We started out on a quest for a croissant that never materialized. Cas, me, Chad, Becky and Zoey set off to find a spot where we could eat breakfast. I guess I had visions of sidewalk cafes with fancy, European coffee in a tiny cup and an elegantly small, but somehow quite filling piece of pastry with amazing French butter. We walked a bit and ended up with a bag full of baguettes, salami, cheese and other baked goods. Weirdly, no croissant. Maybe this morning will bring that treat. No knock- breakfast was fantastic, but I have a vision…
When we had all eaten, it was time to head out and get our week-long passes sorted for the local subway and bus system. We’d brought 2.5 cm X 3 cm photos of our faces along, and those are now adorning some rather rigid plastic cards in each of our wallets. With those purchased, it was time to test-drive them by taking a subway train to Notre Dame. I know that the last person in my family to see Notre Dame pre-renovation was my dad’s older brother, Fletcher Jr., who got the unusual family nickname “Windy.” He and my aunt Joan saw Notre Dame just before Covid hit. In fact, they got back to Duluth, Minnesota feeling really crummy and took the first Covid tests given in Duluth. They were negative, but they were also on board when quarantine time came a moment after that whole experience. It was pretty much their visit, their return to Minnesota, quarantine, the fire and the restoration. Then we showed up and saw what was probably the cleanest the windows had been and the brightest the paint was in ages. The restoration on the cathedral was complete, and it was spectacular. There were a few striking things to me. There were what I basically describe as 3D murals lining two walls, and the background of the murals was gold-leaf. It was the most low-key use of gold leaf I had ever seen. It struck me after seeing the cathedrals of Rome and Toledo, Spain and other European cities that practically dripped in gold. These folks used it gold leaf, too, but they were more modest about it, somehow. I can’t come up with another way to describe it.
The other thing was the pipe organ. It was tucked up high in a spot where tourists had a tough time seeing it. It was there for services, all right. If you were a devout Catholic, bent on attending Mass, you’d see and hear it, but you have to be seated there, ready to worship. My best shot at a photo came when I was at the far end of the place, looking through a gate.
And we were there on a Monday, but sure enough, there was a service. I glanced at the assembled worshipers at a certain point, and I saw a nun, dressed in the full garb you’d expect, rise from her wheelchair on the front row and raise her hands in prayer. I am a Protestant, but I can be moved by Catholic things. She got me. I was looking at one of the very most Catholic things I had seen. An old, French nun in a full habit, rising from a wheelchair to pray… inside Notre Dame. Oof. Can’t do more than that to drive home where I was standing.
When we were all done at Notre Dame, it was time for a literal walk in the park. Luxembourg Garden is very close to where we’re staying, and a perfect spot for a stroll. I finally got a cup of coffee there, too, as we’re struggling a bit with the fancy French coffee maker at the apartment where we’re staying. We stumbled on a children’s orchestra performance, walked to the fountain in the middle with the toy boats and ducks, then on to the Medici fountain there in the park. That was about where Cas and I split off and went on a quest for lunch. We showed back up at the apartment with a nice panini, some tabouli salad and a few other things. Jeanne and Dave came just after that with some lunch contributions of their own, and Chad, Backy and Zoey arrived with pastry items. It was a lunch where we all passed around plates and carry out containers, and everybody seemed pretty happy with that. We had to hustle, though, as we had to get all pretty for a photo shoot. Jeanne wanted to have some great family photos in front of the Eiffel Tower, and we all dressed for the occasion. A quick well-dressed train ride, a transfer and another train put us on the right path to be there on time.
She had hired a photographer in advance of the trip, and he met up with us on a bridge for an hour-long photo session. We posed in various spots with the tower behind us, then we stopped for a little wine before we headed to dinner. And Oh. My. God- our dinner. We were at Le Jules Verne for dinner, a restaurant that has not one but two Michelin stars. They served a five course tasting menu, and the sommelier helped to guide Cas in selecting the right wine for the meal. It was quite the celebration for Jeanne’s birthday, and the meal was served by the most expert waitstaff I have seen. They worked with the precision of synchronized swimmers, bringing out seven plates, removing seven shiny domes and revealing seven special dishes for the assembled group. We had unexpected items- things that combined a ravioli noodle, a beet, some sort of crustacean and a sauce. There was a small cup with kind of a foam topping that had a bottom made of a thick asparagus soup. It was all fantastic.
That pretty much wraps up yesterday’s adventures- I have to get a move on for today’s adventures. Cas is seriously making the photo album, and we’ll be posting that in a bit, but for the time being, we need to get a move on.
Bonjour from Paris!
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