Here goes Glide at Easter

 

As Jay is constantly reminding me, I have the annoying habit of not wanting to ask people for information when we are wandering about. Questions like: where’s the nearest bank or how do you get to there from here, always seem to be best left to walking a bit further or cycling a bit harder.

As today is my last day in Paris and, as mentioned elsewhere, the three of us were due to spend the morning with a guide on a walking tour of the historical sights of central Paris, I decided to help the guide with the route. I thought I would try the “asking people” approach and get some recommendations on what sites we should see.

Setting off on my new-found rented, City of Paris Velib Bike, I went in search of victims to ask.

Not surprisingly, my first stop was with my friends who have spent their professional life looking over Paris. If anyone would have a good idea, surely they would.

However, I should have realised, the one place that they wanted to go was forever out of view to them. Nonetheless, the first stop was now clear:

After that, I wandered along Boulevard St Michel, looking for the next person to ask:

Again, I found the griffon was more interested in what he could not see, namely the thing he spent all day spitting out:

Next stop were some friendly Caryatids that Jay and I had met in a bar a couple of nights ago:

In there rather grand and lofty way, no surprise that they were keen that we should see the “Grand Axis of Paris”:

All very grand and obviously impressive, but after all of the advice and all of the proposals, in the end all I really want is a comfortable place to sit, watch the world go by and admire the ultimate Parisienne sight:

Good bye Paris, ’til next time.

- Posted from John’s iPad

Location:Wandering around Paris,France

John and I have found that the best way to learn a city is to get taken around by someone who knows it, and Sophia, from Aeon Tours, proved to be just such a person. She is a photographer, studying at the Sorbonne, and leads tours professionally.

Today we requested to see the historical sights, and walk off our legs in 3 hours, so we, John, Jay and Max started with her at Notre Dame cathedral, where we heard a wonderful Choir and Organ concert last night.

We walked all around the Cathedral, focusing on the flying buttresses, and
Gargoyles, all filled with art and humor.

And this one, depicting the mother in law of the sculptor:

the tour was interesting and entertaining, but I’ll leave the rest for the Guide books. After an uncharacteristic Irish pub lunch,

we parted until tonight. Max and I wandered around town, shooting this and that

Until we came across this Holocaust Memorial sign

In a small side street was compact but moving museum dedicated to remembering the horrors of the Holocaust

It was worth the stop, and though it put a damper on the day, we were glad the Museum was there.

Walking home raised our spirits, reinforced for Maxine by finding the Hiking Supply Store.

Also on this last day, we finally found the Locks, Love Memorials on a Bridge across the Seine.

- Posted by Jay

Location:Paris

Yes, I realize that REAL tragedy struck in Norway, and I truly feel for those parents…

But on a much lesser scale, I was depressed last night when my iPad, on which I (we) depend for maps, storing pictures, and producing this blog,fell from my arm and shattered it’s glass screen into a million pieces:

I was devastated, and John was sympathetic, and after a good stiff drink, we started working on what we should do… Consultations were necessary, and fortunately a Giant Chocolate Buddah was available for advice… No, I am not lying

Although impressive, he only suggested bigger, more costly consultants. So first we went to our local neighborhood church/synagogue/ house of prayer.

The Cathedral of Notre Dame is impressive, imposing, inspiring and near, but alas the screen remained unhealed. We needed something more powerful, and luckily on the way to pick up Maxine at CDG, we could stop at St. Denis, in Saint Denis BTW, and get better advice.

Inside, as covered elsewhere, are buried all the French Kings since 700 AD, including many ancestors of John, and therefore techy. We consulted a few…

AND THEY RESPONDED.

Yes, the fix is only temporary, but it will last until we get home. Thank God

- posted by Jay

Location:Paris, as Darkness Approaches

As today is July 25th – St James’ Day, what could be better than combining hunting for him with visiting a church that I have wanted to see for many years. So it was that on the way back from collecting Jay’s friend Maxine at the airport and after a very good lunch at a nearby restaurant, we visited the Basilica of St Denis. Now in a northern suburb of Paris, this former 12thC abbey church is built on the site of the 5thC burial place of the patron Saint of France. St Denis is also known as the Royal Necropolis as every French king from Dagobert to Louis XVI is buried there.

So to the hunt. My first stop was to ask a local guardian of the peace in the church if he had seen St James anywhere:

No luck.

Next was to ask three passing kings:

Unfortunately, they were off for a chat with some of their old friends who were resting in the church and had no time for me.

Next some enlightened strangers:

But they clearly had other things on their minds.

My last chance was a passing monk:

That went rather better. The monk told me that there were twelve apostles having a chat at an alter near where Dagobert was resting and that I should ask him:

Dagobert was very obliging, in a friendly old uncle sort of way, and pointed me to an alter behind him.

And there was St James:

Happy St James’ Day!

