the Seine and Notre Dame

Thursday, May 12, 2011: Paris

After leaving the Jardin des Tuilieries, we walked down the Seine towards the Notre Dame while enjoying the rest of Christina's gelato (note - I found out that Christina really likes a half lemon / half strawberry combination). Seriously, the entire walk is complete with amazing view after amazing view; I snapped numerous pictures along the way (which I will not be able to identify of course) to try to capture what we saw, but that doesn't come close to doing the scenery justice.

Upon arriving at Notre Dame, the transition from peaceful, quiet walk along the Seine to crowd explosion is almost overwhelming. Crowd aside, the Notre Dame is in really spectacular condition on the outside and is quite a site to see. We pretended to take a break in order to catch the last few minutes of a tour guide's discussion (in English of course) of the cathedral and renovations which have taken place to restore it to the condition it now resides in. I found it quite interesting to hear how the cathedral went from a church to virtually a warehouse, then the site for Napoleon's coronation as emperor (apparently stealing the show from the Pope), further deterioration, and then renewed popularity upon the completion of another Victor Hugo masterpiece, The Hunchback of Notre Dame.


Ultimately, though, it was incredible how many times it was spared from the wrecking ball (or the pre-industrialization era equivalent - not really sure what that was). Besides the history, we gathered a few great tidbits of advice from our guide (note - this was great, as it was essentially a free tour for us): 1) the line moves fast; and 2) join the line on the right side of the cathedral as the left is for those who want to hike the stairs to the top (we did not do this as this line seemed incredibly long and the guide mentioned that it moves very slowly). Both of his points turned out very accurate and much appreciated.

The inside of the cathedral is very scenic, and really neat to see the expanse and complexity of the construction (as alluded to above, the builders did not have access to sweet cranes). The stained glass is also very impressive. At this point, hunger pangs started to take effect and we moved through the cathedral with the rest of the masses (snapping as many pictures as possible in the low-light conditions that are typically found in such relics/churches). Really, this was a great place to see. 

the Louvre and Jardin des Tuileries - Lou's take

Thursday, May 12, 2011: Paris

On our second day in Paris, Christina and I set out on a big adventure that would take us from our hotel through the Louvre (after a quick metro hop), along the banks of the Seine, through the Notre Dame Cathedral, and into Paris' Latin Quarter for lunch. We topped off the afternoon and evening with further meandering through the streets of Paris and meeting up with Christina's cousin Jenn who hopped a train in from Amsterdam.

The Louvre is quite an intimidating structure (several blocks long!) when you first step off of the Metro and see it. The night before, I read numerous stories about the long lines and crazy wait times to get in, but we entered through the famous (or infamous to some purists) glass pyramid structure and except for a ten to fifteen minute delay at the ticket counter, we got in without issue.

When someone (like myself) gets a hold of a map of the Louvre for the first time, you immediately wonder where to start and whether you can even see half of the exhibits in a full day. Because we only had a few days, we elected to go on an abbreviated tour and hit up the Italian / Spanish exhibits. That took us past the must-see Mona Lisa, and numerous other Da Vinci paintings. The Mona Lisa was great, but as one would expect, difficult to fight the crowds to get a good view. Just outside of that room, though, is a really long hallway with so many other incredible pieces, including several other Da Vinci's that I found just as rewarding as the ML. Overall, the Lourve is a really special place to go and see so many hundreds of years of art and getting a feel for what some of the geniuses of the respective time periods did with their talents (and also seeing the progression of styles over time).

After a few hours at the Louvre, we moved on to the Jardin des Tuileries, which is as described elsewhere herein, is a large, well-landscaped park just to the west of the Louvre. The highlight for us was a large fountain that was full of people (Parisians and tourists) lounging about on tons of chairs. Christina got some gelato and we parked it there and enjoyed some people watching for about 30 minutes (also a well-needed rest for our feet) before heading down the Seine a bit to the Notre Dame cathedral. A couple quick notes - 1) I wonder when people in Paris actually work as it seems everyone loves to hang out and take long lunches; and 2) I cannot give enough credit to the lounge chairs (angled back for maximum chillin') surrounding the fountain.

the Louvre and Jardin des Tuileries

Thursday, May 12, 2011: Paris


This morning, we started with the place we felt would require the most energy: the Louvre. From our research, the Louvre could take as much as two weeks to fully explore. We were set on touring the three-hour version. Numerous friends and family told us to determine what we wanted to see, and just hit the high points. We arrived around 9am, and the crowd was very manageable.

The entrance of the Louvre is the IM Pei pyramid, which when constructed was originally very controversial (it was thought too modern looking for some Louvre traditionalists). It is now the Louvre's most recognizable symbol.

The Louvre is huge - this is a side view from the Seine perspective.

The Nike of Simothrace, which is almost 2,200 years old. Crazy.

The Mona Lisa was behind bullet proof glass. It was by far the most protected of the artwork. Most of the other paintings were not covered and close enough to touch (though protected by alarm sensors). I kept wondering how many times someone sneezed on these paintings.

Even the ceilings were exquisite.

This was an interesting piece - two paintings based on opposing perspectives. I think someting was off with his robe, though.

