An Atlas in My Purse: Europe Report #2

What is it that makes Europe so fascinating to North Americans?

Is it the personal history many of us recognize? Those of us who are descendants of Europeans often feel a hunger for the European roots we lost when our ancestors crossed the Atlantic to settle in North America, whether that was 20 years ago or 200 years ago.

Perhaps it is the deeper European history that isn't so noticeable in places like Toronto. Yes, we may know about Muddy York and even about Carrying Place, but there are no cathedrals there that pre-date John Cabot or Samuel Champlain.

Or, maybe it's that famous je ne sais quoi that Europe has. Fashion. Culture. Architecture. Cool cars. Elegant restaurants on every curb.

No, I think I've figured it out. It's the bakeries! There's nothing that says Europe to me more than walking into a local bakery and asking for a warm, crusty loaf of bread for my next meal! And the cheese! Don't get me started...

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Our apartment was just a couple blocks
from the Eiffel Tower.

Arriving in Paris and Driving into Town

We reached Paris safely on Saturday at about noon. It took quite a while to make our way through the police check/customs and then longer to wait for our suitcases to finally arrive. In the meantime, the fact that the Kid had left her Obus Form on the plane caused us a bit of panic. The very kind baggage service people in the terminal did a wonderful job cajoling the staff in or near the plane to look for it and they returned it to the Kid much sooner than I'd hoped.

We were soon picked up by the Renault people and driven to our car. It took about five minutes for us to sign for the new van we had reserved through their buy-back program. We had a quick lesson on the intricacies of our vehicle, we loaded her up and off we went to our apartment in downtown Paris.

Our on-board GPS unit took us there flawlessly. A very cultured English voice told us when and where to turn, leading us along the highways from the airport to the city, then through the manic Place d'Etoile (the unbelievable traffic circle around the Arc de Triomphe) and down leafy residential streets, across the Seine River just beside the Victory Flame that has become a de facto memorial to Princess Diana, then three blocks south and -- voila! -- there we are.

Getting Settled

We knew there would be no parking spaces, so Dad pulled up in a pedestrian crossing at the end of the street while I went inside and figured out how to access the apartment. A few moments later I appeared, triumphantly holding the apartment key, and we began to off load our luggage. Dad unloaded the car, Mom held the building door, I maneuvered the luggage into the tiny elevator (only big enough to hold two very friendly people) and sent them up to the Kid who took them out of the elevator before sending it down to me for another load, and dragged them into the small, fourth floor apartment.

Once everything had been sent upstairs (including Mom), Dad and I drove the car to the nearby underground garage. It cost us about 90 Euros to park for five days -- pricey, but we won't have to think about driving through crazy Paris traffic or looking in vain for parking spots. We don't plan to use the car again until Wednesday morning when we head out of the city.

Dad and I also collected a few groceries from the stores in a nearby shopping street -- cereal, cream, cheese, milk, yoghurt, butter, some fresh veggies, cooked chicken and, believe it or not, a box of matzah (Dad's choice). We also picked up bread (yeah!) and fruit tarts at a wonderful bakery. This food will see us through several meals over the next few days. But for our first meal in Paris, Dad and I ordered crêpes from the crêperie next to our building door. The charming owner cooked our crêpes to order and we had a fine feast.

Gospel Dream Concert

Then Mom and the Kid rested, but Dad and I headed back across the Seine and up avenue Georges V to the American Cathedral in Paris for a concert. An ensemble called Gospel Dream sang spirituals and black Gospel music (from Africa and North America). It was wonderful! The cathedral was surprisingly full -- I heard more French speakers than English. There were Swedish-speakers standing in line behind us. The music was amazing! There was no sound system and the only instrumental accompaniment was a little sax and a little keyboard. About 12 vocalists and the leader (who also sang) performed with energy and spirit. Wow, what an evening. Our sense was that most, if not all, of the performers were believers and sang with conviction. One of the songs we enjoyed went, "I'm heading for heaven and I'm walking on the King's highway" They ended with, "Oh happy day, when Jesus washed my sins away." Even though Dad and I were struggling to overcome our jet lag when we reached the church, we left entirely energized and hummed all the way home.

