Thursday, August 11th:
Notre Dame:
What a
whirlwind of a day! It certainly does not help when you start feeling ill while
travelling, but with such a short time in one of the most beautiful cities in
the world, I had to make the most of it. Well rested, Matt, Max, and I had some
breakfast at the Marriott Rive Gauche before heading out to our first site of
the day, the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, or as the French call it, the Sacre
Coeur. A quick trip on the incredibly efficient Parisian subway, and a short
climb up the hill of Montmartre had us there in no time.
The Sacre Coeur:
I had
admired this church from a far before, during my last trip to Paris in 2006.
The short stay during that trip did not allow for me to come see the Sacre
Coeur, so I was delighted to finally be able to visit it. From a far, the Sacre
Coeur resembles the Taj Mahal in its bright white marble exterior, but inside
it is covered in gold leaf and tile mosaics on all walls. I was amazed at the
color contrast from the outside to the inside, and wish that I could have taken
a few pictures! After a few moments in silent thought, it was time to move on
and talk another walk through the neighborhood of Montmartre.
Montmartre:
Notoriously
the district of Paris to house writers, artists, musicians, actors, and
performers, Montmartre has a very interesting and different feel than the rest
of Paris, almost like Brooklyn differs from other parts of New York. Montmartre
is built entirely on a hill and without subway access, and is also the cities
center for strip clubs, sex shops, and burlesque performances. We took a long
walk weaving in and out of artists offering their skills for a quick portrait
odd part of the city for sure, but it was time to get back into the center of
things.
The Arc de Triomphe:
Next up was
the Arc de Triomphe in the center of the great star of the Champs Elysees known
as Place Charles de Gaulle. Completed in 1836, the massive stone arch
commemorates those who fought for France in the Napoleonic wars and the French
Revolution. Underneath the arch is France’s tomb of the Unknown Soldier,
representing all those whom were not identified during World War I. The square
itself is very cool, as twelve straight avenues come together at a single
point, and tourists need to use underground tunnels to get to the Arc and avoid
stopping the many lanes of traffic!
The Eiffel Tower and Trocadero Gardens:
We continued
our tour of the city by walking over to the Eiffel Tower, or Tour Eiffel. My
family and I went up to the top of the Tower on our first trip to Paris, so I
suggested that we do that again, this time avoiding the huge line for the first
elevator by climbing the first set of stairs. I guess we got our exercise in
for the day, because that climb did not prove as easy as it looked, but it
definitely saved us lots of time spent waiting in queues. Humorously, Max
waited until we were halfway up the second elevator to tell us he was afraid of
heights. He must’ve swallowed his fear, though, because shortly after we walked
out onto the platform 900 feet up. What an incredible view! The tallest
building in the world for over forty years, I am still amazed that this
building was built in 1889.
Notre Dame Cathedral and the Seine:
All of us
were beginning to feel the affects of rapid travel and our bodies were
beginning to slow down by now. We decided to take in one more sight before
returning to the hotel for dinner and more rest. We hopped on the subway again
to Notre Dame Cathedral that stands on the Île de la Cité in the oldest part of
Paris. Completed in Gothic style in 1345, the Cathedral reached world-wide
recognition as the setting for Victor Hugo’s novel, and subsequent Disney
animated film The Hunchback of Notre
Dame. I was absolutely blown away by the detail on the stained glass and
the magnitude of the windows. For such an old church, the stone and glasswork
were exquisite and very well maintained. If only other churches around Europe
could be that well preserved!
Stained Glass Inside Notre Dame Cathedral:
After a
long walk back to our hotel, all of us were exhausted. Tomorrow, Matt would
head home to New York. Max was off to begin another adventure meeting family in
his native country of Ukraine. For me, it was on to one more country before
home: Iceland! Au revoir Paris! À la prochaine…
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