Paris coat of arms .. Fluctuat nec mergitur - "She is tossed on the waves but does not sink". A tribute paid to the powerful Seine River boatmen known as the Nautes. It dates back to 1190 and Philippe II.
We mapped out our Metro subway travels to get to Sacre Coeur :
We took the M10 to the M12 for 2.5e each, getting off at the Abbesses sta. Little did we know that we had 118 feet and 181 steps to reach street level and the Funiculaire to ride up to the cathedral! Here's a few pics of the staircase.
Once on top we hiked over to the funiculaire for the ride to bypass another 222 steps! Here's a pic. of the ride up.
Once on top the views were absolutely incredible looking over the city!
And now for the cathedral!
We walked down the 222 steps to get one more view before we took another Metro route to the Saint Germaine des Pres church.
Springtime in Paris! We have been blessed with gorgeous weather so far! The No.4 (violet) line is one of the newest of the Metro lines.
We arrived at one of my favorite churches .. Saint Germain des Pres .. it's not much to look at . outside .. BUT the INSIDE is exquisitely spectacular :
Afterwards we walked towards a large park, the Jardin du Luxembourg, approx. 52 acres of gardens, lawns, statues, and inviting space that sits behind a grand palace built by Henry IV's widow, Marie de Medici, in 1631 who wanted a better residence than the Louvre! She decided to build an Italianate palace. It appears that many of Paris' and its Ile-de-France region's 730,000 university students came out to enjoy a beautiful Spring day in the garden!
We then walked over to the Latin Quarter to view The Pantheon, a monument that houses the remains of French 'heroes' : Voltaire, Rousseau, Victor Hugo, Emile Zola, Jean Moulin, Louis Braille, Jean Jaures, Marie Curie, and heroines of the French resistance - Genevieve de Gaulle-Anthonioz and Germaine Tillion.
We walked down the street for .. one more church .. Sainte Etienne du Mont :
On the walk back to the hotel I noticed a historical sign and the remnants of an old city wall built in 1213 under King Philip Augustus.
After a rest at the hotel we ventured out for dinner and found a specialty couscous restaurant. It was very yummy!
What a very fun day! The Paris Metro system is easy to navigate. There is so much to see and do and eat! The weather has accompanied us gloriously!
Tomorrow we sleep in and later make our way over to 107 Port de Javel Bas Entree near the Pont du Garigliano to board our ship, the AmaLyra. Hope all is well for you! Take care. Joe & Jan
Great pix and commentary. Hope the weather and your walking shoes hold up. Thermop Two
ReplyDeleteSacre Coeur is just as I remember it. I'm so glad you had a beautiful, blue sky day for your visit! Jocelyn
ReplyDeleteWe also walked through Luxemburg Gardens, sat by the pool, watched the people, had a picnic there. RA
ReplyDeleteWhat a view you got when you went up to look out over Paris! And how lucky you are to have been to Paris enough to have a favorite church!
ReplyDeleteIncredible weather to view a beautiful city. Great pics.
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