Ile de la Citie and the Left Bank

Sunday, July 20

Today we started our Paris experience. We decided to follow a tour from Rick Steve's book, what he calls Historic Paris. This encompases the Ile de la Citie (Island of the City) and part of the Rive Gauche (Left Bank). First we had to get a museum pass. This lets us into most of the museums for free and also lets us jump to the front of the queue. We got passes which give us museum entry for four consecutive days, starting today.

We started at the Archaelogical Crypt. Since the Romans first settled on this island two thousand years ago, accumulated dirt and debris have raised the ground level over thirty feet, burying a lot of the ruins from that time plus lots of midieval ruins. This museum put a roof over the digs (some of which are still being discovered) and it gives a great example of what has happened over the centuries.

While Italy and Britain have many beautiful cathedrals, when it comes to Gothic style France is the leader. And of all the cathedrals in France, Notre Dame is a must see. The soaring, vaulted ceilings and flying butresses are breathtaking. You can picture Quasimodo in the tower ringing the bells. This is a Sunday and mass was going on, so there were places we weren't allowed to go; and the crowds were overwhelming. Admission is free so we will return in a few days.


















The Deportation Memorial is a small monument on the tip of the island from which the Nazis sent captives (Jews and dissidents) off to the camps. You enterdown a narrow passage, heading down, and you get the feeling of doom. "Despair ye who enter here"! There are 200,000 lighted crystals embedded in apassage wall, one for each of those who were sent away never to return. Walking along the Seine on the Left Bank on a nice day is a joy. The quay is lined with booksellers in small stalls (also posters, etc.); a quintessentialParis feeling. Off the Quay, streets are mostly narrow, with buildings crowded against each other, with the occasional wide boulevard and small parks. There is no shortage of cafes and shops; it's definitely not the Left Bank of Hemingway and friends.

Shakespeare and Company Bookstore was founded by Sylvia Beach and was home to the literary crowd in the 1930s; she published Ulysses when nobody else would. (If you ever visit Newport, Oregon, stay at the Sylvia Beach Hotel for a unique experience). This bookstore is piled high and low with stacks and stacks of books, many very old; they're just everywhere so you can barely walk through. "Funky" would be a good description.














The Left Bank is home to what was once the Latin Quarter but it's better called the Greek Quarter today. We ate lunch at a Gyros cafe.


The Cluny Museum is a display of medieval France, with artifacts from all facets of that period. It deserves a lot more time than we could give it.















Then it was on to Sainte-Chapelle. What Notre Dame is to soaring ceilings, Sainte-Chappelle is to stained glass. The ceilings are high (not as high as Notre Dame) and the windows go all the way to the top. Notre Dame took over 200 years to build; Sainte Chapelle took five. This is magnificance.













The Conciergerie was the home of kings, first build by Hugh Capet, the founder of modern France and the dynasty that ruled until the 1789 revolution. While not as impressive as many later palaces, it is still a fine example of gothic architecure. The revolutionaries took it over and used it as a jail and court during the reign of terror. Marie Antoinette spent her last days here, as they let you know quite vividly.

We also saw along the way, a number of other impressive sites. These include St. Severin church, Boulevard St. Michel (arts area), Place St. Andre-des-Arts (cafes), Place St. Michel (fountain), the Palais de Justice (courts), the oldest Metro stop in the system (art deco), and Place Dauphine.

This was a long day and we have very tired feet. It will be dinner and early to bed tonight. Tomorrow is the Louvre.