Day Six

We'll Always Have Paris

Yes, it's been done, but when you're young and in Paris with your friends, I think you have the right to say it.

Our first stop this morning was the Eiffel Tower. Fine way to start the day. When we arrived the line was longer for the elevator than for the stairs, and the rest of the group was taking the stairs (18 fr) anyway, so I did too. It was not the hardest thing I'd ever done, but it wasn't the easiest thing either. But it was, of course, worth it. You can only walk up as far as the second observation level; after that you have to take the elevator if you want to go all the way to the top (another 18 fr). Even though it was a little hazy that day, the view was still really good. We all signed our names on the tower--but only with ballpoint pen, as no one had a permanent marker, and only because hundreds of other tourists had done it before us.
Once we got down we walked around a little bit, got some lunch, did some shopping. Then we took a bus tour of the city. The opera house, the Bastille, the Arc de Triomphe, the Champs-Élysées, the Rodin museum with a copy of "The Thinker" in the garden. The bus let us off for a little free time at Notre Dame.

La Cathédrale de Notre Dame de Paris is probably the most famous cathedral in the world. The name just means Our Lady of Paris; it's kind of funny, if you think about it, that most people just call it Our Lady. Construction began in 1163, and finished in 1345 (this is actually common for cathedrals). Notre Dame is a prime example of the Gothic style, and is well known for its flying buttresses, its gargoyles, and its stained glass windows. My journal says that I found it "huge and inspiring."I love this picture; it's like the guy is all, "Whoa! Notre Dame!"

Les escaliers de la butte sont durs aux miséreux
Les ailes du Moulin protègent les amoureux
"Complainte de la Butte"

After the cathedral we took the bus to the foot of Montmartre. La butte de Montmartre is a hill, and Montmartre is the general neighborhood on and around the hill. The area became a dwelling place for artists, and the famous Moulin Rouge was in Montmartre. We walked a few blocks up the hill, then the steps began. There were several. As the song says, the stairs of the butte are difficult, but at the top you're rewarded with views of the city and Sacré Coeur. Sacré Coeur is a pretty white church at the top of the butte. It's very different from Notre Dame, but equally beautiful. Unfortunately, the basilica was being worked on while we were there. After we walked around it and the Place du Tertre the whole big group walked back down the hill together to our buses, which took us to dinner, and after dinner it was back to our hotel a little early to get ready for an earlyish start in the morning. It was a day of a lot of stairs, and I don't know if I could do this day anymore. Every step was worth it, though, sore knees or no.
Tomorrow: Switzerland!