Paris – A Traveling Fool

May 30, 2025

April in Paris: The Musée d’Orsay

Prior to the trip to Paris, I checked out which venues needed a reservation and which I could just purchase a ticket for when I got there. Although reservations weren’t needed for the Musée d’Orsay, I remembered that the last couple times I had been there was a very long and slow line to purchase tickets. Those who already had tickets went right in. So tickets were purchased for me and my friends.

I also booked the Paris Big Bus Hop On Hop Off 48 Hour pass with optional River Cruise on the Seine. Although we could have simply walked through the Tuileries gardens and crossed the river to get to the museum (which was how I had gotten there in the past), I had originally planned to visit the Conciergerie and Sainte Chapelle on Day 1 of using the Hop On Hop Off pass. But Sainte Chapelle required a timed reservation and didn’t have four open slots for the day I planned to go there. So I switched a couple things around and we ended up going to the Musée d’Orsay instead.

We exchanged our vouchers for tickets at the Big Bus office on the Avenue de l’Opera, hopped on the double-decker bus and sat through the next two stops. The first stop was at the Louvre. The second stop was just across the Seine from Notre Dame.

It was nearly 10am when we passed Notre Dame and the crowd was gargantuan. The line to get in was all the way out to the sidewalk behind the Parvis and around the block from there. Those folks were not going to get inside for hours. This was the Thursday before Easter.

The next stop was right across the street from the Musée d’Orsay. The photo I have included here doesn’t look like there was a large crowd, but appearances can be deceiving. The lines near me when I took the photo were all for people like us who had purchased tickets in advance. As you can see, they were nearly empty. The crowd you can see at the back of the photo was of those without advance tickets.

We zipped on through the line to which we were assigned and got right in. Still didn’t seem too crowded inside until we got to the fifth floor. It was packed. So packed that moving around was awkward and being able to actually see the art a challenge. Looking back, I think going Holy Week was the issue. It appeared that a lot of families had school holiday that week and decided that Paris was the place to be.

I still managed to get some decent photos of some of the art. Although my size (lack thereof) makes it difficult to see over people, it does allow me to fairly easily slip in and out from around them. I could slip in, grab a quick photo, and slip out again. Not very conducive to standing and contemplating however. As an Impressionistic-style artist myself, I like to study the brush strokes of the originals. Didn’t quite get to do that this time.

And sitting? All available benches for seated contemplation were covered with swarms of children. They were camped out for the day, playing with their phones, and not moving for anything.

I made sure that I had the Van Gogh paintings covered (we circled that room twice). But I am certain that I missed some of my other favorites entirely – especially a couple of the Degas ballerina paintings, plus some of the Monets, Sisleys, Pissaros and Renoirs.

We were trying not to lose each other while endeavoring to find our favorite painters. Except for a couple of times when I went in for a stealthy photo attack, my one friend kept a hand on me so I wouldn’t disappear entirely.

When we got to the area where one of the clocks from the original railway station that had been converted into the museum was located, the crowds were considerably thinner. The floors other than the fifth (which contained most of the Impressionists and Post-Impressionists), were decidedly less packed full of people. In fact, the last two photos I took ended up being pretty much void of people.

The Degas sculpture shown here is one that I have a much smaller version of at home. Several of the paintings were among those of which I had painted my own versions, such as Monet’s Woman With a Parasol on the right of the two shown, Manet’s Peonies, and the first Degas painting shown. I have started the Van Gogh Starry Night On the Rhone, but it is not completely finished.

Once we viewed what we wanted to see on the other floors, we chose to have some lunch there in the museum. There were two cafés and a restaurant from which to choose. We picked one and settled in for a leisurely lunch before heading out to our next location. Since we had had a very full day the previous day and a full morning, we decided to change up a bit for the afternoon and do the river cruise then instead of saving it for the following day.

When we hopped back on the bus, we rode around until we reached the Eiffel Tower. Then we hopped off and got in line for the opportunity to glide along the Seine watching the city of Paris go by.

Next time –Boat Ride on the Seine

May 23, 2025

April in Paris: The Musée National du Moyen Age (Musée de Cluny)

Just a few short blocks from the Church of Saint-Séverin, is a museum I have long wanted to visit. This is the Musée du Moyen Age or the Musée de Cluny. The land upon which the museum now stands was central to the Roman city of Lutetia. A complex of cold, partially-heated and fully-heated rooms for bathing as well as outdoor areas for exercising was built in the 1^st century at this location and was in use for about two centuries.

The Cluny mansion was built in the 15^th century next to the largest remaining structure of the Roman Bath, the Frigidarium. The Cluny is the only surviving private mansion in Paris featuring a courtyard in the front and a garden in the back. It was built in what is known as the flamboyant Gothic style.

In 1843, the museum was founded using the collection of the mansion’s then owner, Alexandre Du Sommerard (1779-1842). In the 19^th century a building was constructed to link the antique thermal baths with the medieval mansion and, in the 21^st century, a new building was built to be a Visitor’s Center.

Once you buy your ticket, you are given a map of the building. The self-guided tour begins in the Frigidarium. My oh my, but this is an impressive building. I have seen many a Roman bath all over Europe and the Middle East. But they are usually archaeological excavations. This room is completely intact. It has walls and a roof. It no longer has its painted frescoes. But here and there remain traces of what once was. I did not anticipate the size of it. The ceiling soars to over 14 metres in height (over 46 feet) and the dimensions of the room are enormous.

One of the two important pieces displayed in the Frigidarium is the Pillar of the Boatmen, which was discovered beneath the Parvis in front of Notre Dame de Paris and moved here. The pieces of that pillar were created in the 1^st century. The other is the Saint Landry Pillar, which dates from the 2^nd century. They are right next to each other. I have included a photo here with the Saint Landry Pillar on the right and some fragments of the Pillar of the Boatmen on the left.

From here the tour continues in chronological order, starting in the early Middle Ages. Room 2 includes the votive Visigoth crowns from the Treasure of Guarrazar. Room 3 holds the Capitals from Saint-Germain-des-Pres, which were damaged during the French Revolution. Room 4 consists of the portal of the Virgin also from Saint-Germain-des-Pres.

