Paris: Day 2

I left early and started out at the Lourve.

BUT

The museum workers were on strike.

It must be a national pastime.

Oh well, I've been there before and most of their collections are online. So I headed over to the Cite to see Notre Dame. I stopped at the Conciergerie. Think of the French version of the Tower of London. Prisoners were brought here during the Revolution (1789) to stand trial and be sentenced for execution, often within the same day. Marie Antoinette was kept here before she was beheaded.

The fountain from the women's courtyard is still there. This is where they bathed and washed their clothes.
The Guard's Hall was filled with ugly modern art.

Don't ask, I haven't the slightest idea.

The Conciergerie is part of the Palace of Justice which was the first palace for the kings starting in the 13th century until they built the Lourve. Now the French Supreme Court and other federal departments are here.

This is the main gate:

Notice the French lawyers taking a smoking break. I'm so spoiled living in CA. I forget the rest of the world smokes--a lot. Even walking down the street can give you a headache from second hand smoke.

Then it was over to Sainte Chapelle, the royal chapel attached to the palace. There is a lower chapel which was for the palace servants and the upper one for the king and his courtiers.

Pretty amazing for the 13th century.

While heading towards Norte Dame, I saw this on the side of a bus:

(Kaari, Sharla, and Alyssa-this is for you.)

I almost got hit by a taxi, but it's all in the name of friendship.

Twilight was renamed "Fascination" and New Moon is now "Temptation." I guess they don't like the whole phases of the night thing in France.

I went up to the top of the towers at Norte Dame this time. 400 steps up a narrow, spiral staircase. That means no one really wide or with a heart condition. Got my exercise for the day.

View of the Eiffel Tower in the distant with a chimera in the foreground.

Back of the Cathedral.


Then it was off to go shopping on the Champs Elysses, but my camera died because I forgot to charge it the night before.

Oh, and French policeman tend to be pretty cute.