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Published: September 16th 2010
(continuing from Milk internet _ 16Sept)
One has to keep thinking of clever and stupid titles for these things so I suppose this is somewhat of an analogy for the stained glass at Saint-Chappelle which I finally got to see today. Obviously after the last security realisation that I had my Swiss Army knife with me this has virtually been completely left at home in my bag, which somewhat defeats the purpose of it in terms of availability for miscellaneous tasks. On the other hand I am not entirely sure that I have actually had the need for it at any time. Anyway after the usual travelers laundry exercise in the morning (if you don't keep up with it, it won't keep up with you) I was actually out of the Hotel at about noon. Rode down on the metro line 4 (told you it was handy) to Cite which has a very industrial sort of steel staircase out of the platform which was certainly worth a few photographs. I got to the relatively long line for St Chappelle at 12:45 PM and then realised that it was closed between 1 PM and 2:15 PM (not something that the guide book
tells you). Fortunately the helpful man in red who marshalled the queue told me in English that I could go to the Conciergerie and buy my ticket for both places there, visit it and then come back later. So that seemed a very sensible idea to me and it sort of worked, it was somewhat defeated by the considerable security checking queue - there is a separate line for the lawyers and lowlife who actually want to give in to the court to have their case go off etc.
Not much to say about the Conciergerie - largely known as the prison for the victims of the Reign of Terror, incl. a certain Marie Antoinette of Austria. Then a walk to fill in some time and a very interesting sandwich. A very crusty baguette which had raisins in it and was filled with chevre and slices of fresh apricot - the fruit in the combination seemed to set it all off. As to St Chappelle - at least one wall of the chapel, which is literally completely stained glass, was very well lit up by the afternoon sun. I have however found that for some reason camera exposure of
St Chapelle
the super wide viewstained glass can be very unpredictable.
Anyway from there wandered past Notre Dame and on to the Ile St Louis. Some very chi chi little shops there, including a shop selling African bronzes from Burkina Fasso (given it is one of the poorest countries in the world surprised that they are up for bronze casting - as per Rodin wondered whether they are simply the designers of the work and they are cast elsewhere?).
Then across the bridge and up the hill towards the Pantheon - but just before that came upon the Church of St Etienne de Mont. This was really an unexpected surprise as it had some very nice stained glass not to mention a rather spectacular spiral staircase with wooden pulpit. Then along to the Pantheon which of course I was only able to photograph from the outside as it was closed -- no idea whether it is worth paying eight euros to actually go inside. I found a recommended restaurant L'Ecurie - the stable - but the guy there who was eating a bowl of soup told me that it was not open until 7 - it was only a few minutes before, but
on the other hand I had decided I was going to make a late-night dash to the Louvre, as it is open until 10 PM on Wednesday and Friday. I decided that I definitely was not up for spending half a day there as I simply do not now have enough time, there only being two days left in Paris. So decided that it was only going to get an hour and a half if I was lucky and just sprint through looking at things and definitely not reading captions. However before then had a quick dinner somewhere else just across the road from the metro. A corner brasserie which gave me scallops in a brown sauce (hardly very descriptive is it -- but they were quite nice - 12E). With a class of Chardonnay. Then a "plate of the Southeast" which was that blasted duck again (18E) - BBQ on grill this time in pieces - dipping pepper gravy and cherry/fruity combo - fried potatoes and a salad and some slices of gruyere cheese or summat. With that a glass of Bordeaux and then a cafe - cos it was early enuf and I needed to last the Louvre.
No Q to get in there at 8.35pm (surprise) and it is only six euros after 6 PM - went straight to the Italian gallery and the inevitable La Gioconda/Mona Lisa which is signposted everywhere so that is the Japanese can get there and at least tick that off. I saw it in 1983 and it was in a completely different location in terms of orientation. I just walked through the Italian gallery taking in the paintings and taking the odd photograph of ones that particularly caught my eye and did not even bother most of the time registering who the artist was (an unnecessary distraction!). It was virtually impossible to explore much past 9:30 PM as the guards were relentlessly advancing and forcing us towards the exit.
Out of there and walked up to the Opera - snaps there, then the Metro to Pigalle for Moulin Rouge etc which is just further along the road from my hotel. Actually walked back along there backwards to Place Clichy and got the Metro from there to Barbes Rochechouart which is where I is. THE END - good night.
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