A River runs through it

The Seine runs through the middle of Paris.  On the rivers edge there are professionals having lunch, tourists walking, beach bums on a man made sandy beach, homeless living under the bridges are some of the examples of life next to the river.  The river is also a great place to get great views of the city.  There are dinner boats, river sight seeing cruises and even a water taxi service which services various stops on the river.

We took a one of the sight seeing cruises.  Crista found a cruise outfit that offered a greatly discounted rate for booking online then bringing the reservation code to redeem for tickets.  The rate was 10eur vs 14eur.

The cruise lasted an hour.  We started at the end of the Cite island below Pont Neuf, went past the Eiffel Tower and turned around.  Then we continued past our starting point to the other side of the St. Louis island and returned back to our starting point.  I'm glad we did the cruise at 7pm as the light for shooting photos was good.

I see dead people

The French have a fascination with death and bones.  They had the bones on display at their tomb of the unknown soldiers of World War 1 and we were about to go see some more at the Catacombs.  I guess we must be fascinated as well as we were willing to pay money to see these bones.

The old buildings in Paris were built with limestone which was readily available beneath the city.  After the limestone was mined they would abandon the site and people forgot about these mines until huge sinkholes began appearing and swallowing up houses in the late 1700s.

Around the same time Paris was running out of space in their cemeteries.  There were also concerns about the health of the citizens who lived next to the cemeteries.  Cemeteries back then utilized mass graves for the burials of the regular citizens so the decomposition was really concentrated.  There was also an instance where the sidewall of a mass grave blew out and the contents spilled out into the basements next door.

So when the kings engineers were figuring out how to prop up the underground caverns to prevent additional sinkholes they also came up with the solution to fix the cemetery overcrowding by moving all the contents of the city's cemeteries into these caverns.

The catacombs were not part of our museum pass which is why we didn't visit till after our passes expired.  It's also difficult to visit as they let only 200 people into the catacombs at a time.  If you plan ahead you can prepay and reserve your tickets or you can just wait in line.

The first entry was 10am so we decided to arrive by 8:30 to try to be in the first group.  Waiting the 90 minutes would be better than the 2+ hours wait of the later entry times.  There was already a line when we arrived but the line quickly got longer by 9am.  I was the 70th person to enter.  I estimate we could have arrived at 8:45 and still been in the first group.

Once past the gate you went down a long spiral staircase.  After going up and down the Arc and Notre Dame I should have expected these narrow stairs again. Once at the bottom, you walked through various empty caverns with explanation on how the limestone was formed and mined and how the engineers stabilized the caverns.  It was wet and the floor was slippery. 

Soon you got to the areas where the dead bodies were placed.  Someone a long long time ago was creative in laying out the skeletons in a pretty formation.  Mostly the femur bone ends and skulls up front and the rest of the bones behind.  Only the skulls were cemented in front but the other bones were not glued down so you could reach at the top of the pile and grab a tibula or maybe a humerus.  Touching wasn't encouraged but I had to find out if the bones were loose.  After walking about a mile underground the tour was over.  Unfortunately the only way out was another set of spiral stairs!

Last museum day

Today was the last day of our six day museum pass.  We definitely got our money's worth out of the pass.  For $76 we already went to the Louvre,  L'Orangerie, Musee d'Orsay,  Versailles,  Notre Dame,  Sainte Chapelle, Concergerie,  modern art museum,  and the army museum.  There were at least 50 more places that we could have visited if our legs could still work.

With the late night visit to the Eiffel Tower we got up late and planned to visit the museums near our apartment.  The closest was the Cluny Museum.  It was definitely not on the tourist A lists as there were no tour buses waiting outside.

This small museum focuses on medieval objects.  There were original stained glass on display,  tapestries and objects almost 1000 years old.  The museum was pretty boring until we went downstairs and discovered that the 700 year old building was built on abandoned Roman baths and we could walk through the original spaces down below.

After admiring the old Roman structure we went to lunch at an Asian noodle shop.  We have been burned out on French food and baguettes.  The noodle shop had good yelp reviews which is why we made the long walk to the shop.  It was cool that the chef hand pulled the noodles after we placed our order.  It was good but the flavors are different from what we are used to at home.

On top of Paris

You would think after a long day at Musee d'Orsay and the modern art museum we would be done for the day.  After chilling in our air conditioned apartment and snacking on some fries from the downstairs street vendors we decided that it would be a good evening to visit the Eiffel tower.  We had tried to pre purchase the tickets earlier in the week but the first available spots were in September.  So we thought maybe the crowds would be lighter around dinner time so we got on the Metro and headed to the tower.

