On the third day, we mostly explored the Left Bank (Catacombs, Luxembourg Gardens, and Latin Quarter).
You can look at Wikipedia for most of what I have written below, but I went on a tour for Notre Dame and Ile de la Cite and am writing it all down for myself, for memories' sake.
In summary though, this was one of the best days in Paris, minus the Catacombs.
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This day started out rough for me because our first stop was the Catacombs. Scary and creepy as fuck. I mean, it's several meters underground with REAL SKELETONS of DEAD PEOPLE that are arranged IN STACKS. ON PURPOSE!! They were alive at some point! How demented is that! Well, at least I thought so. 60,000 people died there! Mike had a wonderful time taking pics with these dudes. Ew... :(
I was not happy to be there:
Anyway, the neighborhood was nice and cheery. The Catacombs were not.
We had breakfast #2 at a cafe nearby, and it was probably the biggest breakfast we had in Paris: expresso, orange juice, omelet with ham and cheese, French bread, and chocolate croissant. It was also the best chocolate croissant we had! The croissant was light and fluffy, so yum.
After eating, I went to a few clothing stores but didn't get anything. French style isn't really my style... Everything was too long for a shorty like me :/
Then we walked to Luxembourg Gardens, which was on the way to Notre Dame. Like everything else, Luxembourg Gardens was also pretty grand. It had a huge gate with gold tips.
At the center of the garden was a pond and people were sitting in chairs, on the benches, and on the grass, just enjoying the beautiful sunny day. Around the garden was a tennis court, defibrillator (haha!), and other playgrounds for sports. We walked to the center and exited through the side, and continued on our way to Notre Dame.
Along the way, we passed by Latin Quarter, quaint area with narrow, cobblestone streets and lots of cafes, shops, and restaurants. We walked through parts of it and picked out a few places for dinner. I mean, they all looked and smelled delicious...
We arrived at Ile de la Cite early so we lounged around. I was so tired by then and it was only 1pm!
Since we were the only ones who signed up, we got a private tour!! He gave us a history of Il de la Cite, the Conciergerie, Saint Chapelle and Palace of Justice (see last post). It was all so fascinating!
In short, Paris started in Ile de la Cite, and the kings used to live in the now Palace of Justice. The courts are actually in the Palace of Justice now. I said that we didn't get to go in there when we got tickets to Saint Chapelle and Conciergerie, and the tour guide said "I sure hope not, you'd only go there if you're in trouble with the law." Heh..
Our tour guide talked about the fancy clock outside of the Conciergerie. I don't remember what it meant, but it had the king's fleur-de-lis all over it. He said the king put the fleur-de-lis is public places to tell people that even though they don't think the king is there/the space is theirs, the king is still watching.
Finally, we walked to Notre Dame. Even though we were in Ile de la Cite yesterday, it was the first time we stood in front of the cathedral. I was blown away. The precision, symmetry, size, detail, and symbolism was breathtaking.
Our tour guide started by explaining that the cathedral took 180 years to complete! I guessed that it took so long due to lack of resources. But really, it took so long because of the revolutions, and architects kept redoing parts of the cathedral to perfect the architecture.
I think vaults, flying buttresses, and pointed arches were invented here to withstand the height and weight of the cathedral. It was down to the science.
Then he explained the 3 gates and statues on the facade. The 3 gates symbolized the 3 portals (don't remember what they were). The statue at the center was Mary holding Jesus like a trophy with 2 angels on either side. Mary and Jesus symbolize salvation, and whenever they are present, Adam and Eve must also be there, and they are on the left and right doors. The row of statues above the doors is called the gallery of the kings, they are statues of the Kings of France, and the architect, Viollet-le-Duc, who was charged with restoring the cathedral in 1800s, put his face on one of them.
Inside, the height was breathtaking.
Our tour guide told us more about the history inside the cathedral. The most notable one was of the wooden reliefs depicting scenes from the Bible. It was colorful unlike the rest of the cathedral, which is what Gothic architecture actually is - colorful. The reliefs weren't destroyed during the revolution because they were hidden/covered by wooden boards, and the revolutionists didn't know about it when they were there. It was only discovered when the architect, Viollet-le-Duc, removed the boards to see what he could do. So these are ORIGINAL, unlike many parts of the cathedral.
An interesting fact about the reliefs is that the figures' clothing has the king's fleur-de-lis. Even in holiness, the king is watching.
It also has one of the largest organs in the world. But the largest working organ in the world is actually in Macy's in Philadelphia ._.
ANOTHER INTERESTING STORY! was that an organist played this organ for 37 years or so. Many told him to retire because he's been through so much (i.e. he lost his leg/foot in a car accident, and he learnt to play the pedals with one foot), but he said he's going to die playing the organ (or something like that), and he had a heart attack while playing it one day.
He talked a bit about the statues inside, but I can't remember what they were.
The rose windows were beautiful, and there were 3! There was one on either side of the cathedral. One depicts the old testament and the other depicts the new testament. I think the new testament was on the East side, with the rising sun. Old light and new light. I think that was the symbolic meaning, but I can't remember for sure.
