Day 20: Paris

I decided I needed a plan so I wouldn’t waste the day in Paris. I looked at some websites describing places off the usual tourist path and found the Musée de Cluny.

There is no entry fee, which I thought was terrific but I paid €3 for an audio guide.
The first stop was the frigidarium which took my breath away. The thermal baths, of which this is part, were built in the third century. The third century!! I was able to sit and listen to the audio guide which gave quite a lot of information.

Then up a few floors to the room exhibiting the Lady and the Unicorn tapestries. Another WOW!

There was also a small gallery of artifacts, gold and jeweled treasures from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.

I walked over to Shakespeare and Co. a bookstore famous for its storied history. There were lots of young people hanging around the entrance, probably all students. There is also a wrought iron 7’ tall water fountain in front. It says “water of Paris” and kids were filling up their water bottles.

The store makes Webster’s look like Versailles. A rabbit warren of tiny rooms, packed floor to ceiling with books. It made me claustrophobic so I didn’t stay to look for a book or two.

I read that they had a cafe and I was looking forward to having lunch there. But it was small and dirty so I left.

Right across the way there is a small park in which the oldest tree in Paris resides.

The park was next to the church of St. Julien le Pauvre, the oldest church in Paris. (Do you see a theme going here?) it is small, and now associated with the Melkite Greek Catholic Church. Icons decorate the walls.

I decided to walk for a bit and find a place for lunch. By this time it was 3:00 and I was ready! I passed a few cafes but nothing called out to me. Then I saw it…..Chipotle! (Pronounced SHE po lay). Just what I wanted, a good salad. Of course I had to make it French, so I had a bottle of Evian with it. I sat in an indoor/outdoor area and could see into the McDonalds next door. There were many touchscreens, about 5’ tall where everyone was ordering. Coming soon to State College?

I got a taxi back to the hotel.

I did some research and found an interesting liberal synagogue with services in French and English with an American rabbi. It was about a 20 minute taxi ride with an insane driver. The synagogue was in a regular apartment building with no sign outside. You have to ring to be admitted.

The room where services were held was small, the chairs were tiny uncomfortable folding chairs. The rabbi was very energetic, the prayer book was in French, English and Hebrew. Funnily enough the English transliteration of the Hebrew was very French sounding and used French punctuation.

There was an oneg afterwards and I had my choice of wine or juice, then challah.

I asked a young woman, Julia, to walk me to a street where I might get a taxi and we had a nice chat on the way. She’s originally from Rochester but lives in Paris. She’s trying to make up her mind whether to move to NYC. The neighborhood is gorgeous, classic Paris architecture.

I finally found a taxi, he didn’t put the trip on the meter but at that point I wasn’t going to argue.

I love driving through the city. It is so beautiful.
Love,
Lynn

Responses

And speaking of taxis do you need ride home from air port?

Lassie