Oh Paris
From red to green all the yellow dies away
Paris Vancouver Hyeres Maintenon New York and the Antilles
The window opens like an orange
The beautiful fruit of light
(“Windows”)”
― Guillaume Apollinaire, French poet, writer, art critic, from Zone
Today, Thursday, June 21st, was our last full day in Paris. It was Summer Solstice, which means Paris celebrates with live music and revelry in the streets across the city. It was Jacob’s 18th birthday, which means he can now vote and drink wine in France, which is something that he did on a regular basis the rest of our vacation here. We also met up with friends from El Cerrito who were also visiting Paris at the same time. It was a special last day in Paris and summer day period.
Happy Birthday to Jacob, who turned 18 atop Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris! What a memorable birthday for you!
We got up early and returned to the Paris Catacombs, and we successfully got in with the second wave of entrants. “The ossuary known as the Catacombs was created in the late 18th century in abandoned underground quarries dating from the 15th century in the locality of ‘Tombe-Issoire.’ The first bones were transferred here from what was the largest Parisian cemetery at the time, the Saints-Innocents Cemetery, located in the ‘Les Halles’ district. The cemetery was closed in 1780, at the request of the municipality, due to concerns for safety. The Quarry Department, created by a decree of the Royal Council on 4 April 1777 with the aim of protecting and fortifying the Parisian subsoil, was put in charge of choosing and developing the site for the ossuary. Little by little, these former limestone quarries began to house the bones from all the cemeteries of central Paris, particularly during the urban development work carried out by Prefect Haussmann, up until 1860. Beginning in the early 19th century, the Catacombs were opened to the public, creating a wave of curiosity that attracted a growing number of visitors.”
The Paris Catacombs – enter at your own risk!
After a descent of stairs, we enter the depths of Paris and its series of pathways.
Apparently, something happened in 1859….
The organizers of the ossuary were very meticulous about stacking the bones and skulls. I was impressed!
And they were very creative in how they stacked the bones, too, in the Paris Catacombs!
Something happened in 1787, too, at the Paris Catacombs.
I can attest to the fact that this is a very popular attraction in Paris. The tour route is quite long. You access the galleries via a staircase of 130 steps leading to 20 meters underground. These long, narrow corridors follow the paths of the streets above ground. It was a fascinating tour, with only a handful of people being let in at a time, which greatly enhanced the experience of exploring the underground. I’m glad we went, as strange an experience as it was. It was literally like looking at the history of Paris as if they were layers of sediment, given the years listed for various events.
Clearly, we were enamored with the bones and especially the skulls, at the Paris Catacombs.
How many photos can one take of bones and skulls? Apparently a lot. I curated carefully, at the Paris Catacombs.
After we emerged from the underbelly of Paris, we walked back to Notre-Dame Cathedral and finally got a chance to ascend the towers to catch yet another view of the city from above. Isabella especially appreciated the ascent, given her affinity for The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
We’ve seen city views from the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, and now Notre-Dame Cathedral. It never gets old.
Another view of the Seine River and one of the spires of Notre-Dame Cathedral, Paris.
The gargoyle’s view from atop Notre-Dame Cathedral Tower, Paris.
What these statues have witnessed through history! Notre-Dame Cathedral Tower, Paris.
The gargoyle atop Notre-Dame Cathedral, with the Seine River and the Eiffel Tower in the background, Paris.
One last sweeping view of Paris from atop the Notre-Dame Cathedral Tower, Paris.
We wandered around the Island of Saint Louis, which was fast becoming my favorite neighborhood of our time in Paris. The shops were so colorful and quaint.
Quaint street of shops on rue Saint Louis en l’Isle, Paris.
Sweet shop on rue Saint Louis en l’Isle, Paris.
More quaint shops along rue Saint Louis en l’Isle, Paris.
Puppet shop! On rue Saint Louis en l’Isle, Paris.
My friend Laura recommended this patisserie and ice cream shop. It was always closed when we came by. So now it’s open and we had to try to many flavors…. rue Saint Louis en l’Isle, Paris.
We chose well with our ice cream flavors! At rue Saint Louis en l’Isle, Paris.
Remember this beautiful shop, Galerie Kara. We would return on our last full day from Versailles to Paris to get my “butterfly” earrings, rue Saint Louis en l’Isle, Paris.
Our last day walking on the many bridges over the Seine River and enjoying the beautiful trees lining the banks.
For the most part, Isabella and Jacob got along really well. They were best buds on this vacation. Sharing one of many moments on the bridges overlooking the Seine River, Paris.
Artful photo of the Seine River and colorful tables on the banks, Paris.
We met up with our friends, Yoko and Bruce Keilin, and their kids. Our sons were on the same traveling baseball team for several years, and Bruce and David were part of the coaching crew for the Hornets. It was really nice to meet up with them for dinner at Le Caveau de l’Isle (36, rue Saint Louis en l’Isle, 75004 Paris), where we had eaten a few nights before.
Yoko Keilin and me on the Saint Louis Bridge over the Seine River, Paris. It was windy and cold!
Sharing good wine with friends at Le Caveau de l’Isle, Paris.
Taking a picture of Bruce and David. You can see Yoko and me in the mirror, Le Caveau de l’Isle, Paris.
This salad looks familiar – it was delicious the first time, so I ordered it again this time, at Le Caveau de l’Isle, Paris.
David’s meat and potatoes, Le Caveau de l’Isle, Paris.
My duck confit and potatoes. I was spoiled with duck confit at the other restaurants, but this one was good, at Le Caveau de l’Isle, Paris. Very artfully presented.
Afterwards, we walked around the neighborhood to hear the music and see the sites. It was freezing and windy, which was quite the opposite of the night before when it was hot late in the evening! We didn’t stay out late because we ill-dressed for this kind of weather! We also had to pack up, as we were heading out of Paris in the morning. We said good night to the Keilins and returned for one last night in our AirBnB apartment in such a wonderful neighborhood in Paris. I was really sad to be leaving this bustling, lively city. I can’t wait to return, but other parts of France beckoned to us. Happy Summer Solstice, Happy Birthday to Jacob!
A popular music act that we stayed and listened to on Summer Solstice, Paris.
A lively Summer Solstice celebration outside of Notre-Dame Cathedral with the Keilin and Enrado-Rossi families.
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