That Marie Antoinette Sure Was a Looker

 Our first full day in Paris started early as we wanted to be at the 8:30 a.m. Mass at Notre Dame, and we were ready after a good, hard sleep last night.  A little skittish about taking the Metro and being there on time, we opted for the certainty of good ole Uber, and they were right on time delivering us to the doorsteps of the magnificent cathedral in the heart of Paris.

When we arrived, we could see two lines, one much longer than the other with signage that said "Without Reservations" while the other one had no discernable signage.  We first opted for the longer one for a few minutes until someone advised us the much shorter one was "Mass Only" and that was the signage they put up just as they opened the doors at 8:15 a.m.  

What a beautiful space Notre Dame is - fully restored and so clean and bright - and what a wonderful Mass delivered by French priests.  Of course I understood very little of what was said but the rhythm was certainly familiar.  And, the exchange of peace greetings near the end was very familiar while the accompanying smiles and nods were really welcomed.  Frankly it was so beautiful that I almost cried when I received communion before a quick exit to catch our 9:30 a.m. tour.

It was lightly raining when we exited and, of course, I had forgotten my hat (chapeau - a memory that just flooded back to me from high school French class!), but fortunately it wasn't raining hard - until later.  The tour of Saint-Chapelle and the Conciergerie (Con-surgery) was led by Ann Marie, a Latvian who has lived in Paris for 30 years.  Her English was terrific and charming (e.g, the day-vil for devil, and clunes for clowns), and she was so knowledgeable and enthusiastic.  Our two hours together passed very quickly.

Saint Chapelle is around the corner from Notre Dame on the main island in the Seine (Ile de Cite), and was a royal chapel upon its construction in 1238.  Dig that!  1238!  It served as the residence of the Kings of France until the 14th. Century and was originally built to house the religious relics confiscated by King Louis IX from the holy lands in the Sixth Crusade, including Christ's Crown of Thorns (allegedly) which were moved by Napoleon Bonaparte to Notre Dame.  

It was heavily damaged by rioters during the French Revolution but fully restored by Napoleon.  Nearly two-thirds of the beautiful stained glass there today is original.  Cheryl said it was more beautiful than the Sistine Chapel in Rome!

From there, we walked next door to the Conciergerie (con-surgery), a former courthouse and prison which was also part of the former royal palace.  During the French Revolution, 2,780 prisoners, including Marie Antoinette, were imprisoned, tried, and sentenced there, then sent to sites for execution.  Marie Antoinette, the last Queen of France, was guillotined nearby at age 37 on the site of the large obelisk in the nearby Place de la Concorde.  Her crime?  Being the wife of the richest man in France who needlessly allowed great suffering of his people.

Our guide told many great stories about her - married at 14, first of four children at age 22 (an old lady by then!), and treated with respect but harshly.  Some of her artifacts were there (shoes, hair brush, gown), and it was mostly a very sad story.  When they tried to slander and demonize her during her trial (e.g., calling her a pedophile), she simply waved off the accusations and stood bravely in the face of certain death.  And death did certainly come by the guillotine.  Her last words were "Pardon me sir, I did not do it on purpose" after accidentally stepping on her executioner's foot.

When we left the Conciergerie, the rain had really stepped up.  We stopped for a farewell (for now) to Notre Dame and then went over the Seine into the Latin Quarter for lunch.   Our friend Connie just couldn't take my bare head getting rained upon so she stopped in a souvenir shop and bought me a much-needed umbrella.   

And with it being time for lunch, we saw large lines at many restaurants.  Connie was smart enough to dodge into an alley and there we found the Red Grill Steakhouse - a hidden treasure run by an Arabic family.  Cheryl and I split a monstrous burger, grilled on the open flame just like Burger Chef did when we were kids.  Of course it was delicieux, and the french fries (pommes frites) were just killer.  

We had agreed that, after lunch, we'd go back to our apartment for a nap (remember, we're old folks) so we could be well rested for tonight's premier event - the Moulin Rouge.  It was time to try the Metro (which we'd ridden in past years but, somehow, seemed daunting to at least me).  Thank God for Google Maps and apps like it because it couldn't have been easier (and far less expensive - 1 euro each vs. 1 Uber ride at about 31 euros!).

Tonight we'll leave about 8:00 for the 9:00 show at Moulin Rouge, and have elected to Uber there and back because we've heard that part of Montemarte is a bit sketchier than most of Paris.   Didn't see that in many reviews, but after dark one has to be as careful as possible.  Watch for our report on the Moulin Rouge in tomorrow's posting.  Maybe if I have a glass or two of champagne, I'll jump up on the stage when the can-can starts and show them my American stuff!

Au revoir for today!

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