We exited the Louvre into the Jardin des Tuilieries (Tuileries Gardens), which is located between the Louvre and the Place de la Concorde. The gardens provided a very peaceful and beautiful walk. 

One note - Paris has strict rules against walking on grass in certain areas, which to us generally meant two things: (1) there were a lot of gravel or sand walkways, which in the wind kicked up a lot of dust and had a hey-day with my allergies by the third day; and (2) there were always a large amount of lawn chairs, benches and other places to sit provided to the public. This created a very communal atmosphere around many of the parks, gardens and fountains throughout the city. There often was a smattering of students, families and young people sitting around, talking, reading books, relaxing (shockingly, not on phones or texting) around these beautiful sites. (This was consistent even during work hours - I don't even want to get into our envy of how this fit into their workdays.) The atmosphere felt very relaxed, social and intellectual. We loved the leisurely pace, and it was nice to share the city with locals going about their daily routines, not just tourists.

L’Arc de Triomphe

Wednesday, May 11, 2011: Paris

Since we’re hoping to catch the Arc de Triomphe right at sunset, we start by walking down the Champs-Elysees (and back). The Champs-Elysees has traditionally been a historic symbol of Parisian glamour. It has a huge Louis Vuitton store and Cartier stores. Recently, the street has been overtaken by more mainstream commercial stores, like Virgin Records, Abercrombie and McD’s. This has been a cause of much distress to the many Parisians and has caused many high-end stores to move off the Champs-Elysees. Most of the restaurants here are overpriced and tourist traps, but they are very pretty nonetheless.

The Arc de Triomphe, which was about an 8-minute walk from our hotel, is quite a spectacle. It stands at the center of 12 merging avenues (including the Champs-Elysees). There do not seem to be any regulations around the Arc. Cars merge right, and then go around the Arc until they turn right. Due to the heavy traffic around  the area, those wishing to enter the site generally use an underground underpass.

The Arc de Triomphe was completed in 1836 to honor those who fought in the French revolution and Napoeleonic Wars. Lining the insides of the Arc are names of the military leaders of the French revolution and empire.

The view from the top of the Arc is breathtaking. At street level, there are beautiful well-cared for buildings, in whites and creams, all really well-maintained and preserved on tree-lined cobblestoned streets. From the top of the Arc, we realize how far the buildings extend , and it is reminiscent of urban sprawl.

After the Arc, Louis and I headed home for a very deep sleep. We were exhausted. It felt like we had been in Paris for more than just a day, but it had all been amazing.

Tour d’Eiffel

Wednesday, May 11, 2011: Paris

Next, we take the metro to the Eiffel Tower (le Tour d’Eiffel). Everything in Paris is laid out so beautifully. For such a historic, large city, everything seems beautiful by design, with lawns and parks and huge trees everywhere. The buildings are also limited in height, so there is a feeling of serenity and balance.

The area around the Eiffel Tower is no exception. There are lawns surrounding the perimeter of Paris. On the recommendation of a few friends, we go across the way to the Trocadero, which is across the Seine from the Eiffel Tower. We sat down and just relaxed and enjoyed the view from afar.

Sacre-Coeur

Wednesday, May 11, 2011: Paris

Sacre-Coeur was our first sight. Sacre-Coeur is one of the most beautiful churches in the city and is located on the top of Monmartre. Since it is an operating Catholic Church, it is free to the public.

To get there, we hopped on the metro. (A note that that the metro here is amazing. Paris has got it down.) We take the metro several stops. Per Louis’ planning, we get off a few stops early in order to explore the surrounding area of Monmartre. Since Sacre-Coeur is located at the highest point in the city, Louis plans for us to just keep walking uphill to get there.

Monmartre has a very bohemian feeling. There are a lot of street markets selling handmade jewelry, artists drawing people, artists drawing the scenery, stands serving gelato. It is all very picturesque. In our itinerary for Place de Tertre, Louis had written the notes: “Area of artists – don’t pay for anything; watch for thieves.” Very vigilant.

We roam around the area, and it is very hot. It feels like 85 degrees; we are walking uphill. The streets are pretty steep and the sun is glaring. There are many small shops and sidewalk cafes and local florists lining the streets. There are also many mouth-watering gelato shops.

When we arrive at the Sacre-Coeur, it is beautiful. It is known for being completely white. From the front facing out, there is an extensive view of Paris. Inside, the church is very grand. As we walk along the perimeter inside the church, there are many statues, paintings, and priests giving confession to parishioners (and probably some tourists).

The beautiful Sacre-Coeur Basilica.

View from the front of the church.

Requisite artistic shots.

As we leave, we walk randomly down the streets until we reach a metro stop. On the way, we get a gelato. I got limone and frambola (lime and strawberry in Italian) and Louis got some ice cream. It is heavenly on this hot day, and the start of my daily gelato addiction.

One more note about Monmartre. There is a red light district in the area, which we were lucky enough to see as we boarded the Metro. We didn’t walk through that area, but Louis mentioned next time we will.

My newest obsession.

The Bateau Lavoir, where many artists have historically resided, the most famous of which is Pablo Picasso.