Then we circled to the back of the cathedral, and he talked about the green sculptures sprinkled at the top. I don't remember who the green sculptures are... I think they are people from the Bible, but the symbolic meaning is that they are all looking outwards towards the city of Paris to invite everyone into the cathedral. Except one of them is actually looking back at the cathedral as if in doubt, BUT it's actually the face of Viollet-le-Duc, and the story is that he is looking back at the cathedral, admiring his work.
He also showed us where there is a little statue coming out of the side of the cathedral, and it's said to be a tribute to the Hunchback of Notre Dame, a book that brought a lot of attention to the cathedral and gave it the resources it needed to be restored.
After the tour, we sat outside for a little bit to enjoy the cathedral. It really is a work of art. I can look at it all day.
Then we walked back to Luxembourg Gardens to take a nap, and we went through Latin Quarter again. We were pretty hungry by then and got a crepe with ham and cheese. Omg, the guy overloaded it with cheese, and it was the best crepe we had so far!
On our way back to the Gardens, we happened across Sainte-Sulpice Church. We had no idea what it was at the time because it wasn't on the map. Only this happens in Europe (at least in Italy and France). Like hey there, I'm a big historical monument/church/building just chilling in the middle of the city. People pass by me all the time!
When we finally got to Luxembourg Gardens, I thought my feet were going to fall off. I was so pooped! We found 2 chairs and power napped for like 15-20 minutes, until security made its rounds to get everyone out of the Garden for closing.
Then we walked back to Latin Quarter to have dinner. We took a different path this time, got lost, and had to take a detour. It was freezing! And I was so happy when we finally arrived.
I wanted to try fondue and picked a place that is recommended by TripAdvisor. I don't remember the name of the place.
We had a 3 course meal - escargot, meat fondue, skirt steak, and chocolate mousse. I thought the escargot was okay, it tasted like pesto, but Mike loved it and thought it was really flavorful. I think I like Chinese snails more :P
Meat fondue was really fun. I didn't really know what to expect, but I wanted to try something new. The waiter brought us a plate of sliced steak and boiling oil in a fondue pot. Dangerous work I tell you! The meat was flavorless, but Mike made it better by coating it in the dipping sauce they gave us and then frying it.
I really enjoyed the tender skirt steak and ate most of it. Plus, it was covered by a ton of onions, and Mike hates onions :P
The chocolate mousse was decadent. I was dying from overstuffing myself, but it was so so good.
Ended the night with some drinks, and everything was good :)
You can look at Wikipedia for most of what I have written below, but I went on a tour for Notre Dame and Ile de la Cite and am writing it all down for myself, for memories' sake.
In summary though, this was one of the best days in Paris, minus the Catacombs.
---
This day started out rough for me because our first stop was the Catacombs. Scary and creepy as fuck. I mean, it's several meters underground with REAL SKELETONS of DEAD PEOPLE that are arranged IN STACKS. ON PURPOSE!! They were alive at some point! How demented is that! Well, at least I thought so. 60,000 people died there! Mike had a wonderful time taking pics with these dudes. Ew... :(
I was not happy to be there:
Anyway, the neighborhood was nice and cheery. The Catacombs were not.
We had breakfast #2 at a cafe nearby, and it was probably the biggest breakfast we had in Paris: expresso, orange juice, omelet with ham and cheese, French bread, and chocolate croissant. It was also the best chocolate croissant we had! The croissant was light and fluffy, so yum.
After eating, I went to a few clothing stores but didn't get anything. French style isn't really my style... Everything was too long for a shorty like me :/
Then we walked to Luxembourg Gardens, which was on the way to Notre Dame. Like everything else, Luxembourg Gardens was also pretty grand. It had a huge gate with gold tips.
At the center of the garden was a pond and people were sitting in chairs, on the benches, and on the grass, just enjoying the beautiful sunny day. Around the garden was a tennis court, defibrillator (haha!), and other playgrounds for sports. We walked to the center and exited through the side, and continued on our way to Notre Dame.
Along the way, we passed by Latin Quarter, quaint area with narrow, cobblestone streets and lots of cafes, shops, and restaurants. We walked through parts of it and picked out a few places for dinner. I mean, they all looked and smelled delicious...
We arrived at Ile de la Cite early so we lounged around. I was so tired by then and it was only 1pm!
Since we were the only ones who signed up, we got a private tour!! He gave us a history of Il de la Cite, the Conciergerie, Saint Chapelle and Palace of Justice (see last post). It was all so fascinating!
In short, Paris started in Ile de la Cite, and the kings used to live in the now Palace of Justice. The courts are actually in the Palace of Justice now. I said that we didn't get to go in there when we got tickets to Saint Chapelle and Conciergerie, and the tour guide said "I sure hope not, you'd only go there if you're in trouble with the law." Heh..
