Monday, May 24

Back to Paris again today. We leave our luggage in the room, and head out. We have a nice leisurely breakfast at a cafe, and then head for the cathedral. Such a spectacular cathedral in such a minor location is awe-inspiring. We go inside the church, where we spend the next hour with very few other fellow tourists. Nice to beat the crowds in the morning. The church defies description; you have to see it in person to appreciate it. Don't see many lutheran churches back home that compare to this one.

Mandy had wanted to buy a rosary in France, and this is the place. We then head outside, and stroll around the perimeter of the church, enjoying the views of the town below. We leave the cathedral grounds and attempt to find some lunch in the town center, but all we find is a bakery (it's Monday and a lot of shops are closed) and we buy a cake for this evening's dessert. We end up stopping in another bakery near the train station and grabbing some lunch for the road (I got a delicious quiche), and then hop on the train back to Paris.

Back in Paris, we head for our next hotel in the Rue Cler district, the Hotel de L'Alma , which we miraculously walk right up to. We check in, then head to the Ile de la Cite to the Notre Dame and other sites. We have a nice walking tour, taking in Notre Dame and the grounds, the Deportation Memorial, more of the Left Bank ("Rive Gauche"), the Sainte-Chapelle (most spectacular church in Paris), and some River Seine scenes. We get a snack at a strange place, where we have trouble paying for our expensive treats.

We finish up by eating at a Rick Steves-recommended eatery, probably our lowest-rated meal (we were seated in the American sector of the restaurant), and the girls retired to their rooms. Bill and I walked over to the Eiffel Tower, which was very close by and spectacular as night fell. We also scouted out restaurants for future meals. Time for bed.

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