During the French Revolution, the heads of the statues on the western front of the exterior of Notre Dame de Paris were lopped off. This was because the people who did the beheading mistakenly thought that the statues were of the Kings of France. They were actually of the Kings of Judah. After the Revolution, the statues on the cathedral were given new heads. The damaged originals were not discovered until 1977 and were given to the Cluny. They are displayed in Room 5 along with the statue of Adam, who used to stand just inside of the south entrance of Notre Dame with Eve (who is missing).

Room 6 contains several examples of medieval Limoges Enamel. It also has what has been referred to as the Treasure of the Three Kings. These items date from the 12^th century and therefore have no connection to the Magi (which would have been 1^st century). Whoever did own these objects would have been quite wealthy.

We sort of zipped through Room 7 (with items from other parts of France around 1200) and headed straight for Room 8. This room held several items from Sainte Chapelle, which had been removed and/or damaged during the Revolution. There were three very well preserved apostles plus some other more fragmentary statuary and some panels of stained glass windows. All date from the 13^th century.

Unfortunately, ignorance and violence often go hand in hand, destroying people, buildings, tombs, books and art. During the French Revolution, not only were statues and windows destroyed in the churches, chapels and cathedrals but, in some cases the entire building. This happened with the church of Saint-Louis-de-Poissy.

This was the priory church of the monastery of Poissy which King Philip IV (also known as Philip the Fair) founded in honor of his grandfather, King Louis IX, who was canonized in 1297. The monastery was located directly opposite the church in which Saint Louis was baptized. The angels on display here in Room 9 are 13^th century and pretty much all that remain from that church.

The following Room 10, contains art in France during the reign of Philip the Fair and his sons. This includes an intricately carved ivory case (or casket) titled “Attack on the Castle of Love”, created in the 14^th century.

The stairs to go up to the 1^st floor were blocked off. Rooms 11 through 16 were closed. These were all in the 15^th century portion of the building. It wasn’t possible to view, much less go into, the courtyard either. I was very disappointed as the building itself had as much interest for me as the art it contained. Room 16 was the chapel and was still decorated as such. Instead we needed to retrace our steps back all the way through Room 2 to get an elevator to rooms 17 through 21. We would end up seeing these rooms backwards. For continuity I am talking about them in the correct chronological order.

Room 17 included the Cross of Pietro Vannini. He was an Italian goldsmith who created the unusual bi-face cross in the 15^th century. Although my photo doesn’t quite convey it, the cross is quite stunning on both sides. From Room 17, we could also look down into Room 3 with the Capitals from Saint-Germain-des-Pres.

Room 17 encircled Room 18, which held what they referred to as “arts of combat”. I have a small collection of a few swords, daggers, plus a pistol or two (flint lock) and have a fascination with antique arms and armor. Whenever I am in a place that has historic weaponry, I always check it out. Such items tend to bring history to life. Rooms 19a, 19b and 19c were dedicated to daily life.

Then came Room 20. This room held the six The Lady and the Unicorn tapestries. Five are dedicated to the senses touch, taste, smell, hearing and sight. The sixth tapestry is titled “To my only desire”.

I have a large needlepoint version of the tapestry dedicated to the sense of smell. It is unfinished as of yet. The originals date from roughly 1500 and are quite intricate. They had nice cushioned benches in the center of the room so we could sit down and gaze upon them all. I have included a photo of the room which shows how they are displayed and gives a decent indication of their size.

The last room contained religious furnishings from north of the Alps in the late Middle Ages. It was a very large room filled with a lot of interesting stuff. One item of interest was a group of stalls from Saint-Lucien-de-Beauvais Abbey. They were commissioned in 1492. The monks and canons, who had to stand for most of the services, were able to lean back on the small ledges on the underside of the folding seats to ease their legs. The ledges are called misericords, or mercy seats, because rest was considered to be a great mercy granted by God.

Some of the tapestries of the story of Saint Etienne (Saint Stephen) hang on the wall above the stalls. From his election to the deacons to his burial in Rome, the story of St Etienne’s life is recounted in great detail and annotated with captions for each scene.

Once we had seen everything we could see, we looked at each other and said, “taxi”. We had walked from the hotel to Notre Dame. Then visited the Archaeological Crypt, had lunch, visited the Square René Viviani and Saint Julien le Pauvre, then the Church of Saint-Séverin, and finally the Musée Cluny. None of us relished the idea of walking all the way back to the hotel. So we walked over to the Boulevard Saint Michel (Saint Michael) and up to the corner of that street and Boulevard Saint Germain and hailed a cab.

Back at the hotel, we rested up a bit and dressed up for dinner. We ate at the very nice French restaurant in the hotel. For my main course, I had a Seafood Salad, which consisted of Scottish smoked salmon, shrimp, avocado, and citrus fruits on a bed of greens. For starters, I had Chestnut Soup. We all had wine with dinner.

Next time –Musée d’Orsay

May 16, 2025

April in Paris: The Archaeological Crypt Plus Two Old and Diverse Churches

The entrance to the Archaeological Crypt was right behind the bleachers upon which we sat to take photos of the exterior of the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris. This was at the western end of what is officially known as Parvis Notre Dame – Place Jean Paul II.

The current level of the Parvis is roughly 4 to 5 meters (approximately 13 to 16 feet) higher than the ancient ground level. The current riverbank of the Seine has also moved roughly 50 meters (approximately 164 feet) to the south of the original. That means that the ancient riverbank was essentially in the middle of the current square.

Workers in 1842 discovered the original western steps of Notre Dame, which had ended up under several centuries of repaving. Then, in 1847, the foundations of the Roman wall and of the cathedral of Saint Etienne were found during further excavations.

In 1965, while excavating for a new underground parking garage, even more ancient foundations were discovered. The plans for the parking garage were modified and the site was opened to the public in 1980. I have included a photo of the actual Roman Port with a video behind it to indicate what the port would have looked like back when it was being used. I also have a photo of the steps down to the port.

