myself to relish the almost-indescribable beauty in which i'd just been immersed. i ended up walking by the louvre again, and considered stopping for another tour, but the line was long and i did not want to spend any more of the day waiting; i kept walking. and, i eventually landed here (see below), in this square, where there was a ferris wheel, souvenir shops, and crepe stands -- a carnival, sans large crowds of people.
where the hell am i?
and then it hit me: i'd reached the place i'd been trying to find since my first day of exploring: place de la concorde (concorde square), one of the major public squares in paris -- the eastern end of the champs-élysées. i treated myself to a chocolate covered waffle and continued walking toward the arc de triomphe, one of the most famous monuments in paris (which honors those who fought and died for france in the french revolutionary and napoleonic wars), and the western capstone to the champs-élysées, a boulevard in the 8th arrondissement of paris, 1.9 kilometers long and 70 meters wide, famous for its theatres, cafés, shopping, and the parade that takes place there to celebrate bastille day (july 14). to be honest, i was underwhelmed (to use my friend chris' term) with the champs-élysées -- it felt very american to me, very retail (maybe because i didn't expect to see popular american chains, like KFC and mcdonalds there ...); but the arc, and the view from the arc: worth it.
after exploring the museum, another 46 steps will take you to the top, the terrasse, where you get the most amazing panoramic view of paris.
worth.
every.
stair.
13.5 miles later (that's from the start of the day, not from the arc), i found myself at a café in the neighborhood of st. paul, enjoying my first glass of kir (something i'd heard about earlier in the day from the rick steves podcast), followed by a delightful salmon dinner and another glass of white wine, variety unknown (recommendation from the waiter). sated and happy, i walked the last half mile to the flat, climbed up to the 6th floor, and poured myself another glass of wine (a bordeaux, purchased from a nearby wine cave) to celebrate such a glorious, glorious day (and since i'm a solo traveler, i have to take these ridiculous self-portraits, using a coffee maker (to hold the camera) and the self-timer (resourceful!) to capture myself in the moment).
cheers!
Very nice.
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