Our tour guide talked about the fancy clock outside of the Conciergerie. I don't remember what it meant, but it had the king's fleur-de-lis all over it. He said the king put the fleur-de-lis is public places to tell people that even though they don't think the king is there/the space is theirs, the king is still watching.
Finally, we walked to Notre Dame. Even though we were in Ile de la Cite yesterday, it was the first time we stood in front of the cathedral. I was blown away. The precision, symmetry, size, detail, and symbolism was breathtaking.
Our tour guide started by explaining that the cathedral took 180 years to complete! I guessed that it took so long due to lack of resources. But really, it took so long because of the revolutions, and architects kept redoing parts of the cathedral to perfect the architecture.
I think vaults, flying buttresses, and pointed arches were invented here to withstand the height and weight of the cathedral. It was down to the science.
Then he explained the 3 gates and statues on the facade. The 3 gates symbolized the 3 portals (don't remember what they were). The statue at the center was Mary holding Jesus like a trophy with 2 angels on either side. Mary and Jesus symbolize salvation, and whenever they are present, Adam and Eve must also be there, and they are on the left and right doors. The row of statues above the doors is called the gallery of the kings, they are statues of the Kings of France, and the architect, Viollet-le-Duc, who was charged with restoring the cathedral in 1800s, put his face on one of them.
Inside, the height was breathtaking.
Our tour guide told us more about the history inside the cathedral. The most notable one was of the wooden reliefs depicting scenes from the Bible. It was colorful unlike the rest of the cathedral, which is what Gothic architecture actually is - colorful. The reliefs weren't destroyed during the revolution because they were hidden/covered by wooden boards, and the revolutionists didn't know about it when they were there. It was only discovered when the architect, Viollet-le-Duc, removed the boards to see what he could do. So these are ORIGINAL, unlike many parts of the cathedral.
An interesting fact about the reliefs is that the figures' clothing has the king's fleur-de-lis. Even in holiness, the king is watching.
It also has one of the largest organs in the world. But the largest working organ in the world is actually in Macy's in Philadelphia ._.
ANOTHER INTERESTING STORY! was that an organist played this organ for 37 years or so. Many told him to retire because he's been through so much (i.e. he lost his leg/foot in a car accident, and he learnt to play the pedals with one foot), but he said he's going to die playing the organ (or something like that), and he had a heart attack while playing it one day.
He talked a bit about the statues inside, but I can't remember what they were.
The rose windows were beautiful, and there were 3! There was one on either side of the cathedral. One depicts the old testament and the other depicts the new testament. I think the new testament was on the East side, with the rising sun. Old light and new light. I think that was the symbolic meaning, but I can't remember for sure.
Then we circled to the back of the cathedral, and he talked about the green sculptures sprinkled at the top. I don't remember who the green sculptures are... I think they are people from the Bible, but the symbolic meaning is that they are all looking outwards towards the city of Paris to invite everyone into the cathedral. Except one of them is actually looking back at the cathedral as if in doubt, BUT it's actually the face of Viollet-le-Duc, and the story is that he is looking back at the cathedral, admiring his work.
He also showed us where there is a little statue coming out of the side of the cathedral, and it's said to be a tribute to the Hunchback of Notre Dame, a book that brought a lot of attention to the cathedral and gave it the resources it needed to be restored.
After the tour, we sat outside for a little bit to enjoy the cathedral. It really is a work of art. I can look at it all day.
Then we walked back to Luxembourg Gardens to take a nap, and we went through Latin Quarter again. We were pretty hungry by then and got a crepe with ham and cheese. Omg, the guy overloaded it with cheese, and it was the best crepe we had so far!
On our way back to the Gardens, we happened across Sainte-Sulpice Church. We had no idea what it was at the time because it wasn't on the map. Only this happens in Europe (at least in Italy and France). Like hey there, I'm a big historical monument/church/building just chilling in the middle of the city. People pass by me all the time!
When we finally got to Luxembourg Gardens, I thought my feet were going to fall off. I was so pooped! We found 2 chairs and power napped for like 15-20 minutes, until security made its rounds to get everyone out of the Garden for closing.
Then we walked back to Latin Quarter to have dinner. We took a different path this time, got lost, and had to take a detour. It was freezing! And I was so happy when we finally arrived.
I wanted to try fondue and picked a place that is recommended by TripAdvisor. I don't remember the name of the place.
We had a 3 course meal - escargot, meat fondue, skirt steak, and chocolate mousse. I thought the escargot was okay, it tasted like pesto, but Mike loved it and thought it was really flavorful. I think I like Chinese snails more :P
Meat fondue was really fun. I didn't really know what to expect, but I wanted to try something new. The waiter brought us a plate of sliced steak and boiling oil in a fondue pot. Dangerous work I tell you! The meat was flavorless, but Mike made it better by coating it in the dipping sauce they gave us and then frying it.
I really enjoyed the tender skirt steak and ate most of it. Plus, it was covered by a ton of onions, and Mike hates onions :P
The chocolate mousse was decadent. I was dying from overstuffing myself, but it was so so good.
Ended the night with some drinks, and everything was good :)