I had purchased Louvre tickets for early this morning. A few days before, I received an e-mail stating that a possible strike would delay the opening until 10:30, and the tickets I had would be good for anytime. We decided to alter the route and start towards the Latin Quarter instead of finishing there. We took the metro to Chatelet and crossed the Seine to the Ile de la Cite.
Our first stop was Saint Chapelle. The long line to get through security was the only hold-up. Once inside, we walked through the crypt learning about some of the history, then ascended to the chapel to take in the famous stained glass windows. We took boards that explained the panels and we were mesmerized that they were so bright even on a cloudy day.
We then made our way for coffee at a corner stand to fuel us through our next few stops. We queued for the Cathedral Notre Dame. Entry is free but security is tight. Once inside, we were fortunate enough to listen to a choral performance before completing our walk through.
We grabbed a forgettable lunch at a cafe close to Shakespeare and Company. We then managed to spend exactly 18.7 hours browsing the shelves, rooms and floors of the bookshop. Everyone found a book or three that they wanted to bring home. The lady checking us out stamped each book, then relayed the good news that since I had spent so much, I got a free tote bag. I felt so fortunate.
We then walked down the Rue de la Huchette, a narrow lane designed in the year 1200 to extract money from your wallet without you noticing. The girls found a handmade jewelry shop to visit, while we checked out the crepes available. We abstained.
The rain was coming down steadily enough to convince us to take the metro back to the Louvre. We arrived and avoided another long line to gain entry into the pyramid. The security check went quickly and we made our way to the maps section to plan our route. I had intended to follow Rick Steve’s route, but the first place we were supposed to turn was blocked off, so we winged it. Literally. Winged Victory was first, followed by Mona Lisa Coronation of Napolean Liberty Leading the People and thentheyallruntogether and Venus de Milo. We made our way through the Egyptian antiquities and headed for the exit. Days wouldn’t be sufficient to see it all.
We then headed to the Musee d’Orsay. The line here was once again long, so we once gain grabbed some coffee and stood under the umbrellas for a while. Real World syndrome set in, and we stopped being nice and started being real. The museum was unbelievable, and we did the best we could with the energy we had. The week was catching up to us all, so we made the visit a short one and picked a route back towards the apartment.
We walked through the Jardin des Tuileries, which hadn’t come into full bloom yet. We made our way towards the Vendome area, stopping to fill up a box with macaroons, before slowly traipsing to the apartment. We stopped at Paul to get some quick baguettes and our last fill of jambon.
We arranged for airport transport the next morning and bid voila et adieu to the City of Lights.
We saw so many things that it took a few weeks to let everything soak in. The Disney trip meant so much to our family, the castles and Loire Valley were beautiful, St. Malo and Mont Saint Michele were coastal treasures, Normandy was awe inspiring on many levels, and Paris did not disappoint. We are very fortunate to have made the trip and to have Mom along with us.
The outtake reel
From Tennessee To Texas to Saudi Arabia 