Finally made! When you feel the wheels touch down at CDG (or any airport for that matter), there is a feeling of relief, exhilaration and a simple get me the bloody hell out of here that takes over. Overcoming the flight as well as zero degrees was the first thing to deal with. I was doing better the couple that walked onto the tarmac in shorts (we got ferried by bus to the terminal). Anyway, after getting my passport stamped I move to the baggage collection for the interminable wait. As I walked up to the conveyor belt I turned around and there was Chris Huntington, an old student from St Mary’s Cathedral. As Ben Smith said, “teachers can’t go anywhere without be spotted :-). Had a really good chat and laugh and after we found our bus into town (better than €55) it was full steam ahead to Montparnasse.
Once I got settled (the hotel had my room ready at 9.50 am – thank you Accor) first stop was Montparnasse cemetery. There is something truly fascinating about these places, Parisian cemeteries in particular. Be it the sculptures or the people buried there, I have always been enthralled walking around these places (macabre as that may sound). While this may be slightly smaller that other Parisian cemeteries, there is a sense of order and serenity about it. Found some of the famous inhabitants such as Sartre, de Beauvoir, Sontag and Lt-Col Alfred Dreyfus. It was actually a really good way to start the trip off and to get the legs moving again. Also it was an even better way to reacquaint myself with the culture of Paris without having to view all the old faithfuls.
Then it was lunch and thawing out in the hotel 😁 (€7.50 for a chicken baguette, a slice of cake which will last me two days and drink) as it was a balmy 1C. After partially consuming lunch it was then off to Sainte-Chapelle for the first time since 1989. The stain glass windows are hard to describe and the pics don’t do them justice. To stand and view this structure in the same gobsmacked way that everyone was meant that it had an impact on everyone. Not a long visit but definitely a worthwhile one.
Then a wander round Saint Michel district taking the obligatory walk to see Notre Dame. The line here was very long but I had been in there before and really didn’t see the need to visit again. Walking around I stumbled onto Saint-Séverin church, Parts of this church have its roots dating back to the 5th century with the church itself being expanded in the 14-15th centuries. Last stop of the day was Saint-Germain de Prés. While the church under heavy interior restoration, it really did have an interesting history. It was built by the Benedictine monks in the 6th century, set afire by the Vikings in the 9th century, rebuilt in the 10th century and had prison cells built in 1600’s. Throw in that people such as René Descartes is buried here and its a place I would love to see when it is finished.
I got back to the hotel after 19,000 paces at around 5pm. A little lay down turned into a full blown sleep which definitely helped to get over the flight.
Pic Link
Day 1 & 2 – The flight & Paris
Video Link
Europe Dec-Jan 2018 