Paris Finale

This was our last day in Paris. Eric and Heather left this morning to return to the States, so Andy, Maria, and I were on our own. We packed the day full of great sightseeing, shopping, and eating. First, we went to mass at Notre Dame and toured the church, as well. Notre Dame is a gothic masterpiece. I've seen it several times, but it's just as breathtaking as it was the first time I saw it. Sadly, I got us off at the wrong Metro stop, so we were power walking through Montparnasse and the Latin Quarter in order to make it to 8:30am Mass.



















I've been dying to see Sainte Chapelle for ages, but every time I've been in Paris, there has been some reason why I have't seen it. Today was my day. This church is known for its spectacular windows, and they were stunning--nearly whole walls of stained glass. Sorry that these photos don't manage to convey the beauty of this place.

















Next, we walked down the Ile de la Cite, the little island on the Seine River where Notre Dame and Sainte Chapelle both stand, to the park at the western tip of the island, Square du Vert-Galant. My friend, Lee, good friend to many of my blog readers, loved Paris and knew the city well. When his best friend, Nell, was planning a trip to Paris some years ago, Lee drew up a list of his favorite things to do in the city, and picnicking in this little park was on that list. Nell was kind enough to share Lee's top ten with me, and I wanted to try to visit some of them on this trip. I've thought of him frequently in Paris imagining him walking through the places I was visiting,and that has been kind of bittersweet. Lee died in 2009; Chasing down some of his Paris haunts made me feel a little closer to him. The little park is charming, by the way, but it was so cold and windy today that the picnic was out.






No comments on this dumpy Paris look, please:





We walked out of the park and across Pont Neuf, Paris' oldest bridge, straight to a cafe for a little late morning dessert. Why not? We're in Paris, the land of breathtaking desserts.






One lemon tart and cafe au lait later, we were on our way to our next stop, Opera Garnier. This is actually a Hemingway haunt that I wanted to visit for scouting purposes. Apparently, he would often walk here to clear his head after writing. The kids wanted to visit because it's the place where Phantom of the Opera is set, and they were in the orchestra for their high school's production of the musical. On the inside, this building is beyond opulent. Not so grand as Versailles. More like a decorative explosion of some kind. Over the top is a term that might describe it best. I tried to imagine this clearing a writer's head; it would certainly provide a visual distraction.













Yes, this is a Chagall painting on the ceiling.

















We grabbed some baguette sandwiches at a patisserie, and jumped on the Metro to head to...a mall! Maria is a fashion hound, and she was determined to bring back some Paris fashions. I'd set aside a couple of hours today for her to hit the shops, but I was surprised to find out that many, many Paris shops are closed on Sundays. I did some research and found a place just outside the city limits. It would have been much more fun to hit a city shopping street, but that was out. She bought herself some clothes and we came back to Rue Cler for our final Paris dinner.












European Adventure 2011 is nearly over. We're packing up tonight and heading to the airport in the morning. We've had a good trip: fun and productive.

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