We are currently zipping along the France countryside, and I meaning zipping! This Eurostar train from Paris to London is faster than the Rome to Milan train (which I thought was pretty fast), but it’s not as smooth as the Italian train. Let me return to yesterday and our final evening in Paris.Rather than join the group in the optional evening excursion to the Moulin Rouge, Beth and I chose to do some more sightseeing of Paris on our own. We took the Metro (the Paris subway) from right outside our hotel to a stop just by Notre Dame Cathedral. After heading in the wrong direction (because I thought I spotted the cathedral, but actually it was another church - this time Beth was right about which direction to go!) we made it to that most famous Paris churches, courtesy of Quasimodo. Earlier in the day I learned that it was Victor Hugo’s novel “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” that saved the Cathedral from falling into disrepair. Apparently the Parisians in the 18th and early 19th centuries didn’t like the building because it was built in the Gothic style, and thus looked too old, or unfashionable. I guess the Parisians have been concerned about fashion and looking good for a long time. After Victor Hugo’s novel came out, people flocked to Notre Dame to see the hunchback, or find Esmeralda. Then the Parisians decided it would be a worthwhile venture to restore the cathedral and keep it in good repair.
There was no line, and no fee, so Beth and I were able to walk right in. Right away I heard singing throughout the Cathedral. I thought perhaps they were rehearsing for the music concert that was being held there later that evening, but after a few moments I realized that a worship service was taking place. The middle section of the cathedral was roped off, and people could not enter there unless they were intending to go to Mass. Meanwhile all around the perimeter of the cathedral people were walking, talking, taking pictures and so forth (in spite of the signs in multiple languages requesting silence).
Beth and I walked slowly around the perimeter as well, and even stopped to light a candle and put it in one of the many prayer stations around the cathedral. Up near the altar we could smell the incense and watch the priest presiding. I never saw where the cantor was, but it was a woman with a pretty voice.
The whole scenario was surreal, people posing for pictures by some element inside the cathedral while a few metres away Mass was taking place… each seemingly oblivious to the other. Beth thought that those who worshipped there regularly were probably used to it, but I couldn’t imagine trying to preside at a worship service in such conditions. It was a bonus being able to hear the organ play (as well as the woman canting) as we walked about the inside of the cathedral. I ended up purchasing a CD there (one of Bach played on the organ of Notre Dame)… my first CD purchase over here (I’m a little surprised it has taken so long for that to happen).
Once outside we walked down a street near by to find something to eat. I thought quiche in Paris sounded good, Beth was looking for crepes. We found a little sidewalk café/bar that had both items on the menu. Beth started with salad that (to my eyes) was huge. It had lettuce, green beans, corn, goat cheese, tomatoes, and probably other stuff as well. My quiche came with salad and fries (or frites as they are called over here). Both dishes were great, but very filling, so we had no room for crepes when we were finished!
We did a little more walking around, souvenir hunting, and eventually found a place that made crepes right beside Notre Dame. Beth had a Nutella and Banana crepe, I had a Lemon and Sugar one. Were they ever great! I managed to get a recording of the bells of Notre Dame as we enjoyed our crepes, then it was back to the Metro and the hotel. On our way, walking over a bridge spanning the River Seine, we spotted a film crew setting up cameras and lights for some kind of shot. We didn’t stick around long enough to see if we recognized anyone, but maybe one day I will be watching a film and say “Hey, we were there, we saw that film crew.”
The Metro in Paris was easy to use, once we figured it out, and quite reasonably priced - less than $2 Canadian for each of us. We made our way back to our hotel with no trouble, and quite quickly. Apparently the London Tube (subway) workers just went on strike today, so getting around in London might be a bit more challenging. We’ll find out soon enough, for our train has already been through the Chunnel and we are now approaching London. This really is a cool train ride to be on.
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