Then there are the remains of the 4^th century Roman hot baths. The under-floor heating system is still visible. There are also some of the items that have been unearthed during the excavations, such as weapons, tools, and portions of sculptures. There was one sculpted face that I captured because I found it quite interesting. Couldn’t find any information about what it was, however. It seems like it could be a more modern piece of art included in the display.

One of the major sculptures discovered here is called The Pillar of the Boatman and is on display in the Roman frigidarium at the Musee National du Moyen Age (also known as the Musee Cluny). The next post will be about our visit to that museum.

By this time, we needed a lunch break. We headed across the Seine to the Latin Quarter on the Left Bank. Just on the other side of the bridge was a café I had visited four years earlier while in Paris on the Avalon Waterways Grand France River Cruise. One of our number remained to take ownership of our table once we could be seated. The rest of us headed downstairs to the restrooms in the cellar.

After lunch (I had a Croque Monsieur and some fresh-squeezed orange juice) we made our way through the Square René Viviani to visit the Eglise Saint-Julien-le-Pauvre. When the original 6^th century Church of St. Julien existed, the area that became a square in 1909 had been a cemetery. During the 19^th century some Merovingian-era graves and tombs had been found near the walls of the current Saint-Julien-le-Pauvre.

A rather odd-looking and modern fountain was erected in the square in 1995. It is known as the Saint Julien fountain and is meant to represent the legend of Saint Julien the Hospitaller, which involves a curse by witches, a talking deer, a case of mistaken identity, a horrific crime, several improbable coincidences, and a supernatural intervention. It was a popular tale back in the Middle Ages.

In addition to containing pieces of several sculptures that had once stood on portions of Notre Dame de Paris (and had been discarded during past renovations), the Square is also known for being the location of the oldest tree in Paris. It was planted back in 1601 from a Locust tree seed brought back from the Appalachian Mountains in the U.S. It is supported by a couple of concrete crutches and continues to bloom every year. It is just outside of Saint-Julien-le-Pauvre.

The 6^th century version of this church was torn down and rebuilt at roughly the same time as Notre Dame was being built. It was begun in the Romanesque style, but is mostly Gothic. It was begun between 1165 and 1170 upon the foundations of the older church. It is referred to as the “oldest church in Paris” (it was begun after Notre Dame but completed well before it). Of the city’s 12^th century churches (Saint Germain des Pres was outside of the city when it was built), it is the only one that has survived.

Like most religious and/or royal structures, it too was treated poorly during the French Revolution and used as a storage depot for salt. In the 19^th century, the church was restored and then assigned to the Melkite Greek Catholic Church. Since this group is adverse to sculptural decoration, there is just one statue remaining inside. It is a 17^th century carved wooden statue of the Virgin Mary and Child. The Melkite Greek Catholic Church does favor icons and so the walls of the two side aisles have several icons displayed on them.

It did not take long to see the entire church as it was quite small. Since a lovely 15^th church was close by along a pedestrian-only street, we headed there next to see a church that was quite different in size and style from this small gem.

The Church of Saint-Séverin was originally constructed in 1230. After a fire in 1448 during the Hundred Years’ War, it was rebuilt and enlarged in the 15^th to 17^th centuries. Parts of the original church still exist however. The lower portion of the bell tower remains as do other bits and pieces throughout. The portal is actually from another, earlier church and the nave was built in two different styles and eras — High Gothic (13^th century) and Flamboyant (15^th century). The stained-glass windows come from many different centuries and are in many different styles. Although it is a bit of a hodge podge, it all works together quite harmoniously.

The church was named after Saint Séverin of Paris. He lived on the site of the present church in the 6^th century. One of his pupils was Clodoald (Saint Cloud). After Saint Séverin’s death, a chapel was erected on the site of his cell. This was destroyed during the Norman invasions in the 9^th century and rebuilt in the 11^th century.

After the University of Paris (now the Sorbonne) was founded in 1215, Saint Séverin became its parish church. This necessitated a much larger building which was begun in 1230.

During the French Revolution, the church was closed and used to store gunpowder. Later it was used for storing grain and church bells (which were being melted down to make cannons). Ironically, one of the oldest church bells in Paris, cast in 1412, is located at Saint Séverin.

A very distinctive feature of the apse behind the altar is the twisting central pillar and surrounding pillars that resemble stone palm trees. The branches reach up and spread into an intricate web of vaulting. The central pillar is illuminated and is quite striking.

This was another place where we sat and drank it all in for a while. Then we headed for the Musee National du Moyen Age, also known as the Musee Cluny.

Next time –Musee Cluny (Musee National du Moyen Age)

May 9, 2025

April in Paris: The Beautifully Restored Notre Dame

Once Notre Dame was open again to visitors, they were requesting that all visitors book a reservation on their website. The reservation could only be booked a day or two ahead of when we planned to visit. I kept my eye on the website in case they decided to expand the time in which a reservation could be booked. Then they decided to suspend all reservations for the Holy Week. Since that was the week we would be in Paris, we were left with the possibility of either having several hours to stand in line, or possibly not even getting in.

A French friend of mine had just been in Paris in December to visit his family and told me that the trick was to get there early in the day – as early as possible after they opened. On the day we planned to go, they were going to be open to tourists from 8am to 1:30pm. After that they would be closed to tourists to accommodate a special service. We decided we would get there by 8am.

The hotel breakfast began serving at 6:45am. We were at the restaurant when they opened. There were many items from which to choose, but we all went for a fairly light breakfast since we were walking from the hotel to Notre Dame.

Heading out from the hotel, we took a shortcut through the Louvre grounds and then walked along the river until we got to the Pont Neuf. We crossed that bridge onto the Ile de Cite and headed straight to Notre Dame. The walk had taken about 30 minutes.

It is said that a Gallic (Parisii) settlement, called Lutetia most likely existed on the Ile de City since at least the 3^rd century BC. In 53 BC, Julius Caesar traveled to Lutetia to meet with the tribal leaders, who agreed to submit to Rome. They then rebelled and were eventually defeated in battle.

