You’re probably wondering about the title of this post, right? I will admit, it’s a strange one. But, my Parisian saga continues and you shall soon understand.
First up this morning was la Cathédrale Notre Dame, one of the most famous churches in the world. The cornerstone of the church was laid in 1163, but it wasn’t completed until 1345. It took forever to finish, but that’s still pretty old. The building was falling into serious disrepair by the 1840’s, but was saved by the popularity of Victor Hugo’s novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame, which sparked a petition to save it. Thank goodness it worked, because the building is absolutely beautiful, inside and out! We went inside the cathedral first, walking around the edge to look into all the chapels dedicated to saints and admiring the rose windows. We sat on the benches in the nave for quite some time, taking in the grand Gothic splendor.
Next, we waited in line for half an hour to climb the 420 steps to the top of the towers. The huffing and puffing up the narrow winding stair was well worth it for the views! We could see all of Paris, from the Eiffel Tower in the distance to the Latin Quarter at our feet. While we were up there, I made sure to acquaint myself with all the gargoyles. In true Disney fashion, we are now best friends. If you ever have the chance to visit Notre Dame, definitely do the towers.
After wandering around the cathedral’s exterior (oh, the flying buttresses!) and sitting down to lunch at a café (where I had a crépe with Nutella), we found the Shakespeare & Co. bookstore–also known as heaven. The original store opened in 1919 and was the haunt of many Lost Generation writers like Ernest Hemingway, Ezra Pound, James Joyce, and F. Scott Fitzgerald. It closed in 1940 during the German occupation of Paris in World War II. The bookstore that is present today opened in 1951. It’s a true European bookstore, with delightful nooks and crannies and books shoved into each and every possible space. The place is bright and homey and you can access books on high-up shelves via movable ladders. Upstairs is a collection reading nooks–visitors can find an old book and get lost in it, if they so choose. I picked out some Christmas presents for myself (A Moveable Feast by Hemingway and a Shakespeare & Co. book bag). Upon leaving the store, my mom turned to me and said very seriously, “Now that you’ve died and gone to heaven, can I go back to the hotel and sleep?” I told her no, of course.
On a whim, we stopped in Les Amis du Musée de Cluny, which is the museum dedicated to medieval objects. We strolled through chamber after chamber of 12th-14th Century statues, tapestries, weapons, religious art, etc. Our guide-book considered it an absolute must-see, but compared to the splendor of London’s fabulous British and V&A museums, it was a bit of a letdown. I managed to get in free by showing the lady my student card, though, so that was a plus!
My mom didn’t really understand the purpose of going to our next location, the Luxembourg Gardens. On the way, I explained to her that these famous gardens are where Marius and Cosette meet in Les Miserables (book, not stage adaptation). Among the lovely walks is where their eyes meet and, in an intense moment, they fall madly in love. It’s a bit of a ridiculous moment, but Hugo’s words are so beautiful that the cheesiness falls away. The gardens are absolutely gorgeous. There’s a large pool with a fountain before a palace. Surrounding it are lots of chairs and benches. Around the circumphrance are statues of famous French women, mostly former queens and saints. While sitting there, sipping my Starbucks mocha (I have to stay energized somehow), all I could do was exclaim, “Now this… THIS is Paris!”
Our final stop of the day was a place not originally on our list. As the day wore on and I delved further into the guidebook’s section on the Latin Quarter, I became more and more convinced that we just HAD to visit the Pantheon. I even paid the entrance fee, ’cause my mom didn’t want to go. It was completely worth it. I don’t know why the guidebook only mentioned the Pantheon in passing, because it was wonderful! Much better than the Middle ages museum.
The Pantheon was originally a church dedicated to St. Genevieve, but it now serves as a secular mausoleum. Architecturally, it’s an example of neoclassicism, modeled after the Pantheon in Rome. Built in the shape of a Greek cross, inside the building is basically nothing but BIG open space. Stone floors, incredibly high stone walls, mosaics on the ceilings, and paintings on all the walls… that basically sums up the Pantheon. I thought it was absolutely beautiful and wandered around looking at all the art. Most of it depicted scenes from St. Genevieve’s life, but it had some fabulous paintings of Joan of Arc and some great statues dedicated to the Revolution.
The crypt of the Pantheon is basically the French equivalent of Westminster Abbey. Everyone who is anyone (and French) is buried down there. I didn’t know most of them, but the ones I did include Voltaire, Rousseau, and Pierre and Marie Curie. The best, though, were definitely the graves of Alexandre Dumas and Victor Hugo. Yes, that’s right, I got to see the grave of another of my literary heroes. And I was emotional. And it was beautiful.
So… that was my day in Paris! Our days continue to be long, full, and exhausting, but definitely wonderful.
In the bellow and the uproar 