Our final stop on our Grand Tour (a “Tour de France,” if you will) was Paris. We intentionally did very little planning, which led to some fun discoveries and experiences (e.g. Château de Vincennes), though it did mean we missed out on some things (e.g. the Museé de l’Orangerie, with its 1+ hour lines).
Our one planned excursion was to the Palace of Versailles – home to the monarchs and courts from 1682-1789. We pre-purchased tickets for the first slot of the day and avoided the crushing crowds that we had been warned could greet us later. The gardens were under renovation and only partially open, plus it was raining heavily by then so we didn’t really get to see them in their full glory.
Back in the city, we visited the Sainte-Chapelle, a royal chapel on the Île de la Cité that was built to house one of the purported Crown of Thorns relics (of which John Calvin once wrote: “In regard to the Crown of thorns, it would seem that its twigs had been planted that they might grow again. Otherwise I know not how it could have attained to such a size…. But if diligent search were made, the number might be increased fourfold. It is most evident that there must here be falsehood and imposition.”) Despite the relic being (a) fake, and (b) transferred to Notre Dame, the stained glass windows were spectacular!
The most surprising (to us) little jaunt we took was out to the far western reaches of the city to visit the Château de Vincennes – a fortress and tower keep built between 1361 and 1369, and used as the royal palace until Versailles was constructed. This site is described as a “hidden gem” and “frequently overlooked,” and we essentially had it to ourselves (we counted 5 other visitors besides us).
Not having much of an agenda and avoiding popular sites allowed us to wander around and pop in to various places we probably otherwise would not have:
- A lesson in cheese-making at the Cheese Museum on Île de la Cité
- Coffees at Le Procope, reportedly the oldest cafe in Paris (since 1686, though not continuously open)
- Very strong and well-made cocktails at Harry’s New York Bar (not related to Harry’s Bar in Venice, we learned from the bartender)
- A visit to the Petit Palais art museum, a 1900 Exhibition-era building with a remarkable collection of 19th century painting and sculpture
- A tour of the city sewers at the Sewer Museum (while it was raining, which made it loud and wet!)
- Coffees and scones at Smith & Son, a British bookstore on the Rue de Rivoli since 1870
- A Seine River boat tour – somewhat cheesy but it provided different views of the city with some historical context for places we had seen on foot
- Dinner in Montmartre on our final night
We loved our trip but we are super glad to be home and reunited with Tony and Lenny!
