If the first day in Paris was great the next two were simply fabulous! It is such a cosmopolitan and diverse city and we also met and heard quite a few Americans. This day we rode the Metro subway to an area near Notre Dame Cathedral. We first stopped at the church of Saint Chappelle with its magnificent stained glass windows; part of the church windows are being restored but it was still really a stunning site.
Of course Notre Dame is legendary and again awe inspiring to see in person. You just cannot really comprehend until you are standing there gazing upon this centuries' old structure; my mind wanders back to try and understand how such a church must have seemed to those who built it and lived around it. And of course you imagine Quasimoto jumping around the top balustrades.
The Seine running through Paris is a gorgeous site from any view but especially the bridges. Yes the lovers hand out along the banks especially on Friday and Saturday evenings, but lovers are all over the city and are both young and old; the seem inspired by the beauty of the city.
This day we really walked! And we were determined to see so much. You need to know that my travel companion on this trip, Suzanne, had fractured her ankle and torn ligaments back in March so she is in some pain and this was a long hard day for her, but she hung in there! Throughout the day we continued to stumble upon great sites and some memorials. We headed north on the metro to Sacre Couer, the great church on the hill overlooking the city that was built to honor those who had sacrificed in war. The sites from here were fabulous and it was of course crowded with tourists. Next we grabbed metro line even farther north to the suburb of St. Denis and the fabulous cathedral where most of the French kings were crowned and then buried. The funerary statues are legendary and I took quite a few pictures of some of the art work which are quite extraordinary although I’m not sure they surpass those of the Austrian Habsburgs. Many French kings from Clovis to Louis XVIII are entombed here including Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette (not sure if the heads have separate box). 
From St Denis where there were few tourists we returned to the Arc de Triomphe so I could take the 284 steps to the top! Man another great view especially down the Champs Elysee and no I was not huffing at top. Also the Eiffel Tower looked so inviting. . I did want a treat however, so we ambled down the Elysee for some more wine and dessert of course.We contined our walking and hopping on the red bus with a stop at the Louvre which is huge but of course draws the eye. We had hoped to take the night bus tour on Friday but it was sold out so we headed for our room -- exhausted but having seen so very much.
For the last day in Paris, I had some key points to visit. First off was Napoleon's tomb which is a the church of the Invalides. The Invalides was built as a hospital/residence for injured soldiers by Louis XIV originally and the church with its golden dome can be seen all over the city. The Invaldies sits adjoining the French Army Museum and just down from the French military academy the Ecole Militaire. So the Invalides church became the final resting place for many of France's great military men, including Napoleon Bonaparte as well as Marshal Ferdinand Foch from World War I. Napoleon's tomb is hard to see as it sits down in the floor and is not well lit but it is very grand. My recent trip to see Lincoln's tomb really seemed similar with entrance and vaults in some of the same fashion. The Army Museum was fantastic for this military historian! Much better than an art museum and loaded especially with artillery for which the French are known (although not much else militarily LOL). Napoleon dominates the courtyard but the French acknowledge their defeats as much of the museum chronicles the Franco-Prussian War ( lost), WWI, WWII (lost early), and Algeria (lost). Funny in the WWII section they managed to have a whole room on the small battle of Bir Hakeim in North Africa! One of the few French Free Army successes. 
Our next stop was Versailles! We boarded the suburban train to Versailles and off we went. As we have learned, however, French signage and directions leaves much to be desired and so we accidentally departed the train prematurely and had to wait 15 minutes to catch the next train, but we made it! I have wanted to see Versailles for so long and as a modern European history major, this is a site that must be seen to be believed. The walk up to the gates sets the mood as you look at the gilded gates and buildings. The artwork in the apartments rivals those of any museum and then the Hall of Mirrors really does befit the wealth and power of Louis XIV in all his splendor. 
Now the next blogs will update you on our adventures since leaving the city of lights and venturing on the roads of France in our rental car. Must say that my winning ways on the Formula 1 Atari game of my youth have served me well! Really it has not been bad and only a few wrong turns and I'm driving a great car :) so stay tuned.
