She's thinking what we're thinking...
"We're in Paris!"
Today our tour begins where Paris did: the Ile de la Cité.
We began with a “hands-on” Metro orientation lesson. It may seem complicated, but believe me, the only thing easier than enjoying a fine French meal is using Paris’s Metro system… and there is one on practically every corner, making it a quick breeze to reach any part of this gorgeous city.
Once we reached our destination, almost like a little island in the middle of the Seine River, Patrick led a walking tour of Paris’s early history. Our first stop was the looming, Gothic Sainte-Chapelle cathedral. Built in only four years for King Louis IX to house the supposed Crown of Thorns, it is also a marvel of stained-glass art. Be sure to climb the spiral staircase to the Chapelle Haute. It’s a place of silent contemplation; sit down, look up, and try not to the let the “Wow!” that escapes your lips be too loud.
Our next stop: the famous Notre-Dame Cathedral. It is very crowded, but Patrick knows to get us there early so we don’t have to wait too long. Today is Sunday, so there is a Mass going on as we quietly circulate around the interior.
After a break for lunch on our own, we toured the Orsay Museum, Europe’s largest collection of Impressionist art: Manet, Monet, Degas, van Gogh, Cezanne, Gaugin, Renoir… they’re all here.
After the Orsay I made a side-visit on my own to the Paris Garnier Opera House. You may recall it as the setting for "The Phantom of the Opera."
No photo or words could quite portray or describe the grandeur of this place. It simply has to be experienced in person. In addition to performances, self-guided and guided tours are available throughout the week. Be sure to step out on the balconies and look out over the bustling city. You are high up and can see far. I even see a modelling photo-shoot on the rooftop next door.
This is me on the grand staircase. Since I was alone, I needed someone to take my picture. Your French doesn't have to be perfect.
"Foto, s'il vous plait," ('Photo, please?') I ask two ladies.
"Oh, don't worry, honey," they respond. "We're American too!"
Part of the fun of a Rick Steves tour is the wonderful people you will meet. I made friends who I still regularly keep in touch with. Tonight, my friends from Wisconsin Deb and Sam and I enjoy a delightful three-course French dinner on picturesque place du Marche Ste. Catherine in the Marais (on a side note, this is also the district to pick up some of Paris’s best falafel). Tonight we enjoy good wine, my first-ever escargots, and a to-die-for crème brulee.
The Louvre! This is probably the museum you came to see the most, and the first half of our day is devoted to an engaging and insightful tour of the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, Winged Victory, and thousands more treasures and artifacts. Stay with your tour-guide: the Louvre is big – very big! – and circulating each of its floors will add several miles to your pedometer.
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