Paris - Day 1

How shall I describe today? Shall I say that Paris absolutely lives up to its reputation as the most beautiful city in the world? Shall I say that the first time I saw a T-Rex in a museum I thought he was smallish, but that the grandeur of Notre Dame left me without words? Yes and yes. It is 10:30 in the evening, and the sky is not yet pitch black. It feels like much earlier, not only because I am jet lagged, but because the sun sticks around to kiss this city for as long as it can before retiring to other places. We have enjoyed a dinner at home of Fromage de Chevre, a quiche, and a glass of Bordeaux. All for the grand total of 8.5 Euro. The food, which is a luxury at home, is a staple here, a local product, and the prices are more than reasonable. I also picked up a chocolate eclaire for dessert, despite having two macroons and a gelato earlier. But then, our apartment is a seventh-floor walk-up and we racked up at least six miles in the heat. I'd say we earned it. After a brief nap, Cathy wisked me off for a walk through our Marais neighborhood in 3rd Arrondissement. Our walk took us to the edge of the Siene River with a view of Notre Dame right across the bridge. Stunning! But, that site was for later. We walked along the side of the river, on the Quais that change names every few blocks. Halfway in, I really felt a sense of Paris when I saw the top third of the Eiffel Tower off in the distance. The heat was in the 80s, much less than Texas, but when you are walking in it and have no air conditioning, it seems hotter. We took frequent breaks, our favorites being outside the Louve. We found an old covered walkway that was probably designed for horse carriages. We wedged ourselves between two cold, marble columns and absorbed its cool comfort for about half an hour. When we got up, we walked in to the back courtyard of the museum, and its architecture took my breath away. Cathy said that I hadn't seen anything yet. We walked through one more covered walkway, and entered the main plaza there I.M. Pei's glass pyramid stands in modern contrast to the exquisite palace that surrounds it. Words fail me, as it was beautiful beyond belief. The care which is given to the statues and the decorations is unparalleled. And that is without having even gone inside to see some of the world's great art treasures! That will be for later in the week. We went over a block to where the guide book said that you could find restrooms, and you could - at a price of .80 Euros. I had heard of it before, but not seen it - the concept of paying for public restrooms. I wonder - where do the homeless go for this essential function? Next to the restroom was a McDonald's, so I bought a bottle of water and a pistacio macroon. It felt wrong on so many levels to buy anything from a McDonald's in Paris, but it was convenient. We crossed the street to the Tuilleries Garden, and then over to the other side of the Siene. Our GPS couldn't keep up with the narrow, cobblestone streets, but after a few circles, we found ourselves at Shakespeare and Company, the famed English bookstore that lets aspiring authors sleep upstairs as they try to make their way in Paris. A few such students were upstairs lounging, one playing an old piano. It was the kind of bookstore that is narrow and cramped, with every possible space taken up by books, old and new. Pure Heaven! Across the Street, we found a church from the 13th century - St. Julian's. We couldn't help buy marvel at its age and wonder about its stories. A few more steps took us back to Notre Dame. The line was still long, so we have decided to wait on the inside for Mass on Sunday. But, a walk around its perimeter is equally impressive, as the carvings, gargoyles, and flying buttresses are more impressive with each step. On the North side of Notre Dame, I had read about a medieval village, home to the famed lovers, Heloise and Abelard. If you don't know their star-crossed story, I suggest you look it up. It involves a convent, a castration, a revenge-bound uncle. It's a true story. Heloise and Abelard are buried in the Pere Lachaise cemetary, so we hope to find them later in the week. We did find the uncle's house on the Rue Chanoinesse and Heloise's home on the Quai aux Fleurs. The streets were utterly deserted, and they had not been found by the tourists. We felt so exclusive. We found a restaurant along the way that had been in business since 1594! Must be good. (And expensive!) We left that island for Ill St. Louis for a gelato, and worked our way back to the Marais. We walked past the GHASTLY Pompedou building, so out of place among such charming buildings, to the Rue de Montmorency to find the home of Nicholas Flamel. Harry Potter fans will recognize him as one of the owners of the Sorcerer's Stone, but he was a real alchemist in the 15th century. The first floor of his home looked like something from Diagon Alley, but the upper stories were modernized. And, by modernized, I mean that they were probably 300 years old. Our weary bones stopped by the grocery store for some necessities (milk and PINK toilet paper), and after seven flights of stairs, our little apartment (the size of my bathroom at home) never looked so good.