Paris contains so many iconic treasures that it is impossible to see them all in just one week. However, we did hit some of the biggies.
Eiffel Tower
Number one on the list, the Eiffel Tower lives up to all expectations. It is spectacular! As impressive as it is in daylight, it is absolutely magical at night.
We experienced the twinkle light show of the tower by dumb luck. We had chosen to visit the Musee D’Orsay late on Thursday afternoon to avoid crowds and take advantage of their later hours on that day. We left the museum around 9:00 and had complimentary tickets for a Seine River cruise that left from the Eiffel Tower. We had until 10:30 to take the cruise. Not being sure of the Metro or bus routes, we decided to walk along the Seine. This was a much longer walk than we anticipated and our feet were already sore from wandering the museum but we persevered on. Along the way we found a stretch of very active nightlife – a number of land based and floating bars (one looked to be having a costume party). We also happened upon the golden domed church we had seen from the Batobus but couldn’t identify.
The entire walk took us over an hour. Needless to say, we did not take our river cruise. When we got to the Eiffel Tower, it was magnificent in its lighted glory. Then it started to twinkle. WOW!
Notre Dame
We were stunned back in April when the fire at Notre Dame broke out. We were glued to the TV like so many others around the world. We already knew we were coming to Paris so we’re wondering how this might impact our experience. Obviously, there would be no entering this most famous of churches.
Our first view of Notre Dame came from across the river near our Batobus stop. We could see the scaffolding and the lack of spires. The Ile de Cite, the island in the Seine, where Notre Dame sits, is right across the river from the Marais so it was an easy walk for us to go over for a closer look.
You can get close but there is a tall fence all around the perimeter. Apartments right across the very narrow street also have protective netting up to protect from any residual crumbling that might result from the heat of the fire. We could only imagine what the neighbors of this great church were thinking and feeling as they watched it burn.
There is a lot of work going on already. Much of it I presume is to shore it up to prevent further damage and to protect those inspecting to assess exactly what damage was done. All the flying buttresses have wood framing propping them up. There is scaffolding all around. It is quite a sobering sight.
Sainte-Chappel
Not far from Notre Dame and adjacent to the Palais de Justice is Sainte-Chappel. The Chapel was built in the 13th century to house Jesus’ crown of thorns which had been ‘found’ and paid for by King Louis IX. The alleged crown later moved to the Notre Dame treasury (and was saved with other relics during the fire in April). This chapel is all about the stained glass which depicts stories of the entire Christian history of the world from the Creation in Genesis to the life of Jesus and, finally, the end of the world.
We arrived late in the day on Sunday and were surprised to find no line and no ticket fee. In fact, the girl at the entry handed us each a ticket to allow us entry. Knowing that it usually costs €10, we can only assume that we got in free because of our late arrival (and maybe because it was Sunday?).
Tuilleries Gardens
Parisians Enjoying the Gardens 
Some Flowers Still in Bloom
The Tuilleries Gardens lie adjacent to the Louvre. We were doing the Louvre on a Friday afternoon mimicking our strategy for Musee D’Orsay of arriving mid-afternoon and staying for the late night closing. That left Friday morning open so I decided we would use up our Batobus ticket (which expired at 11:15 Friday morning) to go to the Tuilleries and do a little en plein aire painting before going to the Louvre.
The gardens are past their prime blooming season in September but still provided opportunities for painting. It was a nice way to spend a morning. I tried to let the Impressionists we had seen the day before inspire me. I will work a little more on this when we get home but feel like I got a decent start.
