Jess's views on Paris

My turn again!  We've been in Paris for four days now and it has been wonderful.  Except for the stairs.  I think I'm climbing about 20 flights of stairs every day!  Every station seems to have several flights and we have been at several stations each day.  Go to the Louvre?  Stairs.  Musee DÓrsay?  Stairs.  Montmartre?  LOTS of stairs!  I'm going to come home with legs of steel.  Sadly I'm also going to come home with a tummy of croissants, ice cream and macarons.

I loved the Louvre.  I could spend a week there and still not see it all.  We paid the obligatory visit to the Mona Lisa and I still don't understand why it's so famous.  I know nothing about art admittedly, but there are so many paintings that I loved so much more than that one.

Musée D'Orsay was similarly amazing.  But again I think I'm not 'getting' it where Monet is concerned.  Obviously I can see he had talent and was an amazing artist, but Sisley, Degas and Renoir are far more appealing to me.  Maybe Monet's work has been over-commercialised?

We've visited three churches here - all absolutely beautiful.  Sainte-Chapelle was stunning!  It was built in the 13th century to house what was believed to be Jesus' crown of thorns.  I was disappointed when we first entered as the downstairs area, whilst beautiful didn't live up to the expectations I had.  Plus it had a whole row of stands selling merchandise.  Then I realised there was an upstairs.  Wow!  Massive stained glass windows all around, beautiful frescoes and statues.  Just breath-taking!  I was equally as awe-struck at Notre Dame Basilica.  The carvings on the outside alone made it worth visiting!  The third church was Sacré Coer at Montmartre.  We arrived during mass and the nuns were singing.  I'm sure there must be some pre-requisite to becoming a nun that you have to be able to sing.  Just as well it wasn't a calling I ever had since my singing is totally flat!

One thing I've found really annoying at several places is that in spite of signs everywhere saying "No Photos", there are people everywhere taking as many photos as possible.  I don't know whether I'm angry that they are breaking the rules or that I'm too much of a rule-follower to do the same!  It was particularly noticeable today at Sacre Coer where mass was in progress and there were flashes going off all over the place.  I keep reminding myself that I can't tell my boys to follow the rules if I'm breaking them, so I'll keep my camera turned off where it says to, even when my fingers are itching to photograph the same things everyone else is!

Tomorrow we collect our hire car and start heading south.  Versailles first, then down to Chartres and a night in Blois.  We haven't planned any further than that.  So much to see, so little time!

Jess