After the conquest of the Parisii, the town developed mainly on the Left Bank, where the temples and baths were located. By about the 3^rd century AD, the left bank was sacked by Germanic tribes and largely abandoned. Around the mid-3^rd century, the Roman Governor had his palace on the western end of the island, near the present Palais de Justice. This was the area where we entered the island.

In 486, Clovis I, the first King of the Franks, met with Saint Genevieve about the submission of Paris. In 508, Clovis made Paris his capital. It is believed that a Gallo-Roman temple dedicated to Jupiter once stood on the site of Notre Dame.

The first cathedral of Paris, Saint Etienne, was constructed in 540 – 545, close to the west front of the present Notre Dame de Paris. The bishop of Paris, Maurice de Sully, decided in 1160 to demolish Saint Etienne and build a much larger cathedral. The area of the demolished cathedral would act as the construction site for the new cathedral. This same area (called the Parvis) was also used as the construction site for the restoration after the 2019 fire. The new cathedral would be dedicated to the Virgin Mary (“Our Lady” or “Notre Dame”).

Construction began in 1163 and was mostly completed by 1260. In the 13^th century the flying buttresses were added. The crown of thorns, a piece of the true cross, and a nail from the cross were housed in Notre Dame while Sainte-Chapelle was being built by King Louis IX (later Saint Louis). At some point, these items were returned to Notre Dame on a permanent basis.

During the French Revolution, the cathedral sustained major desecration. Then Napoleon’s coronation was held there.

Victor Hugo wrote The Hunchback of Notre Dame largely as an effort to create interest and lead to its restoration in the 19^th century. In 2019 a large fire threatened to destroy Notre Dame, but it survived. When I was last in Paris, in 2021, the building was completely covered in scaffolding and in the process of being stabilized and restored.

Each time I have visited Paris, I have included a visit to Notre Dame. It was always so dark inside. This time, it was bright and gorgeous. The beautiful altar had survived. The statue of Our Lady, and of Joan of Arc, and of various saints in their chapels had either survived intact or had been restored. The Rose Windows were still magnificent.

I momentarily held my breath while our bags were searched before we were let into the cathedral. But once we were through the doors, I let out a sigh of relief. My friends and I looked at each other as if we couldn’t quite believe we were there. I began taking photos with both my phone and my camera – 59 of Notre Dame in all (55 that I kept as four were badly out of focus)) and 24 that I am sharing in this post.

The traffic inside of the cathedral was essentially directed to the left. At this point in the day, the crowd wasn’t overwhelming. It wasn’t a problem to go at our own pace and to just sit down whenever we needed to do so to contemplate it all. We stopped. We examined. We remarked to each other. We were in awe.

I was noticing things I had never noticed before – perhaps because I had felt rushed in the past or because it was so much easier to see everything now. For instance, I don’t remember ever seeing the details of the choir screen before or seeing the effigy of a medieval bishop behind the altar. This is the only remaining medieval funerary sculpture still in existence in Notre Dame.

Once we got around the back of the altar, we found that we could actually go into the area directly in front of the altar for prayer only (no photos or conversations). We chose to do that and so stood in line briefly as others came out so we could go in. This was when I really felt overwhelmed and the tears came. Although I had not been raised Catholic, my companions had been and were also quite moved by the experience.

By the time we left Notre Dame, it was nearly 10am. The lines were now quite long and the Parvis had considerably more people moving about on it than when we had gone in. Stadium-like seating bleachers had been built down at the western end of the Parvis to allow people to sit and watch the restoration efforts. We went and sat there for a bit and took some more photos before heading for the Archeological Crypt right behind where we were seated.

Next time – The Archeological Crypt, Two Old and Diverse Churches and the Musee Cluny

May 2, 2025

April in Paris: Arrival

I was meeting up with some friends in Paris. I knew I would be arriving several hours ahead of them, so I planned a walk from the hotel (which was near the Louvre) to L’Eglise Saint Roch, Opera Garnier, Chapelle Expiatore, La Madelaine, Place de la Concorde, and back to the hotel. They were going to text me once they arrived and we would meet up wherever I was along the planned route.

Notre Dame had opened up to the public in early December and was, by all accounts, spectacular. We all wanted to see it as well as spend some time together. So a short trip was planned and booked at the beginning of February.

My flight arrived at Charles de Gaule airport from the US at 7am. The others were coming by train and would arrive around 2pm. I had travelled fairly light and had just one carryon and the bag that I would be using for my camera, etc. while on the trip (I had stuffed my travel purse inside of that when boarding the flight).

I figured that I would be at the hotel about 9am. Time for breakfast and then head out exploring. Wrong. It took me an hour just to get to the area where I would go through customs as well as the actual going through customs. I connected with my pre-arranged transportation at pretty much 8am on the dot. It took roughly two hours to get to the hotel. The good news what that the room was ready for me. The bad news was that breakfast was only served until 10:30am, so none for me that day. I immediately reversed my planned agenda.

I unpacked and got things settled in the room, then headed out. I would bypass Place de la Concorde (I had seen it many times on many other trips to Paris) and head straight for La Madeleine (which I had never been to before). After La Madelaine, I would get some lunch.

Originally planned by King Louis XV as the focal point of the new Rue Royal which led to what is now the Place de la Concorde, its building was halted by the French Revolution in 1789. Once Napoleon Bonaparte became Emperor in 1804, he decided (in 1806) to make it into a “temple to the glory of the Grand Army”. After his fall in 1814, the new King, Louis XVIII, resumed construction on what he figured should be an Expiatory chapel for the sins of the Revolution and the execution of Louis XVI. That idea was dropped and it was instead dedicated to Mary Magdalene. Chopin’s funeral was held there, as were the funerals of Coco Chanel and Josephine Baker, among others.

The exterior resembles a Greek Temple. It also has some gargantuan bronze doors which were fortunately open. I thought the interior was quite beautiful and well worth visiting. The fresco on the dome above the altar was called The History of Christianity. Just behind the altar was a monumental sculpture called The Ecstasy of Mary Magdalene. I was there the Tuesday before Easter. This was the Mary who had witnessed both the crucifixion and the resurrection.

