Triomphe & Tribulation
Tuesday was dedicated to the simple goal of waiting in the long line to get inside the newly reopened Notre-Dame Cathedral. As you probably know, Pope Francis died on Easter Sunday, and Easter Monday is a public holiday in France. So what do you suppose the country’s most significant Catholic Church did all day Tuesday? Yep! We got up early and made the journey down to the cathedral only to find a person with a bullhorn telling everyone the cathedral was closed for a day of mourning and mass.
We quickly switched over to our Wednesday agenda and headed for the Arc de Triomphe. Amanda agreed to go up only if there was a lift. The website said there was, so she agreed. Here are some of the 284 steps up to the terrace. Turns out the lift was reserved for people with limited mobility only.
Once on top, Amanda had to reluctantly agree that this is probably the best viewpoint in all of Paris. This is looking down Avenue des Champs-Élysées.
The Eiffel Tower is much higher, but there is something about the Arc’s central position that really makes the view extra special.
With rain forecasted for Wednesday, the cathedral being closed was a blessing in disguise, as we had gorgeous weather today.
Montmartre and Basilica of the Sacré-Cœur on the hill in the distance.
Beneath the Arc de Triomphe, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier holds an unidentified member of the French armed forces killed during the First World War to symbolically commemorate all soldiers who have died for France throughout history.
Afterward we strolled down the Champs-Élysées. Here we saw they were doing a complete make over on the Yves Saint Laurent store. Checkout how they covered the façade while they work!
From the triumph of the Arc to the sadness of the Place de la Concorde.
These days the country and city prefer to emphasize the artistic obelisk and twin fountains, but this was the square where people were executed by the guillotine during the French Revolution.
The Luxor Obelisks are a pair of ancient Egyptian obelisks over 3,000 years old carved to stand either side of the portal of the Luxor Temple in the reign of Ramesses II (c. 1250 BC). The right-hand (western) stone was moved in 1836 to the Place de la Concorde in Paris, while the left-hand (eastern) obelisk remains in its location in Egypt. The obelisk is covered with hieroglyphs celebrating the reign of Pharaoh Ramses II. The bronze plaques on the base illustrate the techniques used for its transport from Egypt.
Of the 2,498 persons guillotined in Paris during the Revolution, 1,119 were executed on the Place de la Concorde. This is the plaque commemorating where Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were executed.
Cool halo around the sun.
Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel in front of the Louvre.
On the Pont des Artes—the bridge that once had thousands of padlocks attached to it. In 2015, the city removed the locks from the bridge's railings due to safety concerns and structural damage caused by their weight. The locks were replaced with glass panels to prevent them from being reattached. Behind us is Île de la Cité.
Some of the many Bouquinistes of Paris (booksellers of Paris) along the banks of the River Seine.
One more quick stop in Shakespeare and Company. I love all the things that are not allowed inside and the one thing that is!
Notre-Dame as seen from Square René Viviani across the Left Bank.
A little afternoon snack.
We had dinner at MESA de HOY restaurant, which was conveniently close to our apartment.
The front is half café, half flower shop.
Broccolini tempura with "Romesco" sauce.
Pasta "cacio e pepe" shitake. Amanda liked it, but thought it was a bit on the bland side (and that’s coming from Amanda!).
Oyster mushroom tacos with "salsa macha.” Oh man, were these good!
Chocolate cake, vanilla sauce, and whipped cream—phenomenal!
It occurred to us that someone may want to visit us and not know how to get to our apartment. When you exit the Pigalle Métro station, look for the bright orange Pharmacie with the Trigra Man pills advertised in the front window.
Continue passed the pharmacie until you see the large red and yellow flashing Sex Shop sign. Turn right, and we’re halfway up the block on the right. We love and miss you all and will see you soon!
