At Notre-dame we learned some of the history of the Ile de la Cite and the cathdedral. The idea of the cathedral was conceived to impress and the architect told the king that it would take 80 years to build. At first there were serious objections but everyone was finally convinced that it should be built. It did not take 80 years to built but closer to 150. Since that time, according to our guide, most building projects in a France emulate the building projections of the cathedral. The cathedral was at one time almost torn down due to the cost of its upkeep. The people were unwilling to pay the necessary funds. Thanks to Victor Hugo and his book The Hunchback of Notre-Dame the people fell in love with the building and it was saved from destruction . Now it is the number one tourist attraction in the city.
Paul, our guide and his wife standing to his right with the camera. The two are the sole proprietors of the WEGO Walking Tours.
In the courtyard of the cathedral ( Place du Parvis de Notre-Dame), is a n emblem (the 0 KM point)from which all road distances in France are calculated. It is legend that if you spin on the emblem you will return to Paris and if you jump on it you will meet your true love.
Sorry Paul, I'm into beheadings!
Most people took a spin on it. Me! I jumped. I'll let you know how that works out.
We left the cathedral area and walked by the Palais de Justice which along with the Conciergerie were once the Palais de la Cite seat of Roman Rule and the home of the French Kings until 1358. It took its present name during the revolution and the building now contains the city's law courts. A later blog will focus a bit more on the Conciergerie and also Sainte-Chapelle which was built by Louis IX as a shrine for his holy relics. Louis IX was known as Saint-Louis. He was apparently loved by the peope of French as he went out and walked among them healing people. Some believe the people he healed were actors but he was unaware of the ruse and believed he could and did heal people. These deeds led to his cannonization by the Catholic Church
Next we walked over to the Academie Francaise. The academy was officially established in 1635 by Cardinal Richelieu the chief minister to King Louis XIII. The Academy consists of foty members, known as immortels and is the preeminent French learned body on matters pertaining to the French Language.
Leaving the L'Academie behind us we walked over to the Pont Neuf ( New Bridge) which happens to be the oldest bridge in Paris and the most famous with its suberb design and decorations it was the central feature of the grandiose royal archetecture that was to be found along the Seine. It is the bridge that linked the Louve, the Abbaye de Saint- Germain and the Left Bank in royal times It was planned in 1556 but was opposed by the provost of the merchants and the stallholders installed on the other side of the bridges who could not see any reason for the bridge. The first stone was laid by Henry III in 1578 and its construction was delayed and wasn't completed until 1603 under Henry IV who five years later gave it its name,Pont-Neuf. It was the first bridge build without building on it so peeope were able to see and enjoy the view of the River Seine.
Leaving the Pont Neuf we walked to the Pont des Arts where couples attach locks as a sign of their devotion. They are called love locks and the key is thrown into the Seine. In 2010 concerns were expressed about the locks, which disappeared from the bridge one night but were later found to have been removed by an art student who had turned then into a sculpture. Many protests are being made by Parisans and others who believe the thousands of locks are an eyesore and are a risk to the iron bridge. In early June a chunk of the bridge fell away and the police wre called to seal off the bridge. The city's mayor indicated that this incident "confirms that our desire to find an alternative to these locks is a real necessity".
Of course, there are plenty of entrepeneurs on the bridge willing to sell you the locks. I'm considering inventing an alternative to the lock, presenting it to the mayor and than opening up a store and selling it to the entrepeneurs on the bridge. I would do it right now but I'm busy blogging.
Next we walked to the Louvre. Now this was originally build as a fortress in the 12 century. According to our guide by the time the fortress was finished the city had expanded beyone the walls of the fortress and so it was offered to the king as a palace. He accepted, and as he felt cramped for space added on. Each succeeding monarch added on and it is today the largest and most important museum in the world. The collection of the Louvre Museum was first established in the 16th century as the private collection of King Francis I. One of the works he purchased was the Mona Lisa painting. During the French Revolution, the Louvre became a national art museum and the private royal collection was opened to the public. The museum has a collection of over 1 million works of art of which about 35,000 are on display.
The most recent addition to the Louvre was the construction of the Louvre pyramid which functions as the museums main entrance. The pyramic was built in 1989. The glass pyramid allows the sunlight to enter the underground floor. Although controversial because it contrasts sharply with the surrounding buildings it is generally accepted as a clever solution which has given the museum a spacious central entrance without the need to touch the historic patrimony.
We did learn that there are a couple of ways to get tickets to the Louvre without standing in the long line ( in the summer that line can result in a 4 to 5 hour wait). I have given my solumn oath that I woud not reveal how those lines can be avoided but the next time you go to Paris just finance my trip and I will be glad to show you my secret.
By this time we were all a little hungry and thirsty and in need of the WC. What's new. Paul had promised us that he would show us the cleanest public restrooms in Paris. A man of his word. Of course it isn't free but .70 Euro's will get you admittance. There is a painting of the Mona Lisa located in the loo so if you don't get to the Louvre just use this bathroom and you can tell your friends you saw the Mona Lisa at the loo.
There were a couple of nice concession stands right there as well. We all took a llittle break and ate a crepe or a sandwich and found a place to sit and rest our weary, hot bodies.
At this point we were only about half way through the tour. Many more steps to go. I think at this point Sharon was giving me dirty looks for signing us up but I just ignored them. She was also having a little problem with her foot at this point. But we trudged onward.
We walked to the Place de la Concorde. It is situated between the Tuileries and the Champs-Elysees. Very broadly translated to mean the place of Harmony. As Paul pointed out it was hardly that during the French Revolution. At first it was used as a place to torture to death those "enemies" of the cause but later a more humane form of execution was found - the guillotine. Over 1119 people were beheaded at the center of the square over a 2 year span. King Louis XVI and Marie-Antionette as well as Robespierre to name a few.
