Mad touring of the City Proper
Trip Start
Apr 29, 2009
1
5
Trip End
May 04, 2009
Paris, Île-de-France, France
Sunday, May 3, 2009
I send a quick email out to everyone so they know I’m still doing ok and then I take the familiar walk to Gare Montparnasse. Today I’m sticking with the Metro so I work my way down the levels to the trains and pick up 4 line. I exit at the Cité stop and climb out of the station. I come out near a large building that looks like a church, but it is not Notre Dame which is what I am looking for. I gather my wits and get my bearings. This isn’t that nice of an area so I’m tentative about pulling out my map. I do like the old wrought iron work that holds the sign "METROPOLITAN" for the Metro station. I never really thought about Metro being an abbreviation for metropolitan, but now that I have it makes sense.
I work my way over to a main road passing a little street market running parallel to it. I make right and am eventually rewarded with my favorite white and black marker sign. I finally find Notre Dame and it is abuzz with activity. I was thinking that maybe I would attend the International Mass, but it is very crowded and I can’t quite make out the signs. I am looking for the entrance to the towers but instead get swept up in a crowd entering the cathedral. Once inside I see a sign that the entrance to the towers is outside to the left. I can’t find the exit, so I go with the flow of the crowd. Also they are letting people in for service from this main entrance but I decide not to go. There is a little booth that has souvenirs and I think audio tours but I skip it and just move with the crowd.
The tour of the cathedral takes you around the main sanctuary and worship area. There are several areas with the candles that you can pay to light and say prayers for people. There are many statues of saints. We walk past one area and I see the priests preparing for mass. The artistry of the place is magnificent; however, I get quite disturbed by the fact that they are allowing people to tour while mass is going on. Granted the tourists are directed away from the main sanctuary area and for the most part are being reverent , but that many people still make noise. I increase my pace. I no longer want to be part of this. As I finally make my way to the exit, there is yet another souvenir shop. I feel like I’m with Jesus when He over turns the money changers in the temple. I can not understand why this is not located outside the main sanctuary area. And am even more disturb that they are open for sale during mass. It would be one thing if this was just a historical building and not a current functioning congregation. I have to get out now.
I think about skipping the towers, but they are the main reason I came here. And touring the towers won’t disturb the worshippers in the sanctuary. I find the line for the towers and start my wait. There are some street performers and I watch as they interact with some of the other tourists. They one guy is pretty funny and startles quite a few people as he follows them around imitating them. The time in line goes fairly fast and soon I am ascending the spiral staircase. I stop often at the little windows to get fresh air. The humidity in the air and my exertion is stifling. At a landing there is shop. I take a break and look at the stuff in there and the resume my climb. When I think I can go no further, I emerge into the open Paris air.
The view is magnificent and I wish it was not so gray out. Yet I am glad the temperature is considerably cooler than it has been the rest of the week. I cool down pretty quickly from the hike up the staircase. I should have counted them as I went. I finally see the famous gargoyles and chimera. They are incredible. I like how they look out over the city. I see the Eiffel Tower and can even see Sacre Coeur. I have my photo taken and then go to see the big bell. I think of Victor Hugo’s “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” and wonder if I will see Quasimodo. The bell is huge! Another tourist asks if I would like her to take a photo of me with the bell. So I sit in front of it.
I eventually leave the bells and work my way back down to the street. My earlier annoyance has gone and I feel refreshed. I begin my walk over to the Louvre. I cross the Seine and find myself on a lovely street. The side on the river is full of local artisans and their work. The other with small shops and cafes. I pick a café and enjoy a nice lunch. Once again have no issues with my lack of French. The waiter is very pleasant and the food delicious. After my refueling, I continue my walk to the Louvre. I arrive at the back side and see a round fountain. It is so calm here. I continue on to the side with the entrance to the museum.
Since it is the first Sunday of the month there is no entrance fee. I had read that but was concerned that it might be false information. But it is true, so I continue on with my plan. I get in line to enter, and then follow the signs and crowds to the Mona Lisa. Along the way I also see Winged Victory. I finally get close enough to snap a few photos of the famed painting. It is much smaller than I thought and it is of course enclosed behind glass and roped off. I decide that it is way too crowded. I find a quiet spot and pull out the museum map. I decide to check out the French painter section and leave. There were some nice work, but only a few Rousseau paintings and none from Monet or Renoir. Needless to say I am disappointed since Renoir is one of my favorites. Maybe there was a special section for them elsewhere. Or maybe all their works are just housed in other locations throughout the world.
I make my way out of the Louvre back into the cool May day. It has gotten colder and the sky more gray. I need to put on my fleece that I haven’t worn all week. I want to stroll through the Tuileries and play peek a boo with the Eiffel Tower, but the weather is not cooperating. I spot another large round pond structure. I stop, sit on a bench, and watch for awhile as the children play with boats on the water. As the boats come close to the sides of the pond, they push them back towards the middle with sticks. I see vendors who sell or rent the boats. I wonder if anyone has made their own. Their brilliant colors contrast with the grayness.
I work my way to my next metro station. As I am walking it starts to spit raindrops. I duck into a shop and start looking for gifts for folks back home. As I make my purchase, I ask about the metro station and realize that in my desire to avoid the rain I have actually walked past it. Luckily only by a block. I get on my old friend the metro and head over to the Arc de Triomphe. After a long tunnel exit, I am standing outside across the Champs-Elysees for the famous Arc. The cars are racing by like I’ve seen in movies. I discover there is an underground tunnel that goes under the road and emerges at the arc. So back into the tunnels. The entrance to go into the Arc is also accessible down here but I am getting tired and am pretty museumed out at this point. So I decide to skip going inside. I debate going back to my hotel since I am so tired, but decide that I can tough it out. So back on the metro I go and not to Montparnasse but to Montmartre.
I exit the metro in Montmartre and find a whole other Paris than what I have experienced thus far. I have read about the artists who try to convince you to get your portrait done and such. This area definitely also has a more dangerous vibe to it and for the first time in my trip, I am considerably nervous. I quickly find the Moulin Rouge and get my photo snapped in front of it. Jen and I had so much fun watching that movie together, I had to do it. I then start hauling butt to Sacre Coeur. The way I go up the hill is a set of stairs. More stairs. I am definitely getting my workout today. I finally arrive at the church and what an oasis from the rest of Montmartre. There are lots of people. There are some street performers with soccer balls. I go into the church and it is much more relaxed than the morning at Notre Dame.
Totally exhausted I find the nearest metro and head back to my hotel. I decide to eat at a restaurant right by the hotel called “Pizzeria via Maria”. I pick this since Jen and I are regulars at a place called “Maria’s” near work. I’ve seen it every day and I decide I have to try it while in Paris. As I cross the circle to get to the restaurant, I look back towards the hotel and to my delight I see that down the street I can see the Eiffel Tower! Yeah! I pick a pasta dish and the house blush wine for dinner. It did not disappoint and was very reasonably priced.
I head back to my hotel to finish packing and to rest. I go home tomorrow. I have one more thing to do in Paris though. Around 10pm, I head downstairs and out the side doors. I arrive just in time to see the Eiffel Tower do its sparkle light display before going into its lighting pattern. I smile to myself. My Paris visit is now complete.