Another couple of sculptures that I really liked were one of Joan of Arc and one called The Baptism of Christ. I took my time and then headed to a nearby café for a light lunch.

When King Louis XVI was executed in 1793, his body was taken to the Old Church of Saint Madelaine (now the site of the Chapelle Expiatoire) and buried there in its cemetery without much ceremony. In 1815, his and Marie Antoinette’s bodies were moved to a new tomb in the Basilica of Saint-Denis. Then, in 1816 the Chapelle Expiatoire began construction at the orders of King Louis XVIII.

The chapel wasn’t open, so I could only see the outside of it. The courtyard of the chapel is lined with symbolic tombs to the Swiss Guards who were executed along with the king.

From there, I walked over to the Opera Garnier, which I have visited in the past. It had some construction going on, so the façade was covered up. It was closed to tours as well. The gift shop was open, but I didn’t see anything I couldn’t live without. So, after resting for a bit on its steps along with a number of other people, I headed down the Avenue de l’Opera.

Turning at Rue Saint Roch, I worked my way down to the church by that name. That was when I got the text that my friends were at the hotel. I responded with the directions to Saint Roch and met them there.

In the time of Joan of Arc, it is said that she placed a cannon on a hill where Saint Roch now sits and shot it towards the Paris gate of Saint Honore. The English and Burgundians were in control of the city at the time (1429) and King Charles VII had been crowned not that long before. During the assault, Joan was wounded in the thigh by a crossbow bolt and her efforts failed. The location of the gate was roughly where 161-163 Rue Saint Honore is located today. There is a plaque on the side of the building there.

The first stone was laid in 1653 to build Saint Roch. It was built on and off over time for about a hundred years. On the 5^th of October in 1795 a large force of royalist soldiers occupied the street and the front steps of the church. In what is known as the 13 Vendemiaire, these troops were confronted by the young Napoleon Bonaparte and his artillery battery. They cleared the steps and secured the street. So began Napoleon’s quick rise to power. The marks of the artillery fire can still be seen on the front of the church.

One of the chapels that I really like is the one dedicated to the French Jews who were killed during the Holocaust. It is quite touching and contains the inscription, “Mon Dieu faites de moi un instrument de votre paix,” which translates to, “God make me an instrument of your peace.”

Tombs and memorials include Yves Saint-Laurent, Marie Anne de Bourbon (daughter of Louis XIV), Cesar de Vendome, and Jean-Honore Fragonard. The Marquis de Sade, and the Maquis de Lafayette were among those married at Saint Roch.

Not far from Saint Roch is a café that I have frequented often in the past. We had our dinner there, looking out at a gold statue of Joan of Arc standing on a little traffic island in the middle of a broad street. Although I had had a light lunch, I still wasn’t especially hungry, so I ordered Oeufs Poches Bio Florentine avec Crème Citron et un milkshake au chocolat (poached eggs, spinach and lemon cream with a chocolate milkshake). My lack of sleep on the plane the previous night was catching up to me. For some reason, my mind just wasn’t remembering that the French for a chocolate milkshake was simply “milkshake au chocolat”. Fortunately one of my friends, who speaks French better than I, helped me out (while laughing).

Back at the hotel, we decided that a nightcap would be a good idea (our rooms were on the same floor, so they could steer me to the right place). The bartender created a drink that involved Champagne, Chambord (a French raspberry liquor), lemon juice, and some crushed, fresh mint. Perfect.

Next time – The beautifully restored Notre Dame

October 2, 2022

Grand France River Cruise – Notre Dame de Paris

This trip was the first that I have taken to Paris without spending any time inside of Notre Dame de Paris. It and Westminster Abbey in London are my favorite cathedrals. They are both very old, very large, and very historic.

It is believed that there have been religious structures of various sorts and sizes on the site of Notre Dame almost since the Parissii first inhabited the Île de la Cité in the 3^rd century BC. In 1710, the Pillar of the Boatman, which was part of a Gallo-Roman temple to Jupiter, was discovered beneath the cathedral. The remains of an early Christian church, the Cathedral of Saint Etienne, built in the 4^th or 5th century AD has also been discovered.

In 1160, the buildings on the site of where Notre Dame is now were all demolished so a new, much larger cathedral could be built in the Gothic style. Construction began in 1163 and lasted until 1345, though there have always been additions and adjustments made throughout its existence. Analysis of the vault stones that fell during the 2019 fire indicated that they were quarried in Vexin, which is northwest of Paris.

The choir was completed in 1177 and the high altar was consecrated in 1182 as part of Phase One. Phase Two involved the four sections of the nave behind the choir. This lasted from 1182 to 1190. Building of the west façade began in 1190.

Although the flying buttresses were replaced by larger and stronger ones in the 14^th century, they were originally created in the 13^th century and are now considered (because of scans showing that the upper part of the building hasn’t moved at all for the past 800 years) to have been part of the original design. This was a new innovation at the time to allow the buttresses themselves to carry the weight of the walls. The walls could then be taller and thinner, with more windows.

During the French Revolution, the statues along the West façade of biblical kings were mistaken for French kings and beheaded. Many of the original heads are now inside of the Musee de Cluny. After the Napoleonic Wars, the cathedral was in such bad condition that its demolition was being considered. Author Victor Hugo (who also wrote Les Miserables) wrote The Hunchback of Notre Dame in order to save it.

During the Paris Commune of 1871, the cathedral was threatened again. The Communards had the furniture piled up to set on fire when they realized that burning Notre Dame would also destroy the hospital next door. Fortunately World War II only created some minor damage from stray bullets.

On April 15, 2019, a fire broke out in the attic of the cathedral which ended up destroying the spire and the forest of oak beams supporting the roof. The stone vaulting in the ceiling ended up with several holes, but did not collapse.

The stabilization of the building was completed at the time of my visit in September of 2021. So the photos of all of the scaffolding and bracing that I took was erected to prevent any further deterioration and keep things safe for the teams that would be involved in the reconstruction.

