It's Christmas in Paris. Every chapel, church, cathedral holds a decorated Christmas tree in its outdoor front area and a very old, gold, silver, wood or plaster crèche near the front alter. Each crèche has its own orientation on presenting the story of Christmas. Some crèches are a holy, ambitious display with gold, candles and lights. Most church crèches are a simple display with real birch trees, evergreens, dried grass, leaves and hay mixed with the chipped painted plaster figures expressed with great care with hay set in food bins for the broken ear- plaster cows and sheep - cute!
Off to Saint Germain. This area was the incubator for artistic creativity in the 1920's, for Nazi resistance in the 1940's, and for student revolution in the 1960's. These days best way to experience this neighborhood is to wander along Boulvevard Saint-Germain, stopping at the shops and bars. For me - This Is Paris!
To Jardins + Palaisde Luxembourg to begin our walk through Saint Germaine- des- Pres- the neighborhood to be in the 1920's! Here literi met the glitterati and Tout Paris marveled at the ensuing explosion of creativity and alcoholism. Sarte fumed on these streets. Hemingway hunt for pigeons his first year from Luxembourg Park. And Gertrude Stein used to cross thru this park on her way to sit for Picasso. Statutes, pruned trees and a pond in which children float wooden boats. A family was just packing the small flat bottom, wood boat when we arrived. The gardens support small green flowering plants in December! The Sarbonne is nearby, the large Palace (1615), was built for Henry IV widow but now houses the democratically elected French Senate.
North on de Tourman to find Rue Bonaparte where Pierre Herme (at no. 72) makes the BEST delicious macaroons. We entered to purchase 2 - not enough! We returned immediately to purchase many more. I asked to take a picture - I did. Suddenly, behind the counter, an abundant woman with rhinestones on her eyelids states, "Vous. Vous!?" I think she was suggesting I take a picture of HER too- and indeed I did.
On Rue St-Surplice, 6th, we opened door of Eglise Saint-Surplice- an ancient medieval 6th century national treasure church filled with Delacroix, Jacob's Fight with the Angel and 800 year old frescoes. Rene DesCartes is entombed and a Romanesque painting, during a restoration, was discovered. Bookstores, antiques, and a posh Bohemian collection of galleries and shoppes are located nearby here where once Colette, Picasso, Jacqueline Kennedy, Jean Cocteau once haunted these streets.
Off to see Eiffel Tower using tickets Luke and Nicole gave us - YEAH! We take Sara's recommendation, "To see the Eiffel Tower for the first time, my recommendation is to get off at the Trocadero Metro stop, walk around the corner up the steps, the Eiffel Tower in all of its magnificence comes to view and it it just breathtaking. That gets me every time."
Rich left to order street food - chocolate crepes located between a carousel and the Eiffel. Two young college aged students, African, asked if I could take a picture. (I think that's what they said in very broken English.) I did and then they asked if I am from the states, where? I told them Chicago and they began chattering Michael Jordan. I asked where they were from. Belgium they reported. Vacation, they asked? I said yes including the Canterbury story. What is race in USA, they asked. I touched my face and touched his, and they both said yes, we understand. Very bad, they reported and demonstrated shooting guns. Wow!
Sara's recommendation was spot on- thanks, sweetie!! Luke and Nicole's 7:30pm ticket reservation to the top of Eiffel Tower was MAGNIFICENT! Best gift ever! We walked with more crepes, Nutella, banana crepes awestruck when the Eiffel Tower Twinkled- it was 4 times!
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