There were three lines when we arrived at the tower, the shortest line was for those willing to climb the stairs to the first viewing deck with the option to ride the elevator from that deck to the top. The other two lines were for riding the elevators all the way to the top. Tired from the stairs at Notre Dame and the Arc we decided to wait in the longer lines. 

The wait was under an hour to purchase the tickets then another 30 minutes for the elevator.  I thought we were going straight to the top when we got on the elevator but this first elevator took us only to the lower viewing level where we had to wait another 30 minutes for the elevators to the top.

At the top there was another set of stairs to take you to the outdoor viewing deck.  Once outside it was pretty crowded as you were limited to the outer perimeter of the tower. There was a vendor selling plastic glasses of Champagne,  I guess you are supposed to toast your efforts for enduring the lines and making it to the top.  We eventually worked our way to the east side for the night views of the Louvre and Notre Dame and stayed at the top for 45 minutes.

We started back down at 11pm. It's not that easy to get down as you wait again for the elevators at the two levels.  At the top there were two lines for the elevators.  The line we initially we tried to get on wound around 3/4 way around the tower.  We discovered this as we started at the front of the line and worked our way back.  The funny thing is that the second line wound only 1/4 way around the tower so that both lines started at the same place.  For some reason the all the people in front of us werr getting into the longer line.  We took the shorter line and saved at least another 30 minutes getting down. 

By the time we walked back to the Metro and the rode to our apartment it was after midnight.  There were still a lot of passengers on the Metro but I was surprised that almost all the cafes in our neighborhood were already closed.  Fortunately one of the creperies and a gyro shop were still open so we could get snacks to satisfy everyone in our group before bed.

Impressionist and newer stuff

We went to another museum which houses the largest collection of impressionist paintings.  The Musee d'Orsay is located across the river from the L'Orangerie and was formerly a train station in the late 1800s.

From an art perspective this was our favorite museum with lots of paintings that are recognizable from books we have read.  The museum is extensive so we took a lunch break and had our picnic on the river and watched the huge barge style boats go by with sightseeing passengers. 

We went back for a few more hours to see the remaining collections. We were definitely tired and we should have taken the rest of the afternoon off but we didn't and went to the Museum of Modern Art. 

The modern art museum is housed in the Pompidou centre.  This building can also be considered a piece of modern art.  It really stands out as its industrial modern in a neighborhood of old classic buildings. The building has exposed pipes, ducting, steel beams glass, and primary colors.  There is also a series of escalator tubes on the outside which reminded me of the habitrail cages used to house hamsters many decades ago. 

From an art perspective, maybe I don't know how to appreciate modern art. Many pieces seemed to be similar with the same usage of colors, shapes and patterns. I guess the same could have been said in the 1880s when people were looking at the impressionist paintings.  I was inspired by the single color pieces.  I plan to buy some canvas and paint and put the boys to work when we get home. 

Museums closed on Mondays?

I am used to having the option of stores being open every day.   We learned early in our trip that most grocery stores were closed on Sundays especially in smaller towns.  It made for a very modest dinner one Sunday night when we shared some leftover noodles and a can of beans.  Good thing I had bought some canned cassoulet out of curiosity earlier in the week.  Cassoulet is the French version of Pork and Beans but with Duck, as least that's what you get when you buy it canned.

Now that we were in Paris we discovered that the busy museums also have to close a day during the week and it seemed that Monday was the day most were closed (Louvre is closed on Tuesday).  The Orangerie Museum and the Army museum (Musee de l'Armee) were open so those were our destinations for the day.

The Orangerie is the destination for fans of Monet as his giant sized water lilies paintings are on display in two specially designed oval room.  There are also collections of other significant impressionist and post impressionist paintings on display as well.  It was a small museum but a worthwhile stop. Afterwards we walked over the army museum across the river.  It was hot so we tried to stay in the shade ad much as possible. 

The Army museum is housed in Les Invalides which was originally built in the late 1600s as a hospital and housing for old soldiers.  Now this enormous structure contains various exhibits from all the eras of battles.  There were lots of armor and those worn by the king on display, swords and old cannons, rifles and so on.  There was also an exhibition on the two World Wars with lots of historical perspective.  There was also an exhibition of the land battles in Frances history which explains how the country and land was shaped.

The centerpiece of the Les Invalides compound is the chapel and the occupants buried there.  Napoleon is front and center under the gold dome in a display that's more impressive than those burial sites for kings.

While this museum was extensive and impressive, it was horribly laid out with limited facilities.  I think there was only one set of restrooms and the cafe was really small.  I usually don't like to eat at the overpriced museum cafes but since you are visiting all day you need a place to eat and drink.  We saved some money by bringing our own sandwiches but bought the drinks so that we could sit in the partially air conditioned room.  AC was important as it was over 95 degrees outside.

