Wednesday (Paris)…

 
We started our at the Pantheon, topped by a mighty three-shelled dome. It was ordered by Louis XV after he recovered from near death after an illness. Designed and built as a church to hold the relics of the patron saint of Paris (Saint Geneviève), but almost immediately upon completion it was turned into a national shrine during the revolution. It returned a few times to serve as a church, before permanently becoming a monument. Beneath the dome, Foucault hung his first pendulum to demonstrate the rotation of the earth (there is an impressive pendulum today, but it is a replica.) It’s crypt is the repository of the mortal remains of many leading citizens of France. Standouts for us were Marie Curie, Louis Braille, Victor Hugo, and it’s most recent addition… Alexandre Dumas.
 
Next into nearby Saint-Étienne du Mont built in the late 15th century. Magnificent stained glass towers overhead. An intricately carved stone screen separates the choir and gilded altar. A carved wooden pulpit appears to organically grow from a stone column…twisting and wrapping upwards towards the light. Suddenly…like a quick whisper…a large tour group swept in, poured through quickly with iPhones blazing, and whoosh…they were gone. The beautifully ornate tomb of Sainte Geneviève, patron saint of Paris holds the tombstone which was the only remains spared the revolutionary mob. A 17th century cloister with a beautiful screen of eye-level stained glass was tucked away in a quiet back area.
 
We sat for a spell in the lively Luxembourg gardens. The imminent transition to autumn laced the orderly lines of trees in orange. Kids used rubber-tipped poles to launch model sailboats into the octagonal central fountain. The warm sun lit the Luxembourg Palace against dark rain clouds. (No…the weather app said no rain today…why do we trust weathermen?)
 
On to the Musée du Luxembourg for an exhibit on the painter Jean-Honoré Fragonard exploring shades of love and sensuality. Playful, vibrant paintings in lush romanticized settings drew a large crowd.
 
We ducked into two monumental churches that prove its not easy to keep these gems shiny. L’Église Saint-Sulpice (most recently famous for a role in The Da Vinci Code) was big and notably dirty. Similarly, towering Saint-Eustache L’Eglise des Halles (1532-1640) featured giant chapels filled with paintings and statutes dark from ages of grime. Future visitors will surely revel at the vibrant beauty of these churches…but not today.
 
We headed to Ile Saint Louis for dinner at an old favorite of ours…and it was closed for the evening. 🙁 That turned out to be good fortune, as we lucked out and tried charming Aux Anisetiers du Roy, just down the street. The restaurant was tiny and full of energy. Three inviting American couples on either side of us made us feel like were sitting down at the family table for supper. (One couple was even going camping in Hesperia on the White River near Jeff’s hometown next weekend…small world.) Another couple was the Central Valley in California, and the Presidio Social club came up as a common bond. The man’s company sodded the new parade ground green at the Presidio. What a small world sometimes! A warm chèvre salad to start…melty goodness. Duck confit and beef bourguignon were fork tender and full of rich flavor. A warm chocolate tart in a light vanilla creme was the star of desert.
 
We walked until our feet could not take it no more. 24,609 steps (over 10 miles) today!!