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 19th
and early 20th 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.
