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| Basilica of Saint Denis |
Completed in 1144, the Basilica of Saint Denis houses the remains of French kings and their families from the 10th - 18th centuries, including Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. It is dedicated to Saint Denis, the first bishop of France who, legend has it, was beheaded in Montmartre and then, before dying, carried his head several miles to this site where he wished to be buried. The cathedral is considered to be the first medieval Gothic architecture ever built. It's my understanding that at some point during the French Revolution, bodies were exhumed and buried in mass graves away from the cathedral so it is questionable how many royal bones actually remain encrypted at Saint Denis.
The cathedral is on the outskirts of the Paris suburbs and was somewhat of a last-minute addition to my itinerary after reading about it on Trip Advisor. I heard it was a bit off the beaten path, largely overlooked by tourists but well-worth a visit. I had also read that the neighborhood wasn't the best so I was a little apprehensive about taking the journey up north alone. Well, the neighborhood was just fine. Perhaps a little more working class than central Paris but I didn't feel uncomfortable at all. The cathedral is simply stunning and rivals Notre Dame, in my opinion, with a fraction of the tourists.
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| Basilica of Saint Denis |
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| Basilica of Saint Denis |
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| Basilica of Saint Denis |
After spending the morning ensconced in the 12th century, it was time for something completely different: La Defense. This is the modern, business hub or the "Manhattan" or "Wall Street" of Paris, if you will. It's definitely not on a lot of people's "To Do" list when visiting Paris. It's not romantic. It's not historic. When I stepped off the Metro and walked out upon the esplanade under the Grand Arch, I thought I would just turn around and go back to a "proper" Paris experience but I was hungry and decided to grab something quick to eat and then go back. I opted for the Daily Monop, which is sort-of like a fancy Whole Foods with lots of fresh sandwiches and salads. It was actually very good! It was such a beautiful afternoon so after eating, I thought, well, why not stroll around the area just to check it out. In the end, I was really glad I stayed and spent a couple hours admiring the modern architecture and public art.
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| Outdoor Sculpture at La Defense |
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| Building Reflections at La Defense |
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| Thumbs Up! at La Defense |
I admit, this is not everyone's cup of tea and but it was worth a one-time visit.
Today was my third day in Paris and I hadn't yet seen the Eiffel Tower so it was time to remedy that. Previously, I had only seen the tower from the Champ de Mars and I really wanted to check out the view from the Trocadero. This being a sunny Saturday afternoon in February, the Trocadero was simply mobbed with tourists, musicians, vendors, etc. I soon discovered a large protest demonstration had begun at the base of the Eiffel Tower and was slowly making its way uphill towards the Trocadero. I snapped off a couple of quick photos and decided to head down the hill, passing the loud but orderly crowd in the process.
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| Tour Eiffel from Place du Trocadero |
I had read later that some 10,000 people were in the parade of protesters that afternoon. Apparently the catalyst for the protest was President Francois Hollande's support for fertility treatment for gay couples. I certainly don't know much about French politics but I guess I was surprised at the conservative nature of this protest.
In any event, I headed down to the Champ de Mars and just relaxed and enjoyed the unexpected sunny weather. I really wanted to photograph the Eiffel Tower framed by some Parisian buildings so I just wandered a bit aimlessly into a nearby neighborhood looking for that shot and I found exactly what I was looking for!
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| Tour Eiffel |
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| Tour Eiffel |
I know I'm going to say it
way too much on this blog but c'mon . . . can you believe this sun in Paris, in the winter? Spoiled, to say the least.
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