Paris on Foot

We woke up early (as usual) and it paid off. The line wasn't too terribly long for the St. Chapelle so we got in quickly to tour the church, take some pics, and snag a plastic reading card in English to learn about the church. The bottom floor was bathed with bright reds, blues, and golds and was speckled with fleur de lis and Medieval images and statues. We took the steps to the upper chapel and were surrounded by tall, thin panes of stained glass which tell stories from books of the bible. A high arching ceiling above our heads was the same colors as the lower chapel. Even under restoration, it was breathtaking and definitely my favorite church of the entire trip!

Next we walked to the Notre Dame to take a look inside- it is almost to its 850 year anniversary and all the bells which each have a name and sound of their own will be replaced. We skipped the 2 hour line to go up the towers and see the bells in exchange for a hoarded baguette and nutella snack on the walk to Shakespeare and Co. Awesome bookstore and I snagged a pic before they yelled at me :) On the top floor people were hanging out reading the used books which are not for sale and one lady was even filing through her personal stash of paperwork at a desk in front of a window that overlooked the street. There was also a tiny little nook with a desk and a typewriter inside, a place to make the magic happen! Next we took a trek to the Pantheon to look around inside and finally a walk to the Jardin du Luxembourg and Palais du Luxembourg. It turned out to be one of our favorite gardens I think, with it's winding pathways, huge fountain pool surrounded by sunbathers, 4 random palm trees, and palatial backdrop!

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We visited the St. Sulpice (which was by far the quietest and least tourist ridden) and then walked over to the nearest bus stop. Because it was such a beautful day, we decided to ride over to the Trocadero for Eiffel Tower pictures! Afterwards, we walked across the bridge to split a cone of Pistachio ice cream and a nutella covered waffle before hopping on our boat tour! We learned plenty as usual, despite the minor setback in the little audio tour speakers... Ashley's did not work and mine was stuck in spanish commentary... The best part of the boat tour was watching young Parisiennes relaxing on the banks of the Seine and waving emphatically, sometimes even blowing kissing, at the tourists on the boat passing by.

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