The Expected and the Unexpected

Yesterday we did things that you'd expect tourists in Paris to do: We visited St. Chapelle (noted for its stained glass; it was beautiful, but somehow not quite as spectacular as I expected), climbed the towers of Notre Dame (the boys and I anyway, more on this later), and toured the Luxembourg Garden (by far the most beautiful spot in Paris, in my opinion). Our day started out, as it always does, on the Metro,

then to St. Chapelle

and the surprise visit to the French courts (see preceding post).

When we got to Notre Dame, there was a long line to go up the towers, and because of the limited space on top, they only let in about 15 people at a time. So it took us more than an hour of waiting to get in, during which I repeatedly tried to convince the boys that it wasn't worth the wait. But they were determined, and they were right ... it was worth the wait. Not only were the views of Paris spectacular, but the whole experience, from climbing up the narrow old spiral staircases, to seeing the bizarre gargoyles up close and personal, was very neat.



Afterwards we met up with Suzie and my mom, and walked (through a humid thundering downpour) south to the Latin Quarter. We had an excellent 8 euro prix fixe lunch (quiche Lorraine for the entre, curry chicken for the plat, and creme caramel for dessert), then happened upon an nearby old cathedral, St. Severin. Right as we went inside, the organ, with huge old pipes, started playing discordant music that sounded like it was made for a horror movie (or, more likely, was intended to instill in its listeners a healthy fear of God). So we sat and listened to the impromptu concert for about ten minutes. Very, very intense, the heavy, minor-keyed organ echoing throughout the vast, hard, cold stone interior.


By this time, the sun had come out again, making it even more humid. We headed south, through the Latin Quarter to the Luxembourg Garden, which were absolutely magnificent. Suzie let the boys rent one of the little sailboats that kids push around the large pond in the center of the gardens, and we adults sat in the shade and watched the people come and go.





As it happens, the bus line that runs closest to our apartment (our friend, the 82) has its opposite terminus at the Luxembourg Garden. We found the stop and took it all the way back, a very long, humid, but pretty ride. A very relaxing day.