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After a lot of sleep, we are up early and out into cold Paris, this time with warm clothes and boots. We are heading for a market, Rue Mouffetard, where locals go. We stumble across the Pantheon and explore inside. This is where many famous Parisien people are buried in the crypts. From Victor Hugo, Joan of Arc, Voltaire, Marie Curee. The Pantheon was dedicated to Saint Genevieve the patron saint of Paris, by King Louis XV. It houses Foucault's pendulum which hangs from the massive dome and swings and rotates to show the rotation of the earth.
Onto the market which is full of locals and quaint shops. There are bunches of large white asparagus in every fruit and veg stall. We then head for the Musee D'Orsay which is awesome, the impressionists, some of which I saw with Mum in Canberra, sculptures by Rodin and much more. All housed in an amazing building which used to be one of Paris's main train stations. Sore feet and we stop for a chocolate chaud and a beer in the cafe behind one of the huge clocks.
We walk along the Seine and find ourselves at Ile de la Cite, we are looking for a cafe in Place Douphin which Tom recommended. We find it, but choose to rest our feet at another cafe, La Rose de France. Full of people and in the sun. We sit under a heater and watch people go by, having a late lunch and a few wines.
Off again and we visit Notre Dame on the walk home. It is massive, with beautiful stone detail and we both find it breathtaking. We enter and must be silent as Sunday mass is in progress. This is amazing, a full mass with a large array of priests and the organ playing with an orchestra. The outside has so much detail... Water from the rain pours out through the mouths of gargoyles located along the sides. I spot a crepe shop while Pod takes happy snaps of gargoyles and buy myself a crepe avec sucre so I can see how it compares to the crepes Abbi and Em make on a Sunday morning. It is very good, you can't beat the French at their own game!
We make it back to the hotel at around 5.30, 8 hours after we left, aching feet and very sore back so perfect for a rest before dinner.
We go out to find Cafe de Musee, "just around the corner" from our hotel which Tom has recommended as a great place for dinner. We have a lovely traditional French meal there and discover it is quite famous and popular.
Bon sior!!!
- comments
Annabel Mugford You are lucky Pod did all of that with you Sal! Bruce would have revolted after the Pantheon and gone straight to a bar and stayed there! Can i travel with you and Pod !! Notre Dame is fantastic - I have a photo somewhere with me posing with a gargoyle. Looking very French Pod!