Paris - Day 6

Today the on the agenda of must see before we leave was Notre Dame, and Basilica of the Sacré-Coeur in Montmartre.

We decided to take a walk towards Concord Square before taking a taxi to meet our guide for the Notre Dame tour. As we were turning onto rue De Rivoli we noticed a large group of people hanging out in front of the Hotél de Crillon. Mr. G noted that the group all had cameras – and informed me, not the kind most tourists walk around with (not that I could tell the difference – But Mr. G is very much into photography and is in the process of turning a hobby into a career) so, we agreed to detour and see what was going on. The Doorman informed us that everyone was waiting for Jennifer Lopez. Say what … she is one of my favs – I do like the way she dresses. So, we decided to stay for a few minutes. After about 15 minutes I was ready to leave but Mr. G persuaded me to give it a few more minutes.

Well a few minutes later this is what we saw:

My camera is not a sophisticated as Mr. G’s – but I thought it did pretty good. Jennifer looked amazing, she was working on a photo shot, and took the time to smile, turn around and wave to Paparazzi below.


Soon after, the photographer and crew emerged. We waited to see if Jennifer would come out too. But time was ticking and we had to meet our guide.

Eve greeted us as we approached the meeting spot outside Metro line 4, we were also joined by a couple from the U.S. Eve was very professional and organized – before we set off she introduced herself and gave us a little background on how she came to be in Paris, from New York. Her passion and knowledge of Paris was evident from the moment she started speaking about the area, on our way to Notre Dame.

Among the many things I learned on our tour, is that Notre Dame was built in different eras, and if you look closely you can see the differences , that at first or second look your eye does not immediately pick up. On the image to the right the outlines on th eground represent where buildings once stood.

The view from the top of the bell tower is one not to be missed (see images on right) - well worth the 421 steps Mr. G indicated we took. The stairway is very narrow and the spiral construction - requires many breaks along the way.

Thank you Eve, for an educational tour of Notre Dame and a most memorable afternoon! If you are in Paris and would like to experience a fascinating tour with someone who is passionate and extremely knowledgeable I encourage you to drop Eve an email.

I have decided to save Basilica of the Sacré-Coeur in Montmartre, for tomorrow's post - as we say good-bye to Paris.