little faces looking up, holding wonder like a cup: Day 7

We awoke refreshed and ready for our first full day of sightseeing in Paris. We've been on such an intense schedule it felt indulgent to sleep in till 8:30 and make it out the door by 9:30. We caught the metro and got off where we could pop up at one of the famous art Nouveau stops dating back to late 1800s, early 1900s. These avant-garde entryways symbolized the city's Golden Age of Art for over a century. I believe there used to over 20 of them, but now only two.

From here we walked to Sainte Chapelle built by King Louis IX. We wandered through the lower chapel first, built for the common people to worship. There were fleur-de-lis painted on the ceiling to remind the people that there is a king. Then we took the long spiral staircase up to the famous stained-glass clad cathedral built to house the Crown of Thorns. It was breathtaking - it felt like we had stepped inside of a life sized kaleidoscope. The stained glass tells stories from the Bible as well as how the holy relic made its way to Paris.

Next door was the French Court of Cassation (like the Supreme Court) as well as the Conciergerie. The Conciergerie, a prison during the French Revolution in the late 1700s, is now mostly used for present day law. A brief history, because this is such a fascinating place:

"The Conciergerie prison became the main penitentiary of a network of prisons throughout Paris, and was the last place of housing for more than 2,700 people who were executed by guillotine throughout the city. The dank dungeons were a stark contrast to the beautiful architecture of the palace above. The quality of life of the prisoners was based mainly on their personal wealth and the whims of the jailers. The most famous prisoner was Marie-Antoinette, the last Queen of France before the Revolution. She was executed in 1793."

After these tours, we walked along the Seine on the left bank, past the art and book stalls to get as close as we could to Notre Dame. Along the way we stopped into the Deportation Memorial. Over 2000 Jews were lost in the Holocaust, something that I didn't know before touring this museum. Next we toured the famous Latin Quarter, which was the University District in the Middle Ages. It gets its name from the Latin language, which was primarily spoken in and around the University at the time. We crossed over Pont Neuf, Paris' oldest bridge, ironically called "New Bridge" and headed toward the Louve.

By this time it was raining full force, but we continued on our route down the Champs-Elysees toward the Arc de Triumph. This was a LONG walk, it was raining, and we were tired, and we were tired of the rain (that's no surprise, right?) Along the way we stopped in to many stores, mostly just as a reprieve from the weather, my favorite being to eat our favorite French classic sandwich at Pomme et Pain, where we also enjoyed a Nutella Crepe. Once we got to the Arc I would like to say we went to the top, but at this point my tendinosis wouldn't let me take another step. Such a bummer! So, we ended our day here, with a quick stop to see a cafe where one of our antique Paris scenes was painted (we had seen the other location this morning) and then picking up dinner from a cafe along the way, headed back to our flat for some much needed rest, and macarons :)

One of the famous art Nouveau Metropolitain stops

long metro tunnel

muh peeps :D

the lower chapel at Saint-Chapelle

Sainte Chapelle

on the columns in the lower chapel

Sainte Chapelle!

Where the Crown of Thorns was kept until it was later transferred to Notre Dame in 1806.

The Court of Cassation

outside the Conciergerie

the Hall of the Guards - the largest surviving Medieval parts of the Conciergerie

prison cell

a painting depicting Marie-Antoinette walking to the cart that takes her to the guillotine

The green space where the prisoners could come once a day for fresh air. There were separate spaces for men and women.

One of the four massive cooking fireplaces in the kitchen at The Conciergerie. There is one in each corner of the room

Miles of dealers selling their original art, vintage art and vintage books

Notre Dame!

you can just catch a glimpse of the scaffolding in the rear

inside the Deportation Memorial. All 2000 of those little backlit crystals represent a French Jew that was deported during the Holocaust

Jon capturing the exact angle from where our antique painting was done

The booth where I purchased some vintage art (which I'll show in a later post). I purposefully sought out and purchased from a booth with a sweet old guy (far, far right). He was so kind and I love knowing exactly where my art came from :)

And here as well. Jon is telling the artist that his painting will be traveling home with us to Houston.

Rum Raisin - it ended up being a little too rummy for her taste - haha. She switched with Jon for his hazelnut ice cream.

the Latin Quarter

This shop was a lot of fun. Floor to ceiling used and new books. But I'll always remember it as the place where I managed to speak seamless French to the cashier and impress my kids! :D

in the Latin Quarter

on the Seine River

The famous La Samaritaine, a 135 year old department store, one of my favorite stops last time we were here, closed in 2005 and apparently will reopen soon as luxury apartments. This made me so sad!

some of Paris' famous love locks.

obligatory, right?

oh la la!

This is it! The sanwhich I've been dreaming about and recreating for 20 years. And you better believe I've made it four different times just since we've been home :D

hazelnut crepe!

The famous intersection at the Arc de Triumph. I guess when you rent a car to drive in Paris you can choose insurance to cover you if you'll be driving through this roundabout. How crazy is that!