Day 9- Our last morning-Easter

The plan this morning was to get up early, Kendra see her Easter goodies, and get down to Notre Dame for 8:30am mass. Took Metro at Opera to Pont Neuf and walked to Notre Dame. Long Line out front, but not for mass. We walked right in, but there was a small crowd at the back of the nave. There were no seats to sit down. 

I was expecting a very serious mass with organ music, and ladies in fine dresses and hats. Well, it was not quite that.  Every seat was taken by a group called "Scouts and Guides of France". These were all young people (maybe 17-20 years old) all wearing green or blue shirts with a bandana. The Scouts obviously had a big part in this mass. They were helping with translations at the alter, they were playing in the band (a band with a full drum set and guitars) and they were clapping and singing along.  This was not the mass I expected, but we enjoyed it.

A little at a time some of the seats began to empty out so we actually did get seated. (Oh, and no kneelers in the pews.-ahhhh.) I also expected communion to take HOURS. They had lots of help and communion was given out within 5 minutes. (many of the scouts did not take communion). With all the music and clapping and no kneelers, apparently Notre Dame is the French version of Resurrection Parish (who knew?).

Back to the room to finish packing and get on our way home, via Iceland.

 Well our flight was delayed about 3 hours at CDG Paris for a broken sink in the bathroom. We were offered sandwiches and drinks at about 2 hours and 45 minutes into the wait, but there was no time to give these out so we all boarded.

When we got to Iceland, we went through customs, and ran to our plane that had been waiting.

We arrived home about 9:30pm (about 2 hours late) Kendra checked out her "Wellesley Easter Basket" (she had worried all week whether there would be Easter at home, too), and to bed-work and school in the morning. 

Day 8

Up early again this morning, Metro from Opera to tranfer at Reaumur Seastopol, to Defert Rochereau. We wanted to arrive at The Catacombs before they opened to avoid the crowds. Apparently so did everyone else.

Here is a map of the entrance (entree) and exit (sortie) to the Catacombs and the streets above.

Another long line all the way around the park. Kendra is a trooper. It was a beautiful morning, but we had read that it was damp and about 55 degrees down in the catacombs so we wore pants and jackets. We were comfortable.

"Yippee, we're in the Catacombs"

"Halt, this is the Empire of the Dead"

Each cemetary where the bones were exumed is marked pretty clearly.

 Yup. Bones.

 And bones. (6 million body's worth down here).

Back on the Metro to Opera, to the hotel to change into warmer weather clothes.

And Lunch. Back to Entre Act. Unfortunately no room outside, so we sat inside, upstairs where the menu is different (and a whole lot more expensive). We really just wanted sandwiches. Oh well.

Back on the Metro at Opera, transfer at Madeleine and off at Abbesses to Montmartre. And, our Metro pass worked for the vernicular, phew.

 Definately the least clear day of the week. But the view was pretty amazing.

Kendra with some prints.

Seafood.



And a bakery.

 Walking downhill.

The Metro Station.

Moulin Rouge.

Some pretty cakes. I wondered, were the cakes, cookies and candies especially pretty this week because of Eastter or did they always look like this?

I had been watching the sky and it sure looked like a storm was rolling in. Jeff really wanted to head back down to the Louvre, but we got back on the Metro Blanche, to Pigalle, to Madeleine, to Opera. When we arrived at Opera, it was pouring rain. The first rain we had seen all week. We ran the 1 short block to our hotel room, changed back into warmer clothes, and the rain had stopped. That was all the rain we had seen all week. 


Back in the Metro at Opera and off at Ecole Militaire to visit Rue Cler.  Unfortunately many of the shops had closed early for the day because of Easter (Paques).

But we did find a nice cafe to have lunch. The menu was in English, the first the whole trip. Jeff and I agreed that the food didn't sound nearly as appealing in English.

And the clouds were rolling in again, but we had to walk over to say Au Revoir to Eiffel Tower.

 And finally a ride on the Effel Tower Carousel.

The lightning and thunder started and it started to drizzle, so we grabbed a cab and headed back to the hotel, but it never actually started raining.

Day 7-Versailles

Up early to get to Chateau Versailles before the 9am opening.  Took the Metro from Opera to Invalides, tranferred over to the RER and road that out to Versailles Rive Gauche.  We stopped on the way from the station to the Chateau and picked up tickets instead of waiting in line. The line/crowd to get in was very long, mostly because of bag check and scan.

The hall of mirrors.

This was the only room during the tour of the Chateau where we could walk around. Mostly it was just crowds being pushed from one room to the next. Again, people were taking pictures of everything. They never took a minute to enjoy the rooms and the history. One guy in a tour group came up behind me, rested his elbow on my shoulder and stuck his camera in my face. NO SIR. I elbowed him in the ribs and told him I was NOT his Tripod. (And see, I am giving the Americans a bad reputation).  We used the audio tour and that was helpful in learning about the history. 

The gardens were spectacular. Boy, did we pick the perfect week for the flowers.

I had read on the map that to walk from the Chateau to Marie Antoinette's house it would take about an hour. What? That could be about 3 miles. At the beginning of the week maybe, but we had been walking and walking all week. So we rented a golf cart.


Along the way we ran into a cart selling baked potatoes. I had broccoli chicken and cheese, Kendra had ham and cheese, Jeff had chili.

Two little bottles of wine, a bottle of water, a bottle of soda, and we were on our way again.

Usually the fountains only run on Sundays, but because it was school vacation week, they were running every day.

There were a few rules of the road when driving the carts, none said anything about no open containers of wine.

We thought that since Jeff and I had both had a little bit of wine, we should let Kendra drive. What could possibly go wrong?

 

Back on the RER to Paris, but the day wasn't over. Wait, it was Good Friday, we could still make it to Notre Dame in time to see the Crown of Thorns. So instead of getting off the RER at Invalides, we rode to ST-Michel Notre Dame.

There was the usual crowd to get into the tower and the usual crowd to get into the Cathedral, but we just walked right in to get in line/crowd to see the crown. (this of course is a poster).


They held it on a little pillow and each person walked up and either put their head in the middle of it (as if to wear it) or kissed it.

We then walked to the Latin Quarter for lunch at Les Deux Magots (hoping it doesn't translate the way it sounds). This was a favorite hang out of Ernest Hemingway (and is even mentioned in The Sun Also Rises) and James Morrison wrote here. It was a much bigger place than any of the other cafes where we had eaten.  Jeff had a really great salad, I had quiche, and Kendra had a ham and cheese sandwich-again.  

Easter was coming, so the candy shops were decorate with beautiful chocolates.


The. Biggest. Easter. Egg. Ever. (oh, yes, it was chocolate)

It was a busy day so we turned in a little earlier.