What Matters: Paris, why did we wait so long to meet?

David Sedaris has never set a foot inside the Louvre, and neither have I. After spending a week in Paris I was feeling slightly chagrined that I didn't make it to the Louvre. Then on the flight home from Paris I was listening to an interview Rick Steves did with Sedaris in which he said that even though he has lived in France for years, he has never been in the Louvre. Missing it wasn't intentional. We rode the #69 bus which provides a drive-by view (from west to east) of most of the major Paris landmarks and we saw the iconic pyramid entrance to the museum. Since churches and art museums weren't high on my list for this trip, driving by was just enough. The Louvre did make my "to do" list for Paris but it just wasn't very high on the list. I am sure inquiring minds want to know what beat it out?

This being my first trip to Paris I think I was more interested in Paris itself. I wanted to see where it all began on Ile de la Cite and that's where I headed first. (Well after a very brief visit to the Eiffel Tower) I was awed as I walked slowly in the rain around Notre-Dame Cathedral and stared up at the 200 foot tall bell towers and tried to imagine how medieval workers could accomplish such construction. Jim was especially excited to see the work of French architect Viollet le Duc who built a second spire during a mid 1800s restoration of the Cathedral.

The spire dominates the copper statues of the twelve apostles with the symbols of the four evangelists. Viollet-le-Duc represented himself as Saint Thomas holding a square. His back is turned and he seems to be contemplating the top of his “Great Work” Now the pictures that Claire and Lindsey took in 2007 from the top of the facade, between the two towers make more sense to me - and seem even scarier! It's a 400 stair climb to the top (which I didn't do) but it truly allows you to share the famous gargoyle's view of Paris.

The Paris Archaeological Crypt is located only 100 