A trip to France usually means passing through Paris. It’s the perfect chance to visit a few places in the capital.
We start at Place de la Bastille, then move on to Place des Vosges and Saint-Paul. Crossing the Seine, we reach Île Saint-Louis and soon find ourselves on the forecourt of Notre-Dame. We were hoping to visit the cathedral after its renovation, but the line stretches all the way to Petit Pont. I hadn’t realized that August 15 is a religious holiday — another time, then! We take a break at a café in Saint-Michel, then head to Saint-Sulpice. Walking back, we stop at Saint-Germain-des-Prés church. I had never been inside before — what a great surprise! It too has benefited from a recent restoration, and the paintings are dazzling.
We continue north toward the Louvre. After waiting a bit in front of the glass pyramid, we grab lunch once inside. Map and audio guides in hand, we dive into the crowd. The museum is packed! And there are only a handful of restrooms. It’s easy to get lost. The audio guide isn’t user-friendly. And nowhere does it say that the 2nd floor and basement close at 6 p.m., while the rest stays open until 9 (late hours on Fridays)! The setup in front of the Mona Lisa is poorly thought out too — you have to fight your way to the front, instead of moving along a corridor that would let everyone see her “up close”. In short, nothing works in this museum! At least the buildings and the art remains. And what art! Sculptures, paintings, and objects of all kinds — there’s something for everyone. I’m especially struck by David’s canvases.
The next day, we start in Odéon. We walk through the Latin Quarter and Luxembourg Gardens, stopping for a crêpe at Petit Josselin on the way. As delicious as ever! Then we hop on Line 6 to Bir-Hakeim. We walk under the Eiffel Tower (basically, Tokyo Tower without the colors) and along the Seine, crossing it eventually. Palais de Tokyo, rue Montaigne, a bit of the Champs-Élysées.
We take the metro again, this time to Montmartre. Getting off at Blanche, we wander the hilly streets, climb the stairs to Sacré-Cœur, and visit the basilica. We circle around Place du Tertre, then meet some friends at a local brasserie, right across from the double staircase at Lamarck–Caulaincourt station.
Ten days later, before heading back to Kyoto, we pass through Paris and its airport again for an afternoon. We visit Les Halles and the imposing church of Saint-Eustache, then take a nap on the deck chairs at Paris Plage.
One response
The nap on the beach was really きもちいい. Although the Louvre was crowded, I would still like to go there a thousand times. But I like the cute and romantic Montmartre the most.