P.S. Yes, I know that’s cheating, but I couldn’t find him on his own anywhere!

- Posted from John’s iPad

Location:Rue Thénard,Paris,France

While Jay took professional photos of the Tour de France peleton, from my perch I mostly photographed the backs of the crowd.

Great fun to see though.

- Posted from John’s iPad

Location:Rue Thénard,Paris,France

Tit for Tat. Some for you some for me. You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours. Sometimes John and I trade a Chit; something admittedly the other person doesn’t find fascinating, but will cheerily do with the understanding that the other will return the favor.

Visiting the largest Flea Market in Paris, Marchee de Poo (sp?), and maybe the world, is a T4T thing. John’s eyes were wide for many things, but especially for marble end tables. Mine were barely open. I was only thinking of my giving up the Tour de France for this- but to be fair I knew the crowds at the Champs Elise would be overwhelming. So we took the Metro to the market, and I must say I was impressed.

John’s radar like sense focused him on his quarry, he sniffed the air, moved with surprising speed and before I could reach him he was negotiating in French for two end tables made while Louis 16th still had his head attached.

The deal was done

while I was still watching some rare birds being sold.

But we had to carry the tables across Paris back to the hotel. We got a cab for part of the way, but there was something snarling traffic near the hotel, so we had to carry them the last mile or so (FSMs).

Guess what it was that was blocking our path. Yes, the Tour de France was going to come right by our hotel. We stood by the rail for about an hour, but then saw them.

I’ll blow this up at home, but there is the winner of the Tour, Cadel Evans in the Yellow Jersey, followed by Andy Schleck, the # 2 winner. I was ecstatic as the whole pelaton cycled by me, 20 feet away.

They passed by, and we carried the tables to the hotel, explaining to the owner that we had to redecorate our rooms.

What a great day in Paris for both John and me, each obliging the other; each getting a thrill.

- Posted by Jay

Location:Rue du Sommerard,Paris,France

Today was a day filled with surprises and little joys. Not the least of these was attending mass at Notre Dame de Paris

The cathedral is only a stones throw from our hotel and the opportunity to attend the 10:00 gregorian sung mass was too good to be true. We arrived just as Lauds had started. For those not in the know:

Lauds, or the Morning Office or Office of Aurora, is one of the most ancient Offices and can be traced back to Apostolic times. In the 6th century St. Benedict gives a detailed description of them in his Rule: the Psalms, the canticle, the last three Psalms, the capitulum, hymn, versicle, the canticle Benedictus, and the concluding part. (P.S. I stole this from Wikipedia)

The cathedral seemed quite full and the combination of the blue cassocked choir and the rumble of the organ all felt very promising.

By the time the Credo and Pater Noster came along, I found myself belting out the Latin plain chant, quite surprised how familiar and comfortable it all felt. Apparently, ten years of Stonyhurst education and Latin masses did not go completely to waste.

Looking around, I realised that the congregation from across the globe were all happily singing along using the same lingua franca that our medieval ancestors used throughout Europe. I found a pleasant irony in the thought of an Englishman in France using Latin as a lingua franca.

As we stepped outside after mass, the clouds started to clear and, just across the square, the Tour St Jacques was visible in all its glory. As far as I can remember, this is the first time in a decade that I have seen the tower without its apparently permanent scaffolding.

The other little adventure of today will have to await another posting.
- Posted from John’s iPad

Location:Rue Thénard,Paris,France

The trip from the sunny South of France, Marsellian, to Paris was long, even with Super Highways and a layover in Bourges. Wonderful sights along the way, though, included the spectacular Viaduct of Millau

And other interesting examples of French engineering:

Great sights were there for the viewing, such as this one that filled our rear view mirrors as we left Bourges:

Today we packed up the bikes, and tucked them away for some foot touring.

We really enjoyed that 15 – 30 FSM portion of the tour, but now sights await us that deserve slower consideration. Witness the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris, behind your intrepid travelers.

Posted by Jay

Location:Paris, at last

After a long travel day, en route to Paris, we arrived in a wet and overcast Bourges at about 17:00 today. Having settled into a wonderful 19C villa of a Chambre D’Hôte called Le Cedre Bleu, we went exploring the historic centre of Bourges. Lots of cobbled, twisting, medieval streets with beamed houses lining each side. At the top of the town is the cathedral. Built from about 1195 onwards, it is a gothic masterpiece:

The real gems of this cathedral are however the 13C stained glass windows, mostly completed in 1215 (about the same time as Chartres).

There is even a panel of the golden calf:

Within the cathedral, the stained glass is set off by soaring columns:

All of this summons up images of an idyllic heaven. However, there are also reminders of hell:

And even some little imps waiting nearby to catch the soul of the unwary stranger:

- Posted from John’s iPad

Location:Rue Bourbonnoux,Bourges,France