The Events of Thursday, April 28, 2011

                Cloudy skies, cool air, soft light, traffic noise, occasional sirens, relaxed mornings. Ah, April in Paris. This calm, event-free morning was planned to accommodate a late night tonight. So we took our time waking up, showering, and preparing for the day.

                At 11:30, we had a quick lunch before heading out. We walked through the confusing network of streets to Eglise de la Trinité (Trinity Church) for the free 12:45 concert. As we arrived and found our seats, the noon mass was finishing up in the choir, so song and murmuring voices filled the great Romanesque church.

                The concert, a duet of Frédéric Muñoz on the choir organ and Nicolas Muñoz on cello, began promptly at 12:45. It was a roaring organ fanfare—with one problem. The church service wasn’t quite over yet, so an usher hustled over to ask the performers to wait. After the service ended, the concert began (again). Although the music wasn’t the classical/baroque we were expecting, it was interesting nonetheless. First was a wedding fanfare; it was pretty good for a medium-sized organ. I could only imagine the deep chords coming from the huge organ in the back of the church. Then the cellist came out for a Chopin prelude, some Liszt, and the mystical chords of a couple more pieces. The combination of instruments was interesting. I felt that the organ, in order to balance with the rich and full-sounded cello, was limited to quiet accompaniment chords.

                At the end of the concert, the church echoed with applause as the musicians took their bows. Then they announced an encore (in French), something by Vivaldi. It was probably the best we heard of the cello, with intricate and fast cadenzas executed fairly well. Again, the church echoed with applause as the musicians took their bows. We made our way out of the church and found a bus stop to take us to Ile de la Cité, or the Island of the City.

                We got off in Place St. Michel and headed, via a bit of the Latin Quarter, to the island. On the way, Dad purchased a sunhat for himself. It was a white Panama hat, made from Ecuadorian materials from Central America, assembled in Italy, and purchased in France. Once we were on the island where Paris was founded, we started our tour at one of the island’s icons: the Nôtre Dame.

                There was a bit of a line to enter, so we waited as Lindsey read to us about the cathedral.  We stepped into the dark stone church, lit only by the soft light trickling through the elaborate rose and stained glass windows. This church, the epitome of Gothic interiors, is awesome. Huge pillars support the towering skeletal vaults of the ambulatory. Three huge rose windows, each 42 feet in diameter, glow high on the walls. And outside, no other church boasts better flying buttresses.

                Once we had freed ourselves from the hordes of tourists, we made our way through a nice park to the tip of the island and the Deportation Memorial. It is a memorial to the 200,000 French victims of Nazi concentration camps. After passing through a crazy amount of security, we headed down the narrow staircase to the main area. Here, we were surrounded in concrete except for an opening looking at the gray water of the Seine. For each concentration camp that held a French citizen, there is a box filled with ashes and dirt collected from the crematoriums of the camps. The hall was lined with 200,000 sparkling crystals—one for each French victim. At the far end, the eternal flame of hope flickered. Exiting the memorial, it started drizzling, completing the somber atmosphere.

                Since it was a bit chilly, we decided against a recommended ice cream shop and for finding a crêperie. We had no problem finding one—the problem was deciding what to order. While Lindsey, Mom, and Caitlin stuck to a familiar flavor (chocolate), Abby, Dad, and I tried something new. Mine was full of honey, Abby’s had lemon juice, and Dad’s was made with Gran Marnier. They were all warm and delicious, except for Abby’s, which was unexpectedly bland and bitter.

                Our tour took us back through the Latin Quarter. While I thought the name originated from a large Spanish population, it actually comes from the common language when there was a medical university in the area. Today, it is a tourist-packed region with lots of tacky souvenir shops. Our tour took us back to the island through a very historic part of the city—the pre-Versailles royal palace, the prison, and the medieval clock tower. They were all closed or covered in scaffolding, so it was a bit of a disappointment. Place St. Michel, where the Les Miserables-style barricades were built during the French Revolution, was our next stop. We then crossed Pont Neuf, the oldest bridge in Paris, to the Samaritaine Department Store. Back in 2002, when our guidebook was written, it housed a free viewpoint from the roof. Sadly, it closed sometime in the last nine years. Another disappointment.

                Since we had a bit of time to kill before our dinner reservations, we wandered into a neighboring department store. We used their restrooms, looked at French computers, and, in the TV department, watched parts of Monsters vs. Aliens—in French. Once we were all warm, dry, and well-entertained, it was time to head back out into the elements to our restaurant, Le Reminet, where we had 7:30 reservations.

                Since we arrived a while before our reservations, we decided to check out the menu. We were shocked—astronomical prices without all of the Parisian specialties we wanted to try. Disappointed, we resolved to search elsewhere. The café across the street had all the specialties with great prices, but, predictably, it was packed. We’d have to wait at least an hour for a table, which wouldn’t work with our after-dinner plans, unless we wanted to eat outside. Since the traffic noise and smells were not part of our ideal Parisian dinner experience, we wanted to eat elsewhere. So we asked where they recommended. They pointed us to a brasserie on Ile St. Louis that had the same prices and a similar menu. We walked over there, eventually found the restaurant, and sat down for the meal.

                Our friendly waiters served us efficiently, giving us a taste for fine French cuisine. In order to try all the specialties, we made quite a complicated order. There were prix-fixe menus (a set-price choice of three courses), entrées (appetizers to Americans), and plats (what we call entrées). We enjoyed a delicious meal with duck foie gras, roast duck breast, onion soup, croque monsieur, and a diced bacon omelet. The Taylor conveyer belt began, giving us a taste of each delicious treat. The duck foie gras was soft, cold, and chewy but tasty and well-seasoned, like a mixture of tuna and pork. On the other end of the scale, the roast duck was like a soft, fleshy steak. The omelet, although interesting, wasn’t spectacular. The onion soup was definitely a favorite, with rich broth, huge chunks of bread, and lots of cheese. And the croque monsieur, a grilled cheese sandwich with ham and special cream sauce, was beyond anything made in the RV.

                Dessert was even better. There was a thick chocolate mousse, a “floating island” of meringue in a rich creamy sauce, and cheese. The cheese was my favorite: a huge chunk of soft, white brie. Unlike the other desserts, it left a pleasant taste in my mouth for the long, brisk walk to Pont Neuf.

                Our boat tickets were for the 9:30 tour, so we hustled over toward the dock. We hurriedly showed our tickets, boarded the vedette, and climbed to the open upper level. Minutes later, we shoved off, starting our sightseeing tour of Paris by night.

                Our guide, Gillaume, pointed out each major sight as we passed: the Louvre, the Orsay museum, this bridge, that bridge, the other bridge, a couple interesting statues, and then the westernmost point of our tour: the Eiffel Tower. It seemed even more massive and interesting in the dark—lit with a golden glow, towering above all other buildings in the area. As we headed away, the hourly light show began. The golden sheen was accented by brilliant white flashes. We passed restaurant boats, tour boats, barges, a cruise boat, and a party boat. Everyone was out enjoying the spectacular sights of nighttime Paris.

                Our tour took us back to Pont Neuf and around the city’s two islands before dropping us back at the dock. From there, we walked across the river to the Metro stop and rode home. It was 11:30 before we were finally able to head to bed. We were exhausted, but Paris is worth the effort.