Louvre

We spent all day Sunday at the Louvre.  I think it's the largest museum in the world so it takes more than a day to visit everything.  The French were early explorers and understood the importance of history so they amassed a huge collection of Greek and Egyptian/middle eastern antiquities which are on display.  They also had lots of very early paintings such as the Mona Lisa by DaVinci.

Our goal was to arrive right when the Louvre opened so that we could avoid the crowds at the entrance.  We had also planned to head directly to the Mona Lisa as we knew that was very popular with the tourists.  Crista studied the museum layout and knew the route to follow to that famous painting. 

Unfortunately we had a late start to our plans.  Also it was our first journey on the Metro so it took extra time to learn the ticket kiosk, plus I didn't pick the optimal transfer so that wasted precious extra minutes as well.  We arrived 20 minutes late to a huge crowd in the courtyard by the glass pyramid waiting to get in. As we walked up, we were relieved to find out that the huge line was for visitors without tickets and there was no wait for those with tickets or the museum pass so we walked in. That museum pass just paid for itself!

Once inside under the glass pyramid we could spot large tour groups getting organized. There were lots of tour groups from China which we also saw at Notre Dame. These groups always have a private guide (not from the museum) with a microphone and the group world each have an earpiece to listen. These groups would have around 25 people and the travelled very tightly around the guide. 

Despite being late we decided to follow the plan an head straight to the Mona Lisa. Crista walked very quickly until she got distracted by another famous statue which is of the lady with wings in a boat but missing her head.  She was about to stop for a photo opp till I reminded her why we were in a rush so she continued on.  We arrived to the Mona Lisa room and was greeted by a very small crowd. Our plan had worked!  It was easy to get up front to admire the painting without being rushed. 

Afterwards we went back to the statue and then we started our long day at the rest of the museum.  Eventually we made it back to the Mona Lisa room and it was packed with tour groups and visitors.

Versailles is way too popular

Versailles is a huge palace in the suburbs of Paris.  Louis XIV had decided to move his court out of Paris and settled in Versailles which is about 15 miles from Paris.  It originally was a hunting Lodge for the earlier kings but was expanded over time.  It became a huge compound with the palace,  grounds and gardens living quarters for the staff and offices for the government.

To get there you have to drive or take the long distance commuter rail called the RER.  The RER lines run underground in downtown Paris and often share the stations with the Metro lines which are only in Paris.  The RER line which goes to Versailles has a stop at St Michel which is a block from our apartment so I thought we were set.  But Crista saw on the Versailles website that the RER line under the city was closed for maintenance so we had to make other plans. This involved an extra train transfer but it was easy as we were getting familiar with the Metro lines.

We arrived at 11:45a to a crowd that covered the entire front courtyard of the Palace.  It wasn't just a crowd but an organized line that snaked around to enter the palace.  We had heard that the wait would be at least two hours but we had no other option but to wait.  Good thing we packed our sandwiches so we ended up having a picnic while standing in line.  I also found a grocery store a few blocks away so I left the line for beverages and chips and would have had time to go back to the store for ice cream or dessert as we did wait in line for over two hours!

Once inside the experience was pretty miserable.  You shuffled room to room in narrow walkways and doorways so it was hard to escape the tour groups.  The leaders of these private tour groups would push their way through a crowd and the 20 people in the group would have to follow.  Even larger spaces like the hall of mirrors were hard to navigate as ladies would suddenly stop,  fix their hair, freshen their makeup and take a few selfies.  I wish I had a video of that process as it has happened many times during this trip. Our experience was much nicer when we visited 17 years ago during the off-season and had the castle to ourselves.

On the way back to Paris we took a detour and stopped at the Arc de Triumphe. So that tourists don't get killed by the cars there is a tunnel under the road to the Arc.  And just like the other destinations there was a long line in the tunnel to purchase tickets.  Our Museum pass allow us to skip the line and go directly to the security.   We climbed to the top of the Arc using circular stairs similar to the climb to the top of Notre Dame.  We had a great view of the action on Boulevard Champ Elysees. Our legs were definitely worn out by the time we got back to our apartment.

After washing up we reluctantly put our shoes back on and looked for a place to eat.  Our apartment is on Rue de la Huchette which is full of restaurants and carryout places that offer gyros and crepes. The hardest part is deciding where to go. We didn't have to walk far to find a Greek restaurant with various meats cooking on the rotisseries in the window and the owner standing on the sidewalk convincing us to eat at his restaurant. 

