Paris

What to do with three days in Paris before the time comes to take the plane home? Especially since neither Jan nor I had ever been to Paris. Many books have been written about what to do in Paris. But knowing we could only scratch the surface, here is our journey.

The Arsenal Marina in the heart of Paris. Zubenel is about half way down on the right.

First stop was to wander over to Notre Dame which was only a short walk from the marina. Notre Dame is so important to the French psyche that the plaza in front of the cathedral is mile zero when measuring the highway distance from Paris.

Iconic

We have learned that a quick way to get a feel for the city is to take one of the open air 'hop on hop off' tour buses. These give a quick if superficial tour of the city. From this vantage we went up and down both sides of Seine and caught a glimpse of the opera house---site of Phantom of the Opera. We hopped off along the Champs Elysees for lunch and a visit to the Arc de Triomphe.

The Opera House as seen from the bus.

Note the gold leaf on the bridge decorations.

On the last stop of the bus tour we hopped off to explore the Eiffel Tower. We spent 2 hours waiting in three lines, but finally got to the top. It was well worth the effort. I have to admit to a bit of vertigo in the elevator and at the top. We bought a glass of champagne to and took a selfie. The view was amazing.

Worth the effort to get to the top.  Mr. Effiel lived here and used the stairs every day.

I got dizzy looking down.  Jan was fine.

Another full day was devoted to the Louvre. By the way it is highly advisable to buy your tickets online and in advance. The Louvre has to be on everyone's bucket list even if you don't enjoy art. The scene at the Mona Lisa was comical because of the crowds but I least now we can say we saw her. In every room there were pictures that said, “OMG, I've seen that before in pictures!” You can look up all the pictures in art books, but I do want to show you the “Raft of the Medusa” which seems appropriate for a sailing blog. And finally “Winged Victory.” This statue somehow provokes an emotional response that is difficult to explain. I felt it and had to force myself to leave her.

Mona Lisa mob scene.  It was like this all day.

The Medusa.  Sort of like Wednesday night races?

There is a remarkable power in Winged Victory

One whole morning was devoted to a visit to the Pere Lachaisse cemetery. This is an old urban cemetery that served Paris for most of the 19^th and early 20^th century. Jim Morrison is buried there as well as Oscar Wilde and Edith Piaf. Jim Morrison's grave is said to be the fourth most visited site in Paris. As you can see it is modest memorial.

Jim Morrison's grave

Oscar Wilde's grave

For me the highlight of the visit was an evening tour of Montmontre and the Sacre Couer Church. Montreal was the old red light district but has been gentrified. The Sacre Couer (Sacred Heart) Church is a newish church that was built on the highest hill in Paris (Montmontre) as a memorial to the WWI dead. The church seems little used but the views of Paris from the church steps are spectacular.

Paris at dusk from Montmontre

Many young people gather on the steps of Sacre Couer in the evening to picnic and sing.  What were they singing this night? Johnnie Be Good!

Finally we had to say good bye to our friends, Jillian and Philip, and return to the USA. After such a short stay in Paris the only reasonable thing to do is to resolve to return.