Prior to the completion of the Eiffel Tower in 1889, the two towers of Notre Dame at the western façade were the tallest structures in Paris. They currently contain the ten (originally fourteen) bells of the cathedral. Some smaller bells in a carillon in the spire and in the roof were destroyed in the fire. Although the fire threatened the towers, the firefighters were able to protect and save them from destruction.

The copper statues surrounding the spire had been removed a few days before the fire. The weathervane at the top of the spire, which contained a tiny piece of the Crown of Thorns plus relics of Saint Denis and Saint Genevieve fell when the spire fell. It was recovered with the relics intact in the rubble shortly after the fire.

The gargoyles are the rain spouts. The other creatures that decorate the building are called “grotesques”. Several of them are chimera, a mythical creature with the head of a goat and the body of a lion. They seem to mostly be in pretty good shape.

The three rose windows sustained damage, but are essentially intact. Just one needs to be dismantled and stabilized.

The first clocks in the cathedral were clepsydras, which were used to tell the hours, marked by striking bells. In 1766, these were replaced by a mechanical clock which was located at the north portal. In roughly 1812, the clock and its bells were moved to the north tower.

A new clock made in 1867 was located in the forest underneath the central spire. It was destroyed by the fire. A nearly identical movement has been located at another church that will be used as a model for creating a new clock for Notre Dame de Paris.

The paved area in front of the western façade is called the Place du Parvis Notre Dame. Originally Notre Dame would have been somewhat hemmed in by other buildings. So the parvis was created to provide more majestic sightlines to the main entrance of the cathedral.

Over the centuries, the square has been greatly enlarged. A statue of Charlemagne was installed on the south side of the square in 1882 and the point zéro medallion was installed in 1924. This marker was used as a starting point for measuring distance on the National Route system in France.

Since the 2019 fire, the eastern half of the square has been closed off to be used as working space by the restoration team. In addition to Charlemagne, a statue of the Virgin and Child was also located near the parvis at the time of my visit. It was one of thirty seven representations of Notre Dame that were part of the cathedral. I don’t remember ever seeing it before, so it could have just been temporarily outside of the cathedral.

In 1965, excavation work began to create an underground parking facility under the parvis. This was when many ancient foundations, some going back to Roman times, were discovered. So the Archaeological Crypt was created beneath the parvis. Normally this is open to the public, but was not while I was there.

Next time – Thoughts while on trip about experiences, learning new things, family history and a general knowledge of the history of a place.

September 14, 2022

Grand France River Cruise – Paris Louvre & Île de la Cité

Paris is one of my very favorite cities. I think it is for a lot of people. The history, the culture, the food, the art – so much to do and see. Or, just hang out at one of the sidewalk cafes and let Paris parade by.

I am separating a post on just Notre Dame Cathedral from this one on the rest of my visit to Paris partially because of all of the photos I took of the cathedral. That post follows this one.

The included morning excursion on our full day in the city was a choice between a coach trip of the entire city of Paris, or a walking tour of part of Paris. Since I had been to Paris a few times before, I chose the walking tour. It was to take place mainly on the Île de la Cité, which was the location of the origins of Paris.

A Celtic tribe called the Parissii inhabited what eventually became the Île de la Cité starting in the middle of the 3^rd century BC. In 52 BC, the Romans settled on Paris’ Left Bank and called their settlement Lutetia. Eventually Lutetia joined with the Île de la Cité becoming Parisius and then Paris.

During the 12^th century AD, the royal residence was located at the western end of the Île de la Cité and Notre Dame Cathedral was being constructed at its eastern end. As the marshland on the Right Bank began to fill in, the city expanded in that direction. At this time the medieval Louvre fortress was extended to defend the city on the far west of the Right Bank.

Our ship was docked by the Eiffel Tower, so we were piled onto a motorcoach and driven to the Louvre, from where we would begin our tour. On the way to the Louvre, we could see the Musee d’Orsay on the other side of the Seine.

Remnants of the original medieval building of the Louvre can still be seen in the crypt of the current building. We would not be going inside though. It can take an entire day just to explore the Louvre. My mom and I had done so on a couple of previous trips.

In the 14^th century, the Louvre was converted from a fortress to a royal residence and began to be rebuilt in the 16^th century in the French Renaissance style. But in the 17^th century, the court was moved to Versailles and building at the Louvre was stopped.

The Louvre had started to house works of art during the 16^th and 17^th centuries. By the middle of the 18^th century, a public gallery began to be planned. By 1776, the Grande Galerie of the Louvre was being converted, but remained incomplete until the French Revolution.

We entered the Cour Carree through the portion of the Louvre known as the Sully Wing. This is the oldest part of the building. When I had been in the museum in 2000, there was a wonderful Rembrandt exhibit up on the 1^st floor. The Venus de Milo usually hangs out on the ground floor.

We then passed through the Pavillon de l’Horloge into the Cour Napoleon where we could see the glass Pyramid that was used as the main entrance. In the Cour Napoleon (named after Napoleon III who greatly enlarged the museum), we not only checked out the Pei Pyramid, but also the Carrousel de Louvre and an equestrienne statue of Louis XIV.

The Carrousel was a much smaller version of the Arc de Triomphe and once had the horses from Saint Mark’s Basilica in Venice at the top. Napoleon Bonaparte stole them from there. But they had been stolen from the Hippodrome in Istanbul (then Constantinople) many centuries earlier.

In addition to the Sully Wing, the other two main wings are the Denon Wing (home of both the Winged Victory and the Mona Lisa) and the Richellieu Wing (chock full of loads of cool stuff, including the rooms used by Napoleon III).

When leaving out through the Cour Carree again, we encountered a heavily-scaffolded Church of Saint-Germain-l’Auxerrois. It also had the sun behind it. So a decent photo wasn’t possible. It had been originally built in the 5th century to commemorate a meeting of Saint-Germain-l’Auxerrois with Saint Genevieve (the future patron saint of Paris) on the spot where it is said the meeting took place. Over the centuries it has been enlarged and rebuilt several times. Since the fire at Notre Dame Cathedral, it temporarily held the services that had been conducted at Notre Dame.

