Exploring Paris - Rive Gauche & Rive Droite
My hotel was apparently located in the 13 e on the Rive Gauche (Left Bank). It's time to explore both the Rive Gauche and Rive Droite (Right Bank) and their famed sights.
Saint Chapelle
A marvellous Catholic church with stained glass windows boasting scenes from both the Old and New Testament and books from the Maccabees. Although they were too high up for me to figure out what Biblical stories were recounted, I did enjoy watching the sunlight filter through the panels.
Conciergerie
The jail of Marie Antoinette, Queen of France, wife of Louis, before she was beheaded after the French Revolution. Bleak to say the least.
Notre Dame
A mass was being said for Pope John Paul the 2nd, who passed away last Saturday. While there was no massive outpouring of grief in France (unlike Rome and Vatican City), there were candles lighted and prayers said for him.
Climbing the narrow, spiral, winding staircase up to the bell tower is not for the faint-hearted. It's heart and lung busting and all those climbs that I did at Bukit Timah, swimming and running did not prepare me for a steep unending ascent such as this. Crowded and with a very fat lady right in front of me, I was half-afraid that she'd suddenly collapse and fall backwards.
The view was truly worth it. You can see the whole of Paris 360 degrees from the vantage point. Odd as it seems, the church is designed in a gothic style that challenged my concept of what a church should look like. Saints and gargolyes are juxtaposed together, perhaps a symbol of the struggle between good and evil that mankind has to face. A famous gargoyle resident at the roof of Notre Dame had a pensive look on his face as he looks at the cityscape wistfully, chin propped on hands. Another one looked more macabre as he chewed a chicken (or a bird), head first.
In the far distance, you could see the Eiffel, the Tour Montparnasse, Sacre Coeur (a church on a hill) and the river Seine meandering its way through the heart of Paris.
Made my way down to the ground floor without incident, albeit with wobbly knees.
Musee d'Orsay
Converted from an old train station you could look through a glass clock tower onto the whole of Paris again. Lots of works by Degas, Monet (pre and post Impressionism), Van Gogh and Rodin.
La Samaritaine
Once upon a time, there was this guy who was dead broke. He started off peddling goods like linen and hankies, but somehow his business folded. Undaunted, he tried again despite losing his fortune, this time, shifting his business to underneath a red umbrella next to the Seine. It thrived, thanks to his reputation of providing quality goods at unbeatable prices. Soon, he earned enough to set up a shop near the river and named it La Samaritaine, in honor of a fountain that stood near the spot where he made his money.
La Samaritaine is now one of the top departmental stores in France and one of the best vantage points to see Paris and its city scape for free and without a stiff climb.
River Seine
What could I say about this river, where shops and roadside book stalls proliferate? Where you could walk on gravel paths to the Eiffel?
I wished I am not a budget traveller. I would have bought an original Baba the Elephant print for S$80 along the river banks. I love Baba! :)
Saint Chapelle
A marvellous Catholic church with stained glass windows boasting scenes from both the Old and New Testament and books from the Maccabees. Although they were too high up for me to figure out what Biblical stories were recounted, I did enjoy watching the sunlight filter through the panels.
Conciergerie
The jail of Marie Antoinette, Queen of France, wife of Louis, before she was beheaded after the French Revolution. Bleak to say the least.
Notre Dame
A mass was being said for Pope John Paul the 2nd, who passed away last Saturday. While there was no massive outpouring of grief in France (unlike Rome and Vatican City), there were candles lighted and prayers said for him.
Climbing the narrow, spiral, winding staircase up to the bell tower is not for the faint-hearted. It's heart and lung busting and all those climbs that I did at Bukit Timah, swimming and running did not prepare me for a steep unending ascent such as this. Crowded and with a very fat lady right in front of me, I was half-afraid that she'd suddenly collapse and fall backwards.
The view was truly worth it. You can see the whole of Paris 360 degrees from the vantage point. Odd as it seems, the church is designed in a gothic style that challenged my concept of what a church should look like. Saints and gargolyes are juxtaposed together, perhaps a symbol of the struggle between good and evil that mankind has to face. A famous gargoyle resident at the roof of Notre Dame had a pensive look on his face as he looks at the cityscape wistfully, chin propped on hands. Another one looked more macabre as he chewed a chicken (or a bird), head first.
In the far distance, you could see the Eiffel, the Tour Montparnasse, Sacre Coeur (a church on a hill) and the river Seine meandering its way through the heart of Paris.
Made my way down to the ground floor without incident, albeit with wobbly knees.
Musee d'Orsay
Converted from an old train station you could look through a glass clock tower onto the whole of Paris again. Lots of works by Degas, Monet (pre and post Impressionism), Van Gogh and Rodin.
La Samaritaine
Once upon a time, there was this guy who was dead broke. He started off peddling goods like linen and hankies, but somehow his business folded. Undaunted, he tried again despite losing his fortune, this time, shifting his business to underneath a red umbrella next to the Seine. It thrived, thanks to his reputation of providing quality goods at unbeatable prices. Soon, he earned enough to set up a shop near the river and named it La Samaritaine, in honor of a fountain that stood near the spot where he made his money.
La Samaritaine is now one of the top departmental stores in France and one of the best vantage points to see Paris and its city scape for free and without a stiff climb.
River Seine
What could I say about this river, where shops and roadside book stalls proliferate? Where you could walk on gravel paths to the Eiffel?
I wished I am not a budget traveller. I would have bought an original Baba the Elephant print for S$80 along the river banks. I love Baba! :)
posted by Leng at 8:50 PM
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