Paris #2 - Breakfast on the Seine and Ile de la Cite

So here we go for real, this time. Paris, like many major European, is situated on a major river, in this case the Seine - which runs from the Alps in the southeast to the English Channel. It has a proud and far-reaching history in which I will claim no particular expertise. We started our day hopping a train to St. Michel Notre Dame station, which as one might guess is right beneath the Cathedrale Notre Dame; home of Victor Hugo's famous physically disabled but kind-hearted bell-ringer. 

We had a really ambitious first day planned, but we only got as far as the Louvre before everyone else's legs gave out. I'm not quite sure how it happened, but most map-reading and tour-guiding duties in our little group of 6 eventually fell on me. Odd, since it's not like I'd ever been to France before. 

Ile de la Cite is an island in the very centre of Paris, in the centre of a fork in the Seine river, not unlike Montreal. On and near it we found not only our first snooty Parisian waiter, but Notre Dame Cathedral, the French Holocaust Deportation memorial (of which I am not permitted to publish photos; sorry) The Palais de Justice (home of French criminal courts), Chapel St. Chapelle (which we didn't see; long lines), the Conciergerie (a palace/office/prison/execution facility where Marie Antoinette was held awaiting her date with the guillotine) and a number of really nice statues. And cafes.

Us outside Notre Dame Cathedral

We grabbed breakfast quite literally across the bridge from the cathedral. Wanna guess the price of a French breakfast? 7 euros. Wanna guess what it was? Coffee, juice, and a croissant. No joke. Our first, and incidentally only, rude French waiter made us feel like real tourists.

The Seine, like the Thames in London, is a working river. Barges laden with goods, garbage and often tourists put up and down constantly. 

Statue of Charlemagne outside the cathedral. Charlemagne (French for Charles the Great) is famous for being the first great King of the Franks. He was actually also Holy Roman Emperor, too, if I'm not mistaken, and so by sheer acreage a more impressive monarch than Louis XIV. But don't tell him that.

A swarm of tiny birds were feasting on this man's hands while we waited in line to get into the Cathedral. Which was free, by the way. Gotta love Europe! 

Statue of Joan of Arc in Notre Dame Cathedral. The place really seemed like more of a museum than a worship space. I don't have a huge number of photos because flash was prohibited and I have shaky hands. 

When I saw this window I had an instant flashback to the Disney movie. It really is gorgeous.

Like most old cathedrals and chapels, the perimeter is littered with small chapels; usually dedicated to a particular saint or famous person whose example and influence is meant to help focus the devotion of those who pray there. Many have truly exquisite pieces of art, like this sculpture, in them.

Cathedrals are also a famously great place to be buried. I've had the pleasure of accidentally walking over Darwin, Newton, and Henry VIII here in the UK. Some folks go for a more elaborate grave piece than a slab of floor, like this one. 

The giant candelabra chandelier that usually hangs in the altar area was down for refurbishment and restoration.

The front exterior. St. Denis is the name of our headless companion here, who is credited with the conversion of barbarian Paris in the dark ages. He purportedly was beheaded and then got up, picked up his head and kept preaching to them. Talk about aggressive evangelism.

Exterior, front entrance, west side.

Notre Dame is a famous example of the Gothic flying buttress in action

Even the roof of this building was littered with statues.

The bridge by the eastern end of the island has innumerable padlocks attached to it. Story is that romantic Frenchmen (i.e. all of them) write their name and their beloved's name on a lock and then strap it on. Since there are so few trees to carve initials into around downtown.

The Palais de Justice, with a very impressive and scary front gate.

St. Chapelle chapel, right beside it.

Alyssa and I on the back steps of the Palais de Justice

Just behind the Palais was this magical and festive little square; it was like a slice of small town France right in the heart of the busiest part of the city.

Henry V, I think. Louis XIV's father. Creator of the modern city of Paris; bridges, parks, monuments, the works.  If his sone hadn't been such a glory hog, we might learn about this one in history class too.

After touring the Ile, it was lunchtime. we popped across the nearest "pont" (above) and to the nicest and Frenchiest cafe we could find. Dad also bought a hat.

Only Dad would order a hot dog in France, but after seeing a cheesy sausage come in a baguette, I was jealous.