Retired Nomads Part 4: Eiffel Tower, Sainte-Chapelle & Conciergerie, Cathedral de Notre Dame, Pantheon, Montparnasse Tower

Thursday July 3

We hopped on the Metro for our 10:00 Eiffel Tower reservation. The last time we were in Paris we took the stairs and only went to the second floor, so this time we took the elevators and went all the way to the top. Since we didn't have breakfast at the hotel we grabbed a chocolate croissant in the Tower. Long line, but worth it!

After our croissants we waited in the long line for the elevators to the Summit.

in the elevator

After the visit we crossed the bridge for better shots of the tower, but we were shooting into the sun.

We took the Metro to Sainte-Chapelle & Conciergerie on Île de la Cité for our 2:00 reservation. It was lunch time, so we stopped at a sidewalk cafe across the street. First night's dinner I got the wrong crepes and in keeping with the trend, Greg's Warm Goat Cheese Salad was something similar to a Ceasar Salad. Like me he didn't send it back and just ate it. I had the best Croque Monsieur of the trip.

walking to Sainte-Chapelle

Croque Monsieur

should have been the Warm Goat Cheese Salad

Les Deux Palais - Greg in the center in the hat

chocolate mousse for dessert

We were on time for our combo visit of the Gothic church known for its spectacular stained-glass windows. We entered the lower floor and while there were some windows they were small & not what we expected to see. The route continued upstairs, and WOW were those stained-glass windows beautiful.

each of the small pieces were individual scenes

After that we took a short walk to the Conciergerie a former courthouse and prison where Marie Antoinette, Queen of France, was kept before she was taken to the guillotine. It was originally part of the former royal palace, the Palais de la Cité, which also included the Sainte-Chapelle. Two large medieval halls remain from the royal palace.

Marie Antoinette's cell

Next up was our visit to the Cathedral de Notre Dame which opened this year after the devastating fire and years of renovations. The Towers were still under construction, so we weren't able to climb up. We didn't see it before the fire (only from the outside) but it is beautiful.

We skipped the Crypt as we were running short on time and walked to the Latin Quarter which has Shakespeare and Company, Rue Saint-Séverin, the Church of Saint-Séverin, Hôtel de Cluny, La Sorbonne, the Panthéon, Church of Saint-Étienne-du-Mont, and the Luxembourg Gardens.

In 1851, the famous scientist Leon Foucault installed a pendulum that demonstrated the Earth’s rotation. It is a civic building and a mausoleum for eminent French citizens, housing the remains of notable figures like Voltaire, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Victor Hugo, Émile Zola, and Marie Curie. It's also famous for its neoclassical architecture, particularly its large dome and columns, inspired by the original Pantheon in Rome. I was excited to visit the Pantheon to visit the gravesite of Marie Curie. (I used to be an X-ray tech)

we stopped for a macaron break

Pantheon

Voltaire

Marie & Pierre Curie

It was now time for a later dinner, and we went to a place recommended by Viking that was close to the hotel. I ordered poorly as I had the worst steak of my life. Mind you it was very tasty, just so tough the knife couldn't cut it and when you did get some off you had to chew for a week to get it down. Greg's duck and potatoes were divine. There was like a pound of potatoes on his plate, so I ate those with the lovely sauce the duck was cooked in. (first meal we both got what we ordered if you're keeping score...lol)

Cafe Jeannette

Rumsteak d'Aubrac & frites (tough steak & fries)

Confit de canard IGP Sud Oust & pommes (duck & potatoes)

profiteroles stuffed with ice cream - YUM!

We had pre-booked the 9:30p Montparnasse Tower for the 10:00 PM light show of the Eiffel Tower. Perhaps since it wasn't dark enough the tower did not twinkle. There were excellent views of the city, but despite all the room up there, people had moved the chairs to sit in front of the one side facing the Eiffel Tower and no way to get close to the small slit they provided to take photos through. People raved about it online, but I honestly think it's skippable. (we got great twinkling on the night HOHO bus)