We headed over to the Île de la Cité where we would have visited the Conciergerie and Sainte-Chapelle Cathedral. But there was a very big trial going on which meant that both of those buildings and much of the island were off limits. The trial of 20 men accused in the coordinated attacks on Paris (on a stadium, bars, restaurants and the Bataclan concert hall) in 2015 was underway. The lone surviving actual attacker from that night, Salah Abdeslam, was the key defendant. He was also the only one charged with murder.

The Palais de Justice de Paris includes both the Conciergerie and Sainte-Chapelle in addition to the Prefecture de Police. A special courtroom had been constructed somewhere within the vast expanse of court buildings covering the west end of the island. What was needed was very high security (bomb-proof and bullet-proof) as well as an attempt to create a calming atmosphere.

Normally we would have been able to cross over the Pont Neuf to reach the Île de la Cité, but we weren’t allowed to cross there. We went down some stairs to the Quai de la Megisserie, which didn’t allow any motorized vehicles so we could walk along in relative peace and quiet while looking across the river at the island. Normally there would have been sightseeing boats along the river, but we didn’t see any other than those docked by the Pont Neuf.

In the included photo of the Île de la Cité with the Pont Neuf, can be seen an equestrian statue of Henry IV. He was the king who inaugurated the Pont Neuf in 1607.

At the Pont au Change, we went back up some stairs to see if we could cross there. We couldn’t, so we just stayed up on the street level until we got to the Pont Notre-Dame. I was so glad that it wasn’t my first (or only) time in Paris. The Conciergerie and Sainte-Chapelle are both very much worth a visit. I had been looking forward to spending some time in both.

The Conciergerie was originally part of the former royal palace. During the French Revolution, 2,780 prisoners, including Marie Antoinette, were imprisoned, tried and sentenced there. Most were executed elsewhere by use of the guillotines which were set up all across Paris. But there were still hundreds who died in what is known as the Women’s Courtyard when they were simply shot to death there.

Parts of the 10^th century building constructed under Hugh Capet still survive. The cell where Marie Antoinette was imprisoned can be visited, as well as a later chapel built in her honor. Many other historic areas of the very large building were also normally open to the public.

The original version of Sainte-Chapelle was built in 800. In 1238, Louis IX had it redesigned and enlarged. The two levels of the new chapel, equal in size, had entirely different purposes. The upper level, where the sacred relics were kept was reserved exclusively for the royal family and their guests. The lower level was used by the courtiers, servants, and soldiers of the palace.

Sainte-Chapelle is breathtaking. It appears to be all stain-glassed windows with no real structure other than the windows. It glitters and shines like thousands of jewels.

Everywhere on the Île de la Cité we could see barricades and lots and lots of police. They were watching everyone. Not wanting to attract any attention, we kept quiet and kept moving across the island towards Notre Dame. I did manage to take a quick photo of the spire of Sainte-Chapelle as we passed from a couple of blocks away.

After a fairly long time sitting in front of Notre Dame while listening to our local guide talk about its history, we crossed the Petit-Pont and had some free time on the Left Bank. I took tons of photos of Notre Dame, then a short break at the café on the corner of the road there. After that, I explored the Square Rene Viviani and the adjacent Church of Saint-Julien-le-Pauvre, which was built at the same time as Notre Dame.

When we regathered by the entrance of the square to continue our tour, we heard a lot of sirens heading our way. It turned out to be the main terrorist going right by us on his way to his trial.

Moving further into the Latin Quarter, we could see the remains of a Roman bath house upon which was built part of the Musee de Cluny (aka Musee National du Moyen Age Paris). This museum is loaded with tapestries statues and other artifacts from the Middle Ages in Paris. They also have quite a few pieces of Roman antiquity in addition to the bath house.

Once we hopped back onto the coach to head back to the ship, we drove by the Sorbonne, Pantheon, the Luxembourg Gardens, a cute little church called Notre Dame des Champs, the Hotel des Invalides (containing Napoleon’s tomb) and the Eiffel Tower again.

Next time – Notre Dame de Paris Cathedral (with loads of photos of the building in scaffolding)

February 27, 2022

Grand France River Cruise – Traveling from Dijon to Paris

In Dijon, we were taken straight to the train station. That was a shame. Dijon had been the main home of the Dukes of Burgundy from the early 11^th to the late 15^th centuries although not much from the earlier dukes remained. The oldest parts of the ducal palace were from the 14^th & 15^th centuries and the main portions from the 17^th& 18^th centuries, but it still would have been nice to have had some of that pointed out as we zipped on by.

A lot of the non-ducal architecture in the town, from the 12^th to 15^th centuries, remained and was undamaged by wars. The crypt of Dijon Cathedral was over 1,000 years old. Its roof was decorated much as the hospital in Beaune with tiles glazed in terracotta, green, yellow and black and arranged in geometric patterns.

The original home of Dijon mustard, Dijon has several sister cities in other countries. I was especially intrigued by Dallas, Texas as that was the city in which I grew up. Prague in the Czech Republic and York in England were two others that caught my attention as they are a couple of my favorite cities.

Dijon is an important railway junction for many cities and towns in France, Switzerland, and Italy, with its high speed TGV train. From Dijon to Paris-Gare de Lyon, the journey takes just one hour and 40 minutes to cover 190 miles (300 km).

When we arrived at the train station, we needed to wait a bit for the gate to be announced for our departing train and for our intrepid cruise director, Jean Loup, to get our tickets. We all met downstairs near the gate. We weren’t allowed onto the platform without our tickets, so we just hung out leaning against the walls and waving others, who thought we were in line, past us.

Once on the platform, it wasn’t long before the train arrived. Our seats were upstairs. So we climbed up the steps, found our seats and settled in for the ride. Nobody was in the seat next to me so I was able to pop my camera bag in the window seat and get comfortable.

Everybody pulled out the food they had purchased in Beaune and had lunch about a half hour into the ride. I had a filled pastry and a small orange. Knowing that we would be having a large dinner that evening, I had gone for a light lunch.

The journey through the French country-side was a pleasant one and we soon entered the Paris city limits, heading for the Gare de Lyon. Upon arrival, the five of us going to the Tapestry II were loaded onto one coach and the other six, plus Jean Loup, onto another coach. Then our journey through central Paris began.