Cite day

We started out Paris visit by exploring the sights on the island in the middle of the Seine called Cite. Our apartment is just a block south of the river so it was a quick walk.  Our first stop was Sainte Chapelle. This church was built in the 1200's by King Louis IX to store important religious relics.  It a small church as it was primarily used by the king. 

Another reason our visit started here was to purchase our Paris museum pass at a location that wasn't so busy. This pass allows us to go straight into most of the museums in Paris including Versailles.  The cost was $76 for 6 days. I think we will get or moneys worth out of the pass but just the convenience of the pass is worth it.  Kids under 18 are free so we only needed two passes.

After Sainte Chapelle we went next door to visit the Concergerie.  This was the original home of the king in the 1200s.  In later times it was the prison and tribunal location for the French Revolution.  Marie Antoinette was here and they include a tour of her cell though the decor is not original.

Our next stop was Notre Dame.  By the time we arrived all the tour buses and unloaded their passengers and the line to get in was circling around the Plaza in front of the cathedral.  The wait had to be over 2 hours.  Instead we walked past and saw another line which was to climb to the bell towers of Notre Dame.  That line also extended all the way down the street so we ended up walking around the island,  saw the memorial to the Paris Holocaust victims and North of the river to the Jewish Quarter for a good deli.  We did not find a deli open but there were lots of fancy boutiques.  Either the neighborhood has changed since we last visited or I was on the wrong streets.

We ended up back at our apartment for a late lunch.  We took advantage of the cheap eats on our touristy street and had a gyro and fries for 5eur.  Kids are hooked, they dig the ability to buy fries just outside the door to apartment.

After a few hours break we went back to Notre Dame.  The line was slightly shorter but still at least an hour to visit the cathedral.  The line to climb the bell tower wasn't any shorter but we decided to wait as we had never climbed to tower before.  Waiting the 55 minutes wasn't bad except for the smoking of the others in line.  Smoking is banned inside buildings but still OK outside in lines and cafes so we took turns leaving the line to get fresh air.

The wait to climb the bell towers was worth it.  Using the original stone circular stairs you climb to the roof level of the cathedral and admire the views around Paris.  That was a tough climb as the stairs are narrow so it's hot and smelly with all the sweaty bodies inside.  There are also no rest areas so be prepared to keep climbing as stopping will hold up the folks behind you.

In addition to enjoying the view at the roof level you also have access to one set of bells of Notre Dame.  The other set of bells are rung every 15 minutes so it would not be wise to be in the enclosed bell tower when they are ringing.  They were already loud enough from our position on the roof.  These bells are famous as they are the basis for the story Hunchback of Notre Dame.

But wait there more!  As we approached the stairs which looked like the way down,  there was an up arrow sign on the stairs to allow you to climb up to the roof of the bell tower.  So more climbing on the narrow circular stairs till we reached the top with even better views of Paris.  The area at the top is limited to a narrow path around for the perimeter of the bell tower so when we completed our loop it was time to go down.  We waited for the all clear radio call and our group started the long journey back down to the ground.

By the time we reached the bottom, the line for the cathedral was gone so we went inside.  Impressive inside but it wasn't as memorable as our climb to the top of Notre Dame!

Final Drive... Welcome to Paris!

We finally made it to our final destination with our short drive into Paris.  The drive to the outskirts of Paris was easy but the apartment we rented was in the middle of city that's popular with tourists and our apartment was on a pedestrian only street.  The keys were a few blocks away also in a similar location.  Even after studying the Google Street views of the two stops I wasn't sure of our strategy of getting the keys or unloading the car.

Driving in the city was a challenge with all the scooters and pedestrians and unfamiliar road sign symbols.  For the keys I was going to drop off crista, and circle the block while she got the keys.  When we navigated to the narrow one way street to the key pickup we lucked out as the next door building was under construction with a dumpster already partially in the street so I tucked in behind it.

After getting the keys the plan was to circle the streets around the apartment and be prepared to double Park a block away and dump off the luggage and kids and Crista if necessary.  As we circled our neighborhood I spotted an underground parking lot.  Based on the tight turns going down and the parking spots the lot was designed for very small cars but we were able to park without scratching the car.

We walked about two blocks to our apartment.  We had all of our luggage with a few grocery bags with food and water and household items we had accumulated over the last few weeks. Once we found our apartment it was another 4 flights of stairs but we made it. The boys were good sherpas. 

Afterwards we drove to the local Hertz office to return the car.  We drove over 2500 miles across Germany,  Belgium and France, averaged 35 mpg and had numerous picnics from the tailgate. We ate over twenty baguettes, had 4 wheels of Camembert cheese,  many packages of ham and salami, and over a pound of butter.  The Hertz car detailer will have lots of crumbs to vacuum.