Shop Teacher Bob

The day started with a city tour with a local guide - a lovely women who unfortunately was suffering from laryngitis. We had headsets on so we could hear her but a tough break for a tour guide.

This is the outside side/rear view of Notre Dame. While the front is certainly beautiful, this view gives you more of an architectural view point. The Gothic construction with the flying buttresses, spires, gargoyles, the whole works. Construction of the church started in 1100 and took 200 years to finish. If you were a stone mason and got on that job when it started, you could have started and finished your career here, as could your children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. 

The interior of the church is not too shabby either. The costs to maintain these old cathedrals must be outrageous. I'm extremely grateful they do. Likewise, I'm glad they weren't all bombed during one of the wars. I remember watching on the news a few years back some of the antiquities being destroyed in the Middle East and thinking what a shame that was. I'm just extremely thankful I finally got my chance to see many of these things before I leave this earth. 

Out in front of the church is this bronze marking kilometer zero and the center of the city. Legend has it, if you rub the marker you'll have good luck and you'll return to Paris in the future. Don't know if I'll ever make it back but, hopefully, Kevin will have the opportunity. When I was in Italy the first time, I made myself a vow that I would return. That turned out to be a little dicey with the heart attack but I made it. I'm not making any vows this time, but if I ever go back to Europe, Paris will be part of the trip. And like Kevin, I made sure I rubbed the marker.

I could spend days wandering around just looking at the ironwork. I did manage to see one of the really cool Art Nouveau entryways from the bus window as we were driving by.

It was similar in design to this but I we went by it much too quickly to get a photo of it. We also went by the Shakespeare & Co. bookstore I posted about a couple of months back. It's not too far from the Louvre, which again, I got to see front and back but only from the bus window. 

They did stop the bus at the Eiffel Tower, though. Not long enough for my liking but that's the way these things go. I could have spent a week in Paris and wouldn't have been satisfied.

We had the choice of staying in Paris on our own or going to Versailles to see the Palace. Our little group all chose the Palace. Tough decision for me. I wanted to see the Palace but I really wanted to see more of Paris as well.  Louis XIV, the Sun King, decided to move out of Paris and into the country so he built himself a "little" chateau for him and the family. Originally it was located on 8,000 acres if I remember correctly. It currently still has 2,000 with the Palace and the gardens. Most of the furnishings were sold off after Louis XVI and wife Marie Antoinette were dethroned and beheaded which was a shame (both the beheading and the loss of furnishings). The place is magnificent inside but would be even better if it were furnished as opulently as it would have been originally.The balcony in the rear of the photo is where Marie made the famous comment about letting them eat cake. Something to remember if you ever become king or queen.

Here's a partial rear view of the Palace. Without a wide angle lens, there's no way to get all of the palace in view at one time. If you do an image search on the internet you can find some nice aerial shots of the Palace and the gardens. Those are the only ones to really do the place justice.

Our day in Paris was wrapped up with a farewell dinner featuring traditional French menu items, none of which were vegan friendly, however. Before signing up for the meal, I spoke with our tour guide and she assured me she could take care of me and I should come along. Also, if I didn't come along for the dinner I would miss the big surprise she had planned for us. Dinner was indeed good and the big surprise? 

The Eiffel Tower at night. Even though the tower is lit up at night, it seems that at nine o'clock they do a fancy light show that makes it even more impressive. Ilka was right, I wouldn't have wanted to miss that. Great way to finish up the trip. (The tower wasn't actually laying on its side that night. I turned things 90 degrees prior to saving in the video clip but ...)

Next morning it was say our goodbyes, then Paris to London, London to Chicago, Chicago to home. The trip of a lifetime. I may never get a chance to go back, but as Bogey said to Bergman: "We'll always have Paris".