Our objective for today was to make our way over to Notre Dame. Traditionally we like to visit on a Sunday morning so that we can light "remembrance" candles for loved ones who are now gone. We had heard that the entire plaza in front of Notre Dame was filled with platforms and bleachers in preparation for festivities to recognize the 850th anniversary of the cathedral. (It was in 1153A.D. that the cornerstone of Notre Dame was laid.) Sure enough--as we crossed over the Seine, there was the cathedral of Notre Dame and there also were those offending structures!
What are they thinking!
Couple that with a hoard of Sunday morning tourists, and we concluded that we'd need to find another church in which to light our candles, since there was another Disneyworld line stretching across the plaza. (Those of you who know him, know that Lloyd doesn't "do" long lines).
The crowds at Notre Dame
We were pleased that the "Point Zero" disc was not covered by the bleachers. Long ago we heard a story that if one lightly touches the brass plaque in front of Notre Dame, then the touch-er is guaranteed to return to Paris. Is it true? We're not sure, but we don't like to take a chance, and so far, it seems to be working. Factoid: "Point Zero" is the point, it is said, from which all distances in France are measured. Before there was a plaque, 2300 years ago, it was the center of Paris when the Parisii, a Celtic tribe, fished where the east-west river crossed a north-west road. But the Romans conquered the Parisii and built their Temple of Jupiter where Notre Dame stands today.
If you look closely, you can still see the designation as "Point Zero"
Lloyd was pleased that even though his photos of Notre Dame are partially blocked with large blue structures, his favorite statue of Charlemagne still stands guard at the side of the front plaza. Lloyd snaps this same photo on every visit--could there possibly be a French connection?
Charlemagne the Great
On the long walk over to Notre Dame, a brief shower managed to find us in the city. Of course, after checking the weather forecast while still back at the apartment, I had convinced Lloyd that we didn't need to carry our umbrellas any more. What was I thinking! So the only logical thing to do was to pop into a café for a brief café au lait. We were beside Le Pre au Clercs, known to be one of Hemingway's hangouts, not that that really mattered to us. We were just happy to stay dry until the shower passed us by.
JoAnn enjoys a mid-morning coffee break
Lloyd, too, enjoyed the break.
Usually we would spend the remainder of the afternoon strolling up the Champs Elysees, but since the day had grown cloudy so we decided to take a bus back to our 'hood and re-plan the day. On previous trips, traipsing about the city was usually accomplished by both walking and taking the Metro. But recently, Joan Grace, a good friend and frequent Paris traveler, convinced us to try the local bus system. We are now converts. It's like taking a tour bus around the city. Whereas the Metro travels completely underground, the bus route allows one to see all the sights along the way. We boarded the #69 bus across from the Hotel de Ville (city hall), in front of the BHV department store that is closed on Sunday, proceeded up the rue de Rivoli , turned left in front of the Louvre, and across the Seine to our "side" of Paris.
The Louvre Pyramid from the window of the bus.
Everyone had to exit the bus about 4 blocks before our regular stop and we couldn't figure out why.
I've been fighting off a sore throat, thanks to those brisk winds we experienced in Flavigny. So, after lunch, rather than wear ourselves out, we decided to spend the afternoon reading, journaling, and blogging.
More Sunday observations:
On our walk to Notre Dame, at a park in front of the Invalides, typically there are groups of men who gather for a weekly game of boules, the French version of bocce. Given the sunny morning, today was no exception.
Why aren't these men in church on Sunday morning?
We see dogs (chien) everywhere. The most popular are small ones, and though I've not done an "official" survey, within that category, it seems that the dachshund is the favored breed. So it was a surprise to see this beautiful white Standard Poodle--the first poodle we've seen since we've been here.
Trust me, this dog (on the left) was a real beauty.
And speaking of things we rarely see, this 4-piece jazz ensemble playing on rue Buci, very near the open-air market, drew a crowd (and hopefully a few spare Euro coins.)
We may see these fellows on "France Has Talent", if there such a thing. They were very good.
Bon nuit. (Good night)
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