The Eiffel Tower

The next morning we all slept in, had a lazy breakfast and then headed out to the Eiffel Tower which is only a couple of blocks away. The breeze off the river was cool enough that we wore our jackets, but the sky was a perfect blue dome. The Eiffel Tower was truly amazing, even for my second time. After standing in line nearly an hour, we purchased our tickets and headed for the elevator up to the first view level. How breathtaking it is to see the city spread out before you. After admiring the view, we headed up the central elevator to the very top. Wow! It's almost too much to take in. I knew what I was looking at because of my visit here with Megan almost ten years ago, but it was harder for the others. I was able to point out different buildings and monuments to them, but I know they didn't have the same understanding of what they were viewing.

We had hoped to go to the Louvre after the Eiffel Tower, but we were just too worn out. We toddled back to our apartment, had a nice chicken supper after a challenging few moments figuring out how to use the combo oven/grill/microwave. After dinner, Dad and I headed out to another concert at another nearby church, the American Church in Paris. (The American Cathedral is part of the Anglican tradition; the American Church appears to be Presbyterian. During much of the year, the ACP provides free Sunday evening concerts. Contact them to get on their email list.) This concert was very enjoyable -- an organ recital -- but we both struggled to say awake. There was no toe tapping here. No shouting of "Hallelujah!" or "Amen!"

L'Orangerie, the Tuilleries and the Louvre

Monday morning we energetically headed out to try the Paris Metro. Mom and the Kid thought they could manage a few stairs here and there, so we bought our carnet (about 10 tickets) and passed through the turnstiles. Our first stop was the Place de la Concorde, a huge square full of speeding cars, statues, ornate lamp stands, fountains and an Egyptian obelisk -- all surrounded by classical buildings. It was in this square that so many people, including Louis and Marie-Antoinette (the king and queen of France), lost their heads in the guillotine.

Just off this square is a museum I had really wanted to visit - L'Orangerie. When I was here with Megan some years ago it was closed for renovations. Today it was open! Claude Monet's famous water lily paintings hang here in two rooms designed to show off these gigantic canvases. Dad and I pushed Mom and the Kid in museum wheelchairs into these rooms and we just drank in the extravagant size and colour of these works. Wonderful! Downstairs we saw many other works by Renoir, Picasso, Sisley and others. It's a small museum, but was a wonderful start to the day.

A very bright and beautiful day.

Afterward, we walked slowly through the Tuileries Gardens that separate L'Orangerie from the Musee du Louvre. The closer we came to the Louvre, the more crowded it was. Because we had purchased museum passes in advance, we were able to enter the museum immediately and didn't have to line up for tickets -- a great bonus because half of Paris was here. We decided to borrow a couple of wheelchairs again and looking for the correct elevators we headed off through clumps of dazed tourists. The Louvre has been very modernized in the last 20 or 30 years -- the glass pyramid entrance over a beautiful marble lobby is very impressive. However, the elevators still must contend with a series of buildings that were created for foot traffic and are full of marble stairs with a half-flight here and a demi-flight there. We spent a lot of our time trying figure out how to maneuver in and out of elevators only big enough for one wheelchair at a time and managing to get separated and entirely lost in our search for the Mona Lisa. But, we did finally make it!

The Kid admires The Wedding at Cana.

The Mona Lisa, a surprising small picture, is behind glass and a wooden railing. About five feet beyond that is another wooden railing. All the tourists and their cameras are pressing against that barrier. However, wheelchair visitors get to wheel slowly between the two railings, so we got an extra close, though brief, glimpse of Lisa. We took another hour to view a few other paintings (the wedding at Cana and Napoleon crowning Josephine were our favourites) and then started looking for the exit. That took at least another 45 minutes. Whew! In the process, Dad foiled a pickpocket. (We've had at least four encounters with pickpockets and scam artists. We've won all our battles!)

After a lunch in one of the museum cafes, we took the Metro home again. We almost had to carry Mom and the Kid through the last few blocks. Mom has been counting the stairs she's gone up and down; I think she came up with 139 steps. Dad said it was pretty good because, not only could she count them, she could still add each section up!

After supper, Dad and I walked down to the bridge over the Seine at the bottom of our street. From there we watched the Eiffel Tower's lights start flashing as they do on the hour. It was beautiful, but I thought it could have a used a little music.

Notre Dame and Sainte Chapelle

The well-known front view of Notre Dame.

