Attached to a Backpack: Paris by foot

Andie was mildly ill this morning, so I had time to catch up on my writing. (She's fine-- she woke up dehydrated, but her after-breakfast rest turned into an hour-long nap, so she recovered quickly.)

We decided the first thing to do was go to Notre Dame. Or at least somewhere over there on the island, because we had to wander back and forth around all the bookstalls, statues, and old bridges; and once, Andie forgot where we were going and took us halfway to the Louvre before we asked which way the cathedral was.

Napoleon built this one.

The Seine itself is green and murky and far down, but there's always a breeze when you're near it.

We had some contention over identifying bridges, but Pont des Arts is unmistakeable: its wire grating is completely covered in padlocks, so many that it glitters gold in the sun.

Couples write their names on one, lock it to the bridge, and throw the key in the river.

The bike lock was my favorite.

We headed over toward Notre Dame and ordered hot sandwiches for lunch from a yelling French lady nearby-- somehow her questions seemed easier to understand when loud. We sat and ate chicken kebab and fries ("Voulez-vous un frite?") in the green space next to the cathedral, shooing the pigeons.

When we finished and walked back toward the front of the cathedral, my camera batteries promptly died in the line. We'll be trusting Andie's photography until I can find some more.

Besides the lovely windows, Notre Dame also has smaller naves, mini-chapels, modern glass confessional booths (recording booths, they look like), statues, and art from all eras, it looks like. Rick Steves was very helpful.

This is Mary, in front of the central window.

The light was bad in this picture, but there are two gargoyles (correct term: "grotesques") on the top of this corner pillar; the one on the right has his chin on his fist-- the "bored gargoyle"

This is Kilometre Zero, the dead center of Paris. People have pitched coins onto the stone decal.

On the way in...

The center aisle

Altar, with choir area behind and marble Pietà at the foot of the cross

Trademark rose windows

Joan of Arc statue

The backside of the divider between the altar and the back naves
is decorated with painted relifs from the life of Christ.

These were part of a mainiature exhibit in the back showing how the cathedral was constructed. The exercise wheel is attached to a rope and pulley, for hoisting up stone blocks by running.

Third saint from the left (the headless one) is St. Denis, one of Paris's patron saints. He was the first bishop in the area when Christianity was still spreading and was martyred by the Romans as an example to other believers. Legend says that when they beheaded him, him stood back up, picked up his own head, walked with it to the nearest public fountain, washed it off, and continued walking for another few blocks before he finally collapsed and died. This greatly helped the reputation of Christianity in the region and Notre Dame is actually built on top of the previous site of the Temple of Jupiter.

And leaving, we found the Archaeology Museum, which is underground underneath Notre Dame and houses the original Roman/medieval/later buildings of Paris. I ran for it.

You walk downstairs into the exhibit, and suddenly, into actual ruins.

The original Roman settlement was called Lutetia and centered on the west bank of the Seine, spreading to the Ile, but invaders gradually forced the Romans to fortify the island and vacate the left bank buildings.

Digital reconstruction of Roman-era Ile de la Cité

Interactive screens in the back, allowing you to look at Notre Dame from any angle during its different construction phases.

I think this is medieval-- they mentioned some corner was evidence of the building's use as a foundling hospital.

This was blurry due to schoolchildren running around my knees, but it's the reconstruction of the old harbor. The Seine has moved about 50 m since Roman Lutetia.

And every few minutes, they dim the lights and project a reconstructed harbor scene on the back wall, complete with the sound of waves and seagulls.

Subsequent invasions and building projects recycled the stone from Roman buildings and walls-- there are medieval structures using blocks with rough Latin inscriptions.