Paris #2

Still reading, eh? Thanks mom.
So because of the cooler weather (which got much better after the first day I might add) the crowds were relatively small for Paris standards which made seeing everything much more manageable. We only had to stand in line once and it was for less than half an hour-unheard of in the summer months. Therefore we decided to take a walking tour from Notre Dame all the way along the Seine ending up at the Arc de Triomphe all the way at the other end of the city. Paris is filled with one world class gem after another-intermixed with a fascinating history. The tour took us to Sainte-Chapell where we walked into a beautiful basement chapel for the servants, impressive enough to be worthy of my entrance fee. When we climbed the stairs my breath was literally taken away-not because of the stairs but because of the view. That has never happened to me before. The real chapel, constructed by and for King Louis IX (the only French king who is now a saint) is beyond words. The title means stained glass and it gives meaning to why Paris is called the city of lights. From the outside the building is gray and lifeless. From the inside it is a world of glorious and dynamic color shining through 15 separate panels telling the entire Christian history from Genesis to the crusades. On the final circular pane in the back of the chapel is depicted the 2nd coming of Christ, the climax of all Christendom. I could have stayed there and basked all day long. No matter what else I see, it will definitely be one of the highlights of the trip never to be forgotten.
That chapel is contained within the Palais de Justice-home of France's Supreme Court. Interestingly, so is the Conciergerie-the prison which has, for hundreds of years, housed political and religious criminals awaiting trial and possibly death. Marie Antoinette herself spent almost two years there before her execution at the guillotine and many original artifacts from her stay still remain. The stories of torture and misery are extensive for any whose fate sent them to this place and the darkness and despair are made all the more dramatic because of the contrasting light that lies less than 10 feet away.
Moving on we strolled through the Tuileries Garden-the Gardens of the Louvre palace and down the Champs-Elysees to the Arc, climbing 284 stairs to again view Paris at night this time watching the cars below. The Arc is in the middle of an enormous round about that merges 12 large boulevards with no signs, lane lines or traffic lights, it's just one big free for all. We must have spent a solid hour up there trying to figure out how everyone gets out unscathed. It is a mystery to me because from up above it looks like complete chaos. Every once in a while a car would just stop somewhere in the middle and I know they were down there crying (like I would have been) wondering how they got into this mess and how they were ever going to get out.
One last day in Paris led us to the Palace of Versailles. Um, we thought the Louvre and its grounds were amazing but it was nothing compared to this place. It is an hour outside of Paris and it is UNBELIEVABLE. Louis XIV created it and man did he do a good job. It represents Paris at it's peak and it is all about the good life of France-parties, riches, and all of the finer things in life. I'm not going to try to explain it-you just have to see it for yourself.
A few hours at the Orsay (housing the greatest compilation of impressionist art in the world) found us completely satisfied with (and exhausted) from the trip and ready to crash on the night train out of town.
I have added French History to my list of "to do's" when I get back and I can hardly wait to get started. I am pretty sure I would never want to live in Paris, France, but I would jump at the chance for a return visit (although next time I'm bringing all my own food!)