Churches on Sunday. Appropriate.

Miles walked: 2.35, but I think the pedometer is lying
Steps: 6,373, yet another lie
Crepes today: two, which is the truth, but they came two to a plate, so I couldn't turn one down, could I?

The day started early with the entire gang meeting at the Christmas tree in front of Notre Dame at 9 a.m.


Walking to the cathedral was almost a religous experience unto itself. The city was sleeping, the air was crisp, the sun was casting a light pink tinge across the rooftops and the hookers were doing their walk of shame. How do I know she was a hooker? No one, and I mean no one, dresses in a skirt so short it could be considered a scarf accompanied by heals that high to go out and get the Sunday paper.

Since we were at the cathedral so early, we had the place almost entirely to ourselves. We go there in time to walk around while Mass was being said, which added to the experience, especially when the singing started.


After seeing Notre Dame's windows in the morning light, we walked across the street to St. Chappelle (San Sha-pelle) to see its famous windows lit up. Because the chapel is within the compound for the Supreme Court of France, we had to go through a security checkpoint. Metal detectors, X-rays and a wanding down by a pretty good looking soldier is a funny way to go into a church (Tim dared me to touch the soldiers side arm--I declined the dare).

St. Chapelle is a small chapel built hundreds of years ago so the royalty could worship without the commoners breathing the same air. You enter the chapel on the ground floor and come into a small but elaborate hall. Two spiral (yes, every staircase is spiral) staircases take you to the next floor and into the chapel. When you get to the top of the stairs, you see this:


Beautiful, right?

The stained glass windows in this church are famous for their size and age--some go back hundreds of years, which impresses me since France is on its fifth republic and much of Europe was scarred by the world wars.



There was no heat in the chapel, so you coul, quite literally see your breath. I think it's a ploy to keep the tourists moving through the building--no dawdling there!

From St. Chappelle we hopped on the Metro and made our way to yet another church (hey, it's Sunday), the Sacre Coeur. It's not a seat of religous power, in fact it was built in the 1800s sometime, so it isn't even very old by European standards. It's the neighborhood where it sits that makes this church a hotspot.

Sacre Coeur sits on top of Montmartre a high point in Paris. It looks a bit like a mosque, which probably caused quite a stir back in the day. Although, I think the more controversial aspect of this church is the fact that the benefactors had themselves enshrined in the mosaic above the alter of posterity. Yep, right next to Peter, Paul, John, Matthew, Mark, Luke, Mary and Jesus himself are the people who raised the loot to build the church. So, high on the dome of the church are the apostles in their period clothes hob-knobbing with the muckety-mucks of Paris circa 1840.


We used Sacre Coeur as a jumping off point for a walk around Montmartre, the area of Paris made famous by artists like Picasso and Delacroix.

The morning went by with such precision, we finished our entire Paris itinerary by 1 p.m., so we decided to make it a full church day and visit La Madeliene. Looking more of a Greek temple than a Catholic church (ponder the ironies there for a minute), it was new to us and free to enter, therefore it fit the bill perfectly.

Many churches around Paris, including Notre Dame and La Madeliene display Christmas chreches for the public to view. La Madeliene did so in style. Please don't think I'm mocking religion, because I'm not. I am, however, laughing hysterically at the mustaches and eyebrows of the wise men:



The Paris Opera house was nearby and since the line was too long to tour the building the last time we walked by, we decided to give it another try. We were in luck! the grand staircase, marble work and general ornateness of the building truly is something to behold.



I was a little disappointed, though. We weren't able to poke our heads into the actual theater and see the mural on the ceiling by Marc Chagall because we would interrupt rehearsals.

Tonight, we're having a relaxing night in with friends, food and wine. Two of the gang left for home today and a few more leave tomorrow. Soon, it will be down to the basic five and we'll be on our way to Normandy.