The amount of lanes for motorized vehicles had been reduced by the current mayor, so moving through Paris took much longer than usual. The mayor felt that it would be better to have parts of every street made into lanes for bicycling and walking. She also wanted more people to use public transportation. So motorized vehicles had half as many lanes for their use as before.

To get from the Gare de Lyon to where our ship was docked near the Eiffel Tower took over an hour. Along the way, we passed by Notre Dame. It was the first time I had seen it in person since the fire (I had seen it on previous trips and had always visited). I took some photos as we drove past the cathedral. I also managed to take some of the Louvre, the Place de la Concorde, and the Grand Palais.

When we arrived at the ship, we were met by our new cruise director, Gayle. I had something for her from Jean Loup that I passed on before heading to my cabin. Our cabin numbers were the same on the new ship as they had been on the Poetry II. That helped. The colors on the ship were different, although the layout was exactly the same.

My cases were waiting for me in my cabin. I just needed to unpack enough to dress up a little for dinner.

This time we had 37 people on the trip. Two were Canadian and the rest Americans. There were several more women traveling on their own. I spent some time with a few of them while on excursions or having lunch or breakfast.

We had escargot again at dinner. This time I managed to free all of mine from their shells (although it did mean that I had to totally crush one of the shells).

Dinner was served a little earlier than usual, so there was plenty of time for me to fully unpack and settle in after dinner.

We discovered that trials were beginning the following day in Paris at the Palais de Justice on the Ile de Cite for some of the men who were accused of involvement in the terrorist attacks all over Paris on the 13^th of November in 2015. Most of the men directly involved had been killed as they were mainly suicide bombers. The attacks took place at such venues as a concert hall and a soccer stadium, as well as at several cafes, leaving 130 people dead and 460 injured.

Once everyone was on the ship, we had turned around and headed down the Seine in the direction of the Normandy coast shortly after everyone was on board. We would spend several days in Normandy before returning to Paris at the end of the cruise.

Next time – Vernon & Bizy Castle

July 25, 2021

Merveilleux, Beau Paris!

We spent the last couple days of our whirlwind 1984 European tour in Paris. I had never been there before. Fortunately it would not be my last time in that wonderful, beautiful city. Paris became my second favorite city, behind London, at that point.

Our hotel was in Montmartre. It was a block away from the Moulin Rouge and a short walk to Sacre-Coeur. It also overlooked a cemetery with all of its graves above ground,

Officially named Cimetiere du Nord (and originally named Cimetiere des Grandes Carrieres) Cemetery Montmartre was created in 1825 in an abandoned gypsum quarry that had been used as a mass grave during the French Revolution. Artist Edgar Degas is buried in this cemetery in a mausoleum marked Famille de Gas. Emile Zola was originally buried here as well until he was moved to the Pantheon. We thought that having our room overlook a cemetery was a bit creepy, although fascinating. We were not that high up in the building (about one level up), so we looked straight out at it.

Once we received our cases, we set out to visit Sacre-Coeur, which is the gorgeous white travertine church high up at the top of Montmartre. Montmartre was the site of the first Commune insurrection in 1870, which took place forty years after the events depicted in the book and musical play “Les Miserables” (1830). The basilica was begun in 1884 and finally completed in 1914.

We made our way up the very steep hill through the winding, narrow streets of the artist’s quarter. It was a less steep walk than taking the main road to the base of Montmartre and climbing the stairs to the top. Photos weren’t allowed inside. After our visit, we went down the stairs to the main road, which took us back to the hotel past Moulin Rouge.

After having dinner at a little cafeteria near the hotel, we joined the rest of our tour group for a night tour of Paris, which included the Eiffel Tower, the Opera, Hotel de Ville, and so many other places that I couldn’t remember them all.

The next morning, we took a city tour, returning to the same places we had seen the previous night, but stopping at some of them for a visit. I would love to be able to say that my first visit to Notre Dame had been memorable. But the reality was that I was completely overwhelmed by it and needed to return a couple more times before I could say that I felt like I knew the place. It was mainly a blur at that visit.

Another of our “big visits” was to the Eiffel Tower. We took the elevator up in one of the legs to a viewing platform. I have included here a photo I took from the Eiffel Tower of the city. After our stop there, we continued our tour with Rodin’s House, the Arc de Triomphe, and Napoleon’s tomb. Then we had lunch at the Moulin Rouge before taking a boat ride on the Seine.

The rest of the afternoon was spent at the Louvre. This was prior to the building of Pei’s pyramid, which is now the main entrance to the museum. The photo I have included here of the courtyard of the Louvre when we were there in 1984, shows that it was being used as a parking lot and had a statue of Lafayette in it.

The Louvre itself was originally built in the late 12th and early 13th century as a palace for King Philip II. It was enlarged and remodeled several times until King Louis XIV moved to Versailles in 1682, leaving the Louvre as mainly a place to house his enormous collection of art. It was during the French Revolution that the building was turned into a public museum.

Once again, I was overwhelmed. But I did manage to see and photograph the “Winged Victory” and “Venus de Milo”. Although we did see the “Mona Lisa”, it was impossible to photograph her with the crowd of people and the reflection from the glass protecting it (I did manage to get a photo of her on a later visit). As part of a tour, we were herded through. On the later visit when I managed to get a photo of Mona, Mom and I visited on our own for a full day (after I studied and carried with me a floor plan of the entire museum, and created our plan of attack).

After we returned to the hotel, we decided that my high school and college freshman French could be relied upon well enough to visit a restaurant for dinner instead of a cafeteria. After a delicious dinner, we took a walk in the cemetery next to the hotel. It was full of cats. I am highly allergic to the little fluff-balls and Mom had always been afraid of them, so our adventure was a trifle shorter in duration than we had planned.

The next day, we drove to Brussels for lunch and Leiderdorp for an overnight stay before flying out of Amsterdam the following day for home. There was a windmill right outside of the hotel room window in Leiderdorp. It had been raining shortly before we arrived, so there were also several enormous slugs out and about.