Paris...Still running!

Here's a short little post about my second
day in Paris.

I have settled into my little shoebox room
with the creakiest hallways known to man,
and I am starting get into the rythm of traveling.

I went to the Notre Dame Cathedral after breakfast.
It is quite striking from the outside and the inside only gets better.  The square in front of the church is a
favorite gathering spot for tourist and French
people.  In the pavement you can see the outline of
buildings that used to surround the Cathedral
in medieval times.  Musicians play and there is an
air of anticipation.

The inside is hushed and awesome.  The rose windows radiated color in all directions. Beautiful carvings and inlaid marble floors.  Candles flickered in chapels.
I wandered through in awe at the beauty that love of God can inspire man to create.  Beneath the main altar is a crypt area which seemed cold and barren in comparison to all the drama and ornamentation above.



It took nearly 300 years for
the church to be finished...using very primitive methods.
There was, in an alcove, a small display of the construction
methods.  Imagine the faith it must have taken for those
first people to break ground on a building that wouldn't be finished until their great grandchildren were old.

At the front door there were nuns from Mother Theresa's
order taking donations for the care of the elderly in one of
their homes.

After the tour I went and had a quick lunch at a little cafe overlooking the square.
Just a baguette with ham and cheese.  The baguettes are very flavorful and chewy.
It makes me wonder how they do it.  Maybe the water they use is different.

After lunch I went to the Louvre Museum.  I had been anticipating this visit
for years.  The building itself is quite impressive.  It was the royal palace
before Versailles was built by Louis XIV.  There is a mysterious and lavishly
decorated hall where royal serving vessels and some crown jewels were on
display.  Walking down that hall my imagination went into overdrive.
What would it have been like to dine surrounded by such opulence?

I saw many famous statues and paintings.  I was a little disappointed by the Mona Lisa though.  The painting is MUCH smaller than you would think.  It was so crowded
you could barely see it.  I did see the famous painting of Napoleon crowning himself.
The colors are so rich.

By the time I made it out it was dark.
The Pyramid entrance was glowing beautifully.

I managed to drum up some more energy
and took the metro to Trocadero Square
to see the Eiffel Tower at night.
The square has a stunning view of the tower.  Aggressive vendors with jewelry, toys and handbags line a large open platform overlooking the tower and downtown Paris.  It was a bit windy and I
could hear my mothers voice telling me I
should have brought a jacket.

To warm myself I bought a crepe filled with
sauteed bananas and melted chocolate and enjoyed
 that as I waited with the crowd for the top of the
hour and the light show.  I filmed the light show with
 my iphone video camera as it sparkeled from afar.

The next day I talked to my friend Michael and found out they had
evacuated the Eiffel Tower that day due to a bomb threat.
Who knew?  It looked fine to me from my vantage point that night.

Here's a video: