Paris--Day 2

At 5:30AM, I discovered why most people staying in Paris bring ear plugs. The club across the street had closed and there was no car traffic so all you could hear were drunk people yelling, singing, talking, etc.

I just chilled and sure enough within 30 minutes they had cleared out and it quieted down. I snoozed a bit until my alarm went off. I quickly got ready for early morning Mass at Notre-Dame. I've got this theory about cathedrals and churches: they're more fun when they're being used for their original purpose, worship.

I took the Metro down and ran in just as they were ringing the bells as a call to worship. The Mass was completely in French, but they had a little script printed out so you could sing and read along. The only thing not printed was the sermon, but the guest priest from Benin was very passionate and what I caught of his sermon was good. We celebrated communion which was awesome since I haven't been able to since I moved to Germany. Thankfully, the service was early enough that tour buses hadn't come through yet so it was quiet and hardly anyone took pictures during the service.

The next service, however, I felt bad. When I was looking at all the individual chapels in the back, hordes of tourists were barging through and some of them were even shouting over the priest to talk to each other! Geez!

I headed out and toward Sainte-Chappelle which was also free for the first Sunday. It's actually two chapels, one built on top of another. It's famous for its intricate stained glass windows. Unfortunately, the most stunning part of the chapel's windows, the altar area, was being restored so there was a big white cloth over it. The rest was wonderful! I actually came back a second time just because I liked it so much (and it was free!)

After Sainte-Chappelle, I got my game face on and headed to the Louvre. The Pyramid entrance was horrific so I followed a trail of people to the Porte des Lyons entrance. This worked out well for my game plan which was:

• Neoclassical and Romantic painters (Mona Lisa's here)
• Roman, Greek, Etruscan sculpture
• Flemish painters

The entrance I went in was the entrance to the Neoclassical and Romantic painters. The disappointing thing was the lighting. Because the lights were so bright, when you got close to paintings to see the details, all you saw was the glare from the varnish or even the wood underneath. This was mostly in the Denon wing. The Flemish paintings weren't like that.

I braved the crushing crowd and wiggled my way forward to the front of the area where you can see the Mona Lisa. I had heard that it was really small so I was expecting a postage stamp size painting. It's not small at all! Well, I guess compared to the Rubens room it was, but it's your average size portrait. The sad thing is how bad it looks. The colors have dulled from exposure and it's muddy browns and greens. The painting we see on TV and the Internet is much nicer and much clearer than the original.

It's hard to describe how huge the Louvre is. It's like the Vatican Museum. You think you've made it to the end and then you find 200 more rooms you haven't been to yet. This was hands down the most crowded part of the museum. I personally don't have a problem with crowds so for me I didn't mind, but if you're idea of an art museum is one that is always quiet and orderly, don't go on a first Sunday.

The sculptures were fun and I found some interesting things that will work for my next school unit on Ancient Rome. The Venus de Milo was a bit anticlimactic, especially after seeing all these wonderful, whole sculptures. Seeing a torso in a toga wasn't terribly exhilarating even considering the history. I guess that's the fun thing about the Louvre. You're always discovering works that are little known but absolutely stunning.

By the time I had finished Rembrandt and the other Flemish painters, I had been on my feet for about 3 and 1/2 hours. Now for a little bit of explanation. When I go touring places with friends, one phrase that often gets said is, "I'll need to stop now, otherwise I'm going to pass out." I tend to go and go and go and be fine while my friends are either dehydrated or famished. Because no one was with me, I could just go! Since I was so close to the Concorde and the Champs-Elysee, I thought might as well walk up to the Arch of Triumph which was also free. Leave it to the map to lie! Fifty minutes later, I had gotten my second wind and made it to the Arch. To climb up it was free so I thought, why not?

I started climbing up the spiral staircase and it just kept going and going and going. The poor lady in front of me had heels on and had to step to the side since she was in pain. After what seemed like forever (or 50 meters up), I got to the top of the Arch and went out onto the observation deck. This is hands down better than the Eiffel Tower view because then you can take pictures of the Eiffel Tower! The wind was really picking up and I was trying to get a picture of myself where my hair wasn't in my face. Then it started to rain. I knew full well if I opened my umbrella, it would be blown away onto some unsuspecting tourist below. So I wrapped my scarf around my head and kept taking pictures. I had climbed too long to just run down again!

After looking at all the interactive things below the observation deck, I decided to take the Metro to the 7th arrondissement to see if Cafe Constant was open. I hopped on Line 6 and just as the train pulled away, a random guy pulled out an accordion and started playing traditional French music. It was awesome! This particular line goes above ground and crosses the Seine. It was very scenic. I transferred to another line and on that train there was another musician serenading us, this time a man singing a Spanish love song with a microphone and taped accompaniment. I exited and all too soon realized I had gotten off at the wrong exit. I had remembered yesterday's location incorrectly and now had to walk in the rain. About half way there, my shoes finally started to get wet and by the time I made it to the now closed Cafe Constant, my shoes were soaked through. Funny enough, this actually cooled down my feet and felt good so instead of retracing my steps, I thought I'd just walk to the Invalides Metro station, about a mile and a half away.

Once I was almost there, the rain really picked up and I couldn't have my umbrella open or it would snap the umbrella structure. I finally made it to the Metro station and got back to my apartment with gross feet, but overall happy with how the day had gone.

Total mileage: 6 miles