Notre Dame Cathedral & Saint Chapelle
Our first stop was Notre Dame Cathedral. Unfortunately, it was a rainy morning so we could not go up the tower because it was slippery. After admiring the rose windows and the church, we walked to Saint Chapelle. Saint Chapelle was built by Saint Louis around 1242. It is a Gothic masterpiece, built in the heart of the Palais de la Cite. Unfortunately, the line for Saint Chapelle was too long for us. So, we opted to tour the Conciergerie next door.
The Conciergerie
The Conciergerie is the oldest remaining part of the Palais de la Cité, the first royal palace in Paris. It was used as a prison during the French Revolution. The kitchens date from the middle ages. The Conciergerie contains a wax museum of the prison and dungeons during the French Revolution. Elisabeth and Kate were quite interested in the guillotine and Marie Antoinette's cell. We also visited Girondins' Chapel, built on the exact spot of Marie-Antoinette's cell. In hindsight, I think we could have skipped the Conciergerie - the museum was a little to real with the wax statues.
Lunch at a French Brasserie and Shakespeare & Company Book Store
We enjoyed a nice warm lunch of croquet monsieur, french onion soup and spaghetti bolognese. Just what we needed on a wet cold morning in Paris. After lunch we walked across the Seine to the Shakespeare and Company Book Store. On the second floor is a lovely, but small children's section with a seat in an alcove. We read books there for a long time. Each of the girls picked a book to purchase: Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers for Kate and Ice Lolly by Jean Ure for Elisabeth. Each was happy to carry her book with the store's seal on the inside cover under her arm.
Jardin du Luxembourg & Marionette Show
Around 2pm we started to walk towards Luxembourg Gardens. It was a 30 minute walk from the book store. The rain had stopped and the sun was peaking out of the clouds. Unfortunately, it was still too cold and wet to sail boats at the Jardin du Luxembourg (the pond was frozen). But, Elisabeth and Kate were excited to run through the sculpture garden at Luxembourg Gardens before the marionette show. The Jardin du Luxembourg contains the main Guignol Theater in Paris.
We arrived just in time to stand in line for the Marionnette show. The puppet shows are held every Wednesday in the park at 3pm, as well as Saturdays and Sundays. The story was Pinocchio. Guignol, the sassy irreverent main character, narrated the story. The girls had excellent seats in the 2nd row center. Elisabeth said she was able to follow the story well in French. I sat on the side of the aisle. It was a full house. Kate was a little scared mid-way through the performance and sat with me for the remainder.
After the puppet show, Elisabeth and Kate played in the playground at Luxembourg Gardens. The playground is absolutely incredible. Elisabeth and Kate especially enjoyed the climbing pyramids and spinning apparatuses. They also liked the zip line. Thanks to Aunt Polly for telling us about the playground!
After the playground, Elisabeth and Kate rode the carousel. Elisabeth did an excellent job of catching the "rings" on the carousel (Kate was on an inside horse so she wasn't able to get the rings). After the carousel we rode real ponies and donkeys. By 5pm we were exhausted. We walked across the Jardin du Luxembourg to McDonald's for dinner. Chicken nuggets and fries: what a treat!
Luckily, Elisabeth remembered that there was a cab stand across the street from McDonald's. Rather than take the metro or walk back to the apartment, we hopped into a cab after dinner and headed home. Elisabeth & Kate were thoroughly exhausted! What a full day!
