Trip to Holy Land - Day Two

After getting ready and eating our quick breakfast, we took a taxi to The Paris Pass office to pick up our pass cards which we had decided was the best way to see Paris in a few days.  By purchasing them, we had entry in over 60 attractions, as well as very little standing in lines, and free public transport on the metro, buses, and train.  The office wasn't that easy to find, but when we did find it, we met a very friendly Greek Orthodox couple from Winston-Salem, North Carolina.  This was their first time to Paris and so they asked if we could start our adventure together.   They were very pleasant people, and we enjoyed our day with them.

We then had to take the Metro with our passes to the Big Bus Paris office to pick up our one-day tickets to the Hop-On, Hop-Off bus, which takes you on a full circuit of the city. 

 It was really nice weather, so we sat on top of the double-decker bus.  The clouds started getting darker, but we stayed out as long as we could.  Here we are passing the smaller version of the Arc de Triomphe, known as the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel, built between 1806 and 1808.  It was built to commemorate Napoleon's military victories of the previous year.  The more famous Arc de Triomphe nearby was designed in the same year, but it took thirty years to build and is about twice the size.

No one can mistake the glassed triangle of the Louve.

 There are 37 bridges across the Seine River in Paris!

  After we rode the bus a short time, we hopped off at Notre Dame Cathedral and went inside. 

 Construction of the cathedral began in the 12th century and continued for almost 200 years. 

In the center, a large rose forms a halo above the statue of the Virgin Mary, who is flanked by two angels and presents us her Child, Jesus, the Son of God.

 

 The three large portals are entirely decorated with statues and are each home to two very heavy wooden doors that give access to the inside of the cathedral.  

 The statues tell stories from the Bible and from Christian history. They were used to teach Sacred History and the lives of the Saints to those who could not read.

 Gargoyle comes from a Latin word, meaning gullet or drain. That’s what the strange looking creatures are, they’re drainpipes.  Each grotesque figure has a passageway inside that carries rainwater from the roof and out through the gargoyle’s mouth.  From the top of the cathedral’s towers the gargoyles have a magnificent view of the city. 

 A few years ago, Craig and I walked up a spiral staircase to a gallery that offers close-up encounters with the gargoyles that played supporting roles in Victor Hugo's The Hunchback of Notre Dame.  From there, you can explore the cathedral's belfry and climb another 147 steps to the top of the south tower.   The total climb is 387 steps, and there aren't a lot of places to rest along the way, but I was so proud that Craig and I had done it and were able to have that experience.  This time, we just observed the gargoyles from down below.    

 

Inside the Notre Dame Cathedral.

 

The cathedral was built and named for the Virgin Mary.

These panels are above tombs below.  Again, with pictures the story of Christ's life is told.  This panel starts with when King Herod ordered that all male babies under two should be killed because he was fearful of a "King of the Jews" rising up; then Joseph leading the donkey carrying Mary and Jesus into Egypt. 

After our time there, we went a short distance to the Archaeological Crypt in Notre-Dame where we walked through ancient layers of ruins of the city that has been in a continuous state of reconstruction for over 2000 years.

The remains of some of the historic heart of Paris were discovered during excavations carried out between 1965 and 1970 and lies right under the square of Notre Dame cathedral.  

Basically, the city has continued to re-build itself through ancient, medieval and classical periods to what it is today.

The ruins show ancient walls and sewers.

This is actually the ancient dock of Lutecia, with a depiction of where the water would have been at that time.

Ancient map of what Paris would have looked like.  Notre Dame is actually located on the island right in the middle of the Seine River.

Gallo-Roman public baths.

We then stopped at another little cafe near the Notre Dame Cathedral and ate a typical lunch of omelets, fries, salad and banana/chocolate Nutella crepes.  This is quite the combination, isn't it?

Doug being Pinocchio really made us laugh.

 

 We boarded the bus again and stopped at the Orsay Museum, which is located on the banks of the Seine.

One thing I don't know if I could ever get used to is how the military who guard all the important places in the city walk around with their fingers on the trigger at all times!

This museum was installed in the former Orsay Railway Station and was built for the Universal Exhibition of 1900.

The building itself is a “work of art,” but the collection of artwork displayed is from 1848 to 1914, which was when the great masterpieces of impressionism were painted--Manet, Degas, Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh, Gauguin, Courbet, Carpeaux, Rodin and Maillol.

A small version of the prestigious gift of Lady Liberty by Bartholdi given to the United States to celebrate American independence and to seal the friendship of the two nations.

 Our husbands are such good sports to go to museums with us, although we both know it's not their favorite places on the trip.

 This was fascinating to see the inner-workings of this huge clock from the back side.

 After seeing all of the wonderful paintings and sculptures, these people found the best (and most unique) place for a little rest.  Too bad there wasn't another little niche because I would have gladly joined them!

 Back on the bus, we passed many national landmarks and sites.  This is the Palais Bourbon, where the French National Assembly meets.

 Crossing another of the 37 bridges.

 The Obelisk is a symbol of peace, ending the French revolution. The Obelisk was a gift from the Viceroy of Egypt as also referred to as Cleopatra's needle.  The fountain is commemorating maritime commerce and industry.

 The rain started falling, so we went on the lower level of the bus, but we now had to take pictures through the rain-sprinkled windows.

 People under the Arc de Triomphe standing around the eternal flame placed there to honor the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, as a symbol of all the soldiers who have lost their lives in defense of France.  There is a ceremony held there every day at 6:30 p.m. which started in 1923.

^{Here you can see cars and buses coming out of a tunnel where a gold flame stands.  The Flame of Liberty is a full-sized, gold-leaf covered replica of the flame of the torch carried in the hand of the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor.  It is outside the tunnel where Lady Diana, Princess of Wales, died in 1997, so most people who come here think this was built for her.}

Near the Eiffel Tower, we boarded a boat for a one-hour cruise on the Seine River, which lets you view the city from a different angle.  

 Going beneath the many ornately decorated bridges.

 The Pont Des Arts Bridge.

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In recent years, many tourist couples have taken to attaching padlocks (love locks) with their first names written or engraved on them to the railing or the grate on the side of the bridge, then throwing the key into the Seine river below, as a romantic gesture.  This gesture is said to represent a couple's committed love.

 The lovers just continually find new places to attach the locks to since the place above is just too packed for any more.

 

-->The  Zouave statue which is in honor of the light infantry regiments in the French Army between 1831 and 1962. 

For Parisians, the bridge with this Zouave soldier serves as a measuring instrument for water levels and a dam in times of flooding on the Seine.  Access to the footpaths by the river embankments usually is closed when the Seine's level reaches the feet of the Zouave, and when the water hits the statue's thighs, the river becomes unnavigable.  During the great flood of the Seine in 1910, the level reached to the shoulders of the Zouave.

Passing by the back of the Louvre.

At the end of cruise, we looked a bit wind blown and our hair was wet, but what a great time we had!

 We got back on the bus.  You can see the crazy traffic and how packed it was.

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Champs-Élysées

Paris's most glamorous shopping street is lined with almost unspeakably fancy shops, where you can see big name to big name stores and in a few hours can see Dior, Chanel, and everything in between.

Our day was complete, and seeing the rainbow at the end of the day, made it even more special!

We stopped at a café and ate a delicious dinner,  and then took a taxi ride back to the hotel.