Everybody goes (or dreams of going) to Paris in the springtime;
yet a visit in November can be equally exciting as merchants and government add
Christmas lights to the already brilliant “City of Light.” Paris earned this sobriquet
first from being a center of education and ideas during the Age of
Enlightenment, and later to its early adoption of street lighting. No city in
the world is lighted like Paris.
This was my third trip to this exciting metropolis and, as
in the past, it did not disappoint. A trip down the River Seine in the early
morning gave a boater’s eye view of historic sites, including the Eiffel Tower,
Notre Dame, and Avenue Des Champs Elysees. A second trip in the evening over
the same route when the lights were on in the city was even more thrilling.
I took several opportunities to view the city from above. The
first at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, a popular landmark located at the
summit of the butte Montmartre, the highest point in the city; then from atop
the Arc De Triomphe Etoile on Des Champs Elysees, and finally from atop
Montparnasse Tower on the Left Bank. Of all these, the Tower offers the
greatest view. It is about 680 feet high and the view is from an open roof
where you can walk the four sides and feel the wind.
A flea market held on Saturday and Sunday was on my bucket
list. Approximately 400 vendors hawked their goods on two long streets and as
the morning progressed the shopping crowds got larger. This is undoubtedly a
major event on the weekend. (I wanted to see Paris Underground but it was
closed due to an air conditioning problem so that remains on the bucket list.)
A Sunday side trip to Chartres to view the Cathedral was a
comfortable hour train ride out of Paris. When I looked at the local map to see
which direction I needed to walk the first thing to catch my eye was “Boulevard
General Patton.” The Cathedral dates to
the 4th Century when it originated. In the intervening years it was destroyed by
fire and the elements but rebuilt and today it is undergoing restoration.
Another nearby Church of St. Pierre is more than 200 years old but is in
terrible condition. This original church dates back to the 7th
Century. These are places which are of interest not only from a religious viewpoint
but historical and political views as they played a major role in the
development of France.
Food and drink were good. I started each day with fresh French
bread and croissants and good coffee at the Le Royal Hotel on Boulevard Raspail
in the Montparnasse region on the Left bank. This was the venue for American
artists, writer, singers and entertainers in the 20s and 30s until WWII
started. It is also home to the cemetery Montparnasse where Baudelaire, Beckett
and Sartre are at rest. On a Sunday afternoon the cemetery was packed with
visitors and sight seers. A few family/friends members were observed kneeling
at fresh burial sites.
Paris is a walking city and I did a lot of that. The metro
system was easy enough to figure out and by the second day I felt comfortable
going about. When a problem came up, a friendly face and voice could be found
to help. The shops were crowded and it seemed as though each tried to outdo the
other in Christmas decorations and lights. The visit was over all too soon and,
as in the past, I made a note to return some day and spend more time in the
City of Light.
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