Paris: Ile de la Cité

A good night's sleep performed miracles and I was ready to begin my second day in France, refreshed and free from jet lag. Our destination this morning was Ile de la Cité, the island in the River Seine where the city of Paris had its origins.

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.

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My Bucket List: Tower of Notre-Dame