From the Place de la Concorde you can see the American Embassy and the building which houses the French Navy Department. Now, what is the French Navy Department doing in the center of the city. They were meant to be near the water and so fountains were added to the Place de la Concorde one in 1846 and one in 1839, La fontaine des Mers and the Elevation of the Maritime, respectively, and the lightposts around the fountain were painted a "sea green". I'm quite sure those additions make a sea going person happy.
We next viewed two buildings that were build for the 1900 Exposition, the Petit Palais and the Grand Palais. They originally were going to be torn down 20 years after the Exposition. Today rhe Petit Palais is one of the 14 museums in Paris. It is one of the free museums as well. Right now they have the exhibion "Paris in 1900, The city of Entertainment" is an invitation to the public to relive the splendour of the French capital at the time when the Paris Exposition Universelle was heralding the arrival of the 20th century.
I'm just sorry we didn't get there to view this special exhibit. Although the museum is free there is generally a charge for the special exhibitions. 
This building is near Winston Churchill Avenue which was also built for the Fair and just down from the building is a giant statue of Winston Churchill.
This building is near Winston Churchill Avenue which was also built for the Fair and just down from the building is a giant statue of Winston Churchill.I would have taken a picture but I think I was crawling on all fours at this point.
The Grand Palais, built for the Exposition also was dedicated "by the French Republic to the glory of French art". It is one of the most recognizable landmarks because of the glass-domed roof. The Grand Palais is currently the largest existing ironwork and glass structure in the world. After one of its glass ceiling tiles fell in 1993 the building was closed for more than a decade for renovations. The first portion reopened in 2004 the rest in 2007. The main gallery is now a designated site for displaying contemporary art, you can see everything here from antique car shows to fashion extravaganzas. The interior of the building is supposed to be fabulous and well worth a visit.
Another structure built at the end of the 19th century as part of a series of projects undertaken for the Universal exposition is the Pont Alexandre III. This bridge connects the Grand and Petite Palais on the right bank with the Hotel des Invalides on the left bank. The bridge is lavishly decorated with lamposts and sculptures of cherubs and nymphs. On each end of the Pont Alexandre III are large gilded statues. The first stone was laid by Russian Tsar Nicolas II and was to sympoize Russian-French Friendship - and was named after his father Tsar Alexander III. If you are a very observant person you will recognize this bridge from the many movies it has "starred" in - Rush Hour 3, The Devil Wears Prade, Kiss of the Dragon, Taken, Sabina (1995).
Are you tired yet? We still have more to see. We are dying ! But again, onward and upward! Next we cross the most beautiful bridge in Paris and we see the ...
Louis XIV built the hotel in 1670 with the idea of creating a hospice for wounded soldiers and their armies. At the end of the 17th centruy it was home to more than 3000 borders. Today, though it still holds a hosital the building is more known for being home to the tomb of the emperor Napoleon, and for its Army Museum which holds a rich collection of historical items. The dome of the building is covered in leafs of gold.
At last we made our way to the EiffelTower - our last stop. This too was built for the 1900 World's Fair and was designed and built by Gustave Eiffel, known for his revolutionary bridge building techniques. He was also known for the construction of the Statue of Liberty's iron framework. Again the structure was to be torn down in 20 years. Not one person was killed during the building of the tower. Gustave put netting under each section as it was being built. It was actually completed 8 days after the Fair began and after the fair the city wanted to tear it down. Gustave made a deal with the city saying he would pay the bill for the constuction of the tower if he could own it for 20 years than he would turn it over to the city. A deal was struck. Mr. Eiffel started charging for people to go up the tower and in less than a year he had recovered all his costs and of course he had a19 more years of proprietorship. At the end of the 20 years the city regained ownership and than wanted to tear the tower down again. Gustave pleaded with them not to do but they were persistent. He came up with a solution and suggested to the military that if they put an antenae on the top of the tower it could be very useful for spying. The military went to the city and told them they couldn't tear the tower down beause it was going to be used in the National defense. Today one coud not imagine Paris without the tower. The Eiffel Tower, in fact has become the symbol of the City of Light.
The tower is lite at night and on the hour after 10:00 there is a "twinkle light show" . Worth staying up to see.
Now all we had to do was give our tips to Paul ( the tour is free) and try to get our legs to manuever to the nearest metro station. We made it as far as a little "touristy" cafe that Paul had said stay away from. That was as far as our legs could carry us and we had a big glass of water and a beer. After that we headed for the metro and home. Only one obstacle in our way.
We made it! That night we decided we could go no further than the little Place Dauphine right around the corner from the Flat. The square was the second royal square dedicated to "le Dauphine" (crown prince) Louis XIII by his father Henry IV. Despite the loss of the beautiful old chestnut trees in 2009, the square was reopened with baby new trees.
There are number of restaurants in the square and we decided on one Le Rose de France. I have to confess. I coudn't make up my mind and I was starving after the forced march, I mean walking tour and so I decided to go with the chef's meal of the night with the suggested wines. Wow! What a treat. It began with just a little creme fraiche with a small gravlax of salmon which were sent out by the chef to both Sharon and myself. Since Sharon doesnt like salmon I ate her's too. My meal began with a pate, acompanied by strawberries, aspic, a touch of balsamic vinegar, and some type of chewy pastry and of course toast. It was devine! My next course was a risotto with Parmesan and shrimp. For the main course I had slow cooked pork with mushrooms and a baked peach. Fresh fruit in a very light syrup came next and last a chocolate tart with vanilla ice cream and raspberries. The wine pairings were perfect! What a way to end a day!
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