Ile de la Cité, Paris |
Before crossing the river via Pont d'Arcole, we stopped by the Welcome Centre at the Hotel de Ville for a city map and to buy our Museum Passes. As with many sites in France these days, visitors must pass through security screening before entering the building. Once inside, a clerk informed us that the Louvre was closed that day because workers were striking over excessive crowds at the museum. Fortunately we'd planned our visit with Mona Lisa for another day.
Hotel de Ville |
From Pont d'Arcole it was a short walk to Notre-Dame de Paris which is now under police watch and walled off from onlookers. The 800-year old cathedral looks much better than I expected after the devastating fire in April that destroyed its roof and spire. The two towers, however, appear to be unscathed. I'm very lucky to have had the opportunity to visit the historic cathedral and climb its tower on previous visits to Paris.
Batobus on the River Seine |
Notre-Dame de Paris |
Behind Notre-Dame at the eastern tip of Ile de la Cité is a memorial to the people who were deported from Vichy France to Nazi concentration camps during WWII, the Deportation Memorial. The solemn underground site features a long passageway, lined with an illuminated crystal for each of the 200,000 victims.
Deportation Memorial |
Barred Window Overlooking the Seine |
Memorial Entrance |
Back at ground level, the sunshine and beauty of Paris were a vivid contrast to the horrors of war.
We carried on across another bridge for better views of Notre-Dame from the other side of Ile de la Cité, on the Left Bank of the Seine or Rive Gauche. From here you can clearly see that the roof and spire are gone. I bought a vintage postcard of the cathedral from when it was still intact.
Notre-Dame de Paris |
Notre-Dame de Paris |
Vintage Postcard of Notre-Dame de Paris (1910) |
The Left Bank of Paris is known for secondhand books and the green metal stalls, or bouquinistes, that have clustered around the banks of the Seine since the 1500s. It's also home to the famous bookstore Shakespeare and Company.
Left Bank Bouquiniste |
Shakespeare and Company Bookstore |
In front of the bookstore stands one of the city's many Wallace Fountains, the green public drinking fountains donated by English philanthropist Sir Richard Wallace.
Wallace Fountain (1900) |
From Shakespeare and Company we crossed back over to Ile de la Cité and the equestrian statue of Henry IV which rises above the western tip of the island. This king was responsible for building the Pont Neuf, the oldest bridge in Paris; Square du Vert-Galant, a small park behind the statue; and quiet Place Dauphine.
Statue of Henry IV |
Pont Neuf, the Oldest Bridge in Paris |
Square du Vert-Galant |
Place Dauphine |
Circling back towards Pont d'Arcole we passed the oldest public clock in Paris (the mechanism dates from 1334), Sainte-Chapelle and the Palais de Justice before making a detour through the Marché aux Fleurs, Fl0wer Market. I especially loved the colourful displays of hydrangeas!
Oldest Public Clock in Paris |
Sainte-Chapelle and Palais de Justice |
Wallace Fountain at the Flower Market |
Marché aux Fleurs, Flower Market |
It was time for lunch. We walked north a few blocks from Ile de la Cité to the Pompidou Centre where nearby Creperie Beaubourg serves up savoury buckwheat galettes and sweet dessert crepes, specialties of the Brittany region of France. Portions are large enough to share. As a bonus, the restaurant's shady outdoor terrace overlooks the whimsical Stravinsky Fountain.
Creperie Beaubourg |
Stravinsky Fountain |
Savoury Buckwheat Galette with Ham & Cheese |
Apple and Cinnamon Dessert Crepe |
After a relaxing lunch we returned to the hotel to freshen up before meeting the group we'd be joining for a weeklong tour of Normandy, Brittany and the Loire Valley. The evening began with dinner at a restaurant near the Pantheon, followed by a motor coach tour of the city.
French Onion Soup |
The Pantheon |
Sunset on the Champs-Elysees |
As the sun set behind the Arc de Triomphe, my thoughts turned with trepidation to the high temperatures forecasted for the following day and our planned visit to the Palace of Versailles.
Related Post:
My Bucket List: Tower of Notre-Dame
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