Tuesday morning, the Kid stayed home to rest while Mom, Dad and I took a cab to Notre Dame. When I was here with Megan, we climbed the towers (painful - no elevator - think Hunchback of Notre Dame), but did not actually go into the church. This time, we walked slowly around the interior of the cathedral, admiring the architecture and artwork -- such as we could see in the dim light. It was very crowded with tourists, but they weren't as manic as the ones at the Louvre. Mom and Dad enjoyed seeing the stained glass, but I was looking forward to showing them Sainte-Chapelle a few blocks away.

The two houses of worship have fascinating histories. Notre Dame de Paris (Our Lady of Paris) venerates Mary the Mother of Jesus. It is spectacular in that dark, solemn Gothic way. It was started in the 12th century and took almost 200 years to build (1163-1345). During the French Revolution (1790s), it was looted and desecrated by the people of Paris who were revolting against the king, the aristocracy and the church; I believe it was actually used as a granary for a while, before being restored in the following century.

The interior of Sainte Chapelle.

Sainte Chapelle (the Holy Chapel), on the other hand, was built by Louis IX (a devout man who later was canonized) to act as a giant reliquary for the Crown of Thorns. The purported actual crown of thorns worn by Jesus during His crucifixion and a few other relics were purchased by Louis from Constantinople in 1239 for 135,000 livres. Louis then spent another 100,000 livres to commission a special silver chest for the relics. The chapel he built to hold the relics in the silver chest was a bargain at only 40,000 livres! AND it was built in less than 10 years!

I had been told of Sainte Chapelle but, when I visited it with Megan, I was simply stunned by the glory of the interior. Although built in the same period as Notre Dame, Sainte Chapelle has none of the gloomy Gothic atmosphere. Instead, the walls are made entirely of stained glass. Even on a cloudy day, the interior is bright and colourful. The overall effect is one of joy and delight.

I was looking forward to Mom's and Dad's reactions to Sainte Chapelle; I wasn't disappointed. They were both overwhelmed by the glory of this small building - even though Mom had to climb up 40 stone steps in a narrow staircase winding around a pillar to get there and then another 40 steps down to leave.

Canauxrama, a Cruise along Canal Saint Martin

We returned to our apartment for lunch and, in the afternoon, Dad, the Kid and I headed out again for a boat cruise on the Canal Saint Martin. We started in the Port d'Arsenal near the Bastille. This downtown Paris marina is filled with live-aboard barges -- something the Kid and I have been admiring and dreaming about for years. We had a wonderful half hour drooling over these wonderful, quirky vessels before our cruise began. The cruise went slowly north (canal speed isn't more than about 6 km/hr). We went through about four sets of locks and enjoyed watching the people along the canal who were watching us. The entire cruise took about 2 1/2 hours and headed in only one direction.

When we disembarked, we were in a new part of town and it took us a while to locate a taxi. (Taxis in Paris are not easy to flag down. They have taxi stands scattered about the city and, if you're in luck, you'll find a cab there waiting for a customer. You can telephone for a cab, but they'll start to charge you from THEIR departure point, not yours.) After walking a few blocks, we finally found a taxi, but not at a taxi stand. The woman driver seemed to be just starting her evening shift and was saying goodbye to her young son on the street. It took us a bit to persuade her to drive us home, but she eventually took pity on us. She spoke French that was very plain to me and we were able to communicate quite a bit. But she never stopped! Our ride home was quite lengthy, but she never ran out of something to say. She told me about her two marriages, her seven children, her oldest single daughters who work and have money and therefore think they need neither husbands nor children. She was impressed that we had a car and were planning to drive all the way to Rome. She asked me who was going to drive the car.

"Mon père," I said, nodding toward Dad in the front seat.

"Oh, là," she said, looking him up and down.

When we reached our apartment, she got out of the car and politely shook hands with each of us. "Bonne chance (Good luck)," she said to the Kid and me.

"Bon courage (Have courage)," she said to Dad. I'm not sure what she was referring to -- the evil Paris traffic we'd encounter as we left the city, the long drive, or being cooped up in a car with three women!

I've asked the others what they enjoyed or noted most about Paris. Dad has really enjoyed seeing the ornate doors and gates on the buildings we've walked past. Mom noted the scary motorcyclists who only take traffic rules as a suggestion; she also said, "Oh, the stained glass windows [at Sainte-Chapelle], they were absolutely beautiful, especially the ones that had been recently cleaned [restoration work was in progress]. The Kid especially enjoyed Monet's water lilies. "The colours," she said.

So, all in all, we've had a great start to our trip. Tomorrow we leave for Verdun where we'll stay one night on our way to Alsace.

Thanks for reading!