Day 2: The Marais

My next day in Paris started off late, as both me and my mom slept until the late morning. For whatever reason I found the time difference between NYC and Paris to be way harder to deal with than the one between NYC and New Delhi!

Breakfast was had at a local Montmartre cafe, where neither my mother or I had any idea of what we were ordering. My mom wound up with some god-awful squid salad. Luckily, my dish was a much tamer and less sea-food laden pasta.

The day's goal was a walk around the Marais Quarter. Once an area of marshland and swamp, the Marais grew in importance from the fourteenth century onward because of it's location near the Louvre, which used to be a fort. It became quite popular and fashionable with the wealthy in the seventeenth century, and plenty of beautiful and majestic old houses still stand along the Marais's cobblestone streets.

First stop was the imposing Hotel de Ville, home to Paris's city council. Our trip had unintentionally coincided with a celebration of the liberation of Paris during WWII, and a huge celebration was being readied in front of the building. It had been fenced off, seats had been set out, burly guards were standing everywhere, and a huge flat screen monitor and tv had been placed to project images of the mayor, who would later be speaking there.

Anyway, I didn't get a very up-close look at the building, but what I did see was impressive. The building was so large I couldn't fit all of it into a single shot with my camera. Taut french flags snapped in the wind, and the sky was a beautiful shade of bright blue. Perfect!

An aimless stroll through the Marais followed, with me marveling at the little botique shops, winding streets and all the little pots of flowers people had placed out everwhere. Expensive cafes promoted their steaming cups of coffee and pastries, which proved very hard to resist.

We passed the Musee Carnavalet along the way, although didn't stop to check out the contents of the museum.

Our next stop was a lengthy one at the incomparable Place des Vosges. Magnificent! I loved it here so much I ended up taking a nap in the bright green grass that fills the place.

The Place des Vosges is like stepping back into time. A perfectly formed square surrounded by 36 houses (9 on each side), it is considered one of the most beautiful spots in Paris and one of the most lovely squares in the world. The houses are beautiful, linked up arm in arm and standing tall around the fountain laden park at the center of the Place des Vosges. The entire area is over 400 years old, including the houses.

I can't stress how much I loved this place. It was like being transported to a magical little spot back in time. The fountains were charming, the grass was soft and welcoming, and well coiffed trees (there's no other way to describe them) ringed the perimeter of the park. A look upwards revealed perfectly blue sky; a look to any side showcased a straight row of historical houses that stood tall and proud.

I loved watching all the people who gathered here. There were families and their babies, couples strolling hand in hand, friends eating picnic lunches, teenagers meeting up for an afternoon get together, and old folks who sat quietly under the shade of the trees. There were also plenty of tourists milling about with their cameras and maps of Paris, but most were European, so it didn't feel as intrusive to see them for some reason.

After my nap I listened to a local string orchestra play in the square. They were a musical, well trained group who played classical favorites with flair and style. Needless to say, I was impressed.

My mother and I then poked around until we found the Maison de Victor Hugo, the old residence of the great writer. We didn't go inside (I'm not that huge a fan of the author), but it was fun to touch the plaque that carried Hugo's name on it. Hugo had lived here in the years 1832 - 1848. What a nice place to live!

It was already quite late in the day at this point, and after stopping for some delicious homemade chocolate, I decided to try one of those free automatic toilets that the Paris guidebooks are always boasting about. They are basically self cleaning glorified porta-potties that are hunkered down on the sidewalks of Paris.

It took some figuring out and mashing of buttons, but I finally was able to get into one, only to be greeted with the smell of bleach and the damp interiors of a freshly sprayed toilet and sink. The experience was utterly revolting. It didn't help that I'd heard someone had died in one, and I was so paranoid about flushing the toilet that I made sure to time it to the moment I was about the step outside of the bleach smelling hell. I was NOT going to die an unglorious death in a toilet!

Before sunset I took a Batobus ride down the Seine, getting off at Notre Dame just as the sun was setting and the church's bells were tolling. It was a perfect end to a day filled with exploration and new sights. Ah, Paris!

day 1 continued: sainte chappelle, pont neuf, and more.

Next on the list for my first day in Paris was a visit to the incomparable Sainte Chappelle. I had heard it was pretty, but nothing prepared me for how monumentally gorgeous the chapel was.

Consecrated in the year 1248, the church is a Gothic masterpiece. It was built to house holy relics, including Christ's crown of thorns. Sainte Chappelle has been called (and perhaps rightfully so) "one of the greatest architectural masterpieces of the Western world," at least according to several of my guidebooks. Next to India's Taj Mahal and the skyline of Manhattan, it is indeed one of the most beautiful man-made sights I have witnessed.

The church is built in two stories. The bottom half was for the common folk. Decorated with incredibly rich hues of red, blue and gold, this worship area is magnificent. Painted stars hover against the blue ceilings, giving those inside the feeling of floating in space. Columns and arches are painted red with gold details. The colors are astounding, and must have been astonishing for the commoners who came here in the drab years of the middle ages.

It is the upper level reserved for royalty, however, that has made the chapel famous. Beautiful stained glass windows that are an incredible 50 feet long portray over 1,000 religious scenes including Genesis, Christ's Passion and a rose window depicting the Apocalypse. These windows serve as a visual Bible, telling the stories of the Old and New Testaments with grace, dignity and artistic mastery.

Even the floors are decorated, covered in colored tiles that have glittering centers that depict things like castles. I stood rooted in one spot, looking at each tile around me, amazed at how unique each and every one was.

If you haven't seen photographs of Sainte Chappelle, I highly recommend looking some up online. This is a place that one has to see in order to believe. I was so enchanted with it that I almost believed I was suspended somewhere in heaven.

The chapel is located very close to another famous spot which I visited, Conciergerie. Originally a medival building, it was used during the Revolution as a prison. Marie Antoinette was one of the building's famous prisoners.

It was expensive to get in and honestly not very worth it. It was mildly interesting to see a reconstruction of the ill fated queen's holding cell, and the impressive Salle des Gens d'Armes was striking. However, I wouldn't recommend paying the bloated entry fee to see the place. The vibes were bad, the general atmosphere was horribly depressing, and it kind of sucked to walk around in a carefree manner over the floors where hundreds of people had once paced waiting their executions.

I do heartily recommend a stop at the Crypte Archeologique, which is based at the entrance of Notre Dame. It stretches 393 feet underground, and contains the ruins of ancient Paris. Traces of the ancient Parisii settlement that existed 2000 years ago are here, as well as Roman ruins and an old street that was demolished several hundred years ago. It is an accessible and enlightening place to visit, and it is exciting to get so close to history.

Another Ile de Cite sight worth seeing is the Pont Neuf. This bridge is the oldest in Paris and has been immortalized in books and art for centuries. An imposing statue of Henri IV stands in the middle of the bridge. I highly suggest a stroll over the bridge. It has a wonderful vantage point and it's fun to wave at all the boats that chug underneath.

Finally, the Square Jean XXIII is a charming spot for a picnic lunch and the Flower Market has some interesting floral specimens.

I adored this part of Paris, and found the small size, easy to navigate streets and tourist friendly cafes added bonuses.

Paris: Day One (part I)

Paris, Paris, beautiful Paris ... you are a lovely city, with your parks and palaces and places of note. There are many things that make you magnificent. The Seine River, flowing right through your middle, bristling with boats and barges. There is Notre Dame with her gray towers and soaring spires. The Eiffel Tower, impressive and tall, floating above your sprawling streets. It's no wonder so many people have had a love affair with you. Countless names have adored you, from great artists, writers, musicians, political figures to long dead kings. Paris certainly claims many ardent admirers.

There's the Paris of films like Moulin Rouge, all flash and fizzle. There is the Paris of the literary world, found in works such as The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Tropic of Cancer. And then there's the personal Paris, the city that one gets to know from experience. This is the true Paris, the ultimate Paris, the version of France that is every bit as rich and enchanting as in the books or movies.

My Paris began on a mild evening, sometime shortly after 9pm local time. This acquaintance between me and France began on a rather discomforting note as me and my mother tried to wrangle through the hassles of clearing customs, changing currency and catching a cab. Luckily we managed these tasks, despite the herds of people (and dogs) flooding the airport. Lesson one learned in Paris: the French love their pets.

Our cab driver was a friendly enough guy, wary of our horrible French but game to try out his mildly awful English. He pointed out a few sights such as "zee football arena" during our trip out to Montmartre, where our hotel was. 35 Euros and several attempts at a conversation in broken English later, we were deposited at the hotel and quickly went off to sleep.

My first official day in Paris began with dark clouds, a sullen sky and rain. It was cold, I had the wrong shoes for the weather and no umbrella. Bummer. I wanted sunshine! and white clouds, but no such luck. So it was in this rather atmospheric and appropriately gothic weather that I set out to see what is perhaps one of the world's most famous medival cathedrals. Notre Dame is an iconic structure, and as the star of books, post cards and movie plots, was the very first 'Must See' stop on my list.

Notre Dame is located on a little island in the middle of the Seine River known as 'Ile de la cite'. It was where the original settlement of Paris was located back in the pre-Roman and Roman days. The Ile de la cite is charming and has an old world feel to it, which makes sense for a place that is so full of ancient buildings.

Notre Dame itself was imposing, to the point where it was almost impossible to take it all in. The exterior is intricately carved with the figures of kings and saints, and the three large doorways leading to the interior were decorative masterpieces. Lines of people stood all along the front and sides, staring up in wonder.

The interior was dark and awe inspiring. The vaulted ceilings were so high above my head that I had to literally bend my neck all the way back just to be able to look. The famous stained glass windows beamed colored lights on to the floor, despite the rain and dreary weather.

Incredibly beautiful works of art lined the sides of the cathedral, with various chapels-within-the-cathedral given over to a particular religious figure. Candles flickered underneath the richly painted bodies of the saints, left by the pious visitors who wanted a little heavenly help on their travels or for loved ones. A few spiritual souls prayed on bended knees in front of the flickering flames.

The middle of the church was given over to rows and rows of seating. Mass is still given at Notre Dame, and there is usually a priest present to do services and take confession. (In fact, there were one or two confessional booths that had signs taped to them telling the time/languages spoken by the priest on hand.)

I didn't do the steps up to the towers of Notre Dame or the visit to the treasury, which required payment. I did donate a few euros to the church as an act of charity, however. I also paid out the leg for a book of postcards -- but how could I not? The place was magic!

My over all impression of Notre Dame was that it was a place of great beauty, rich art and a powerful religious tradition. The reverence people had for the church was delightful to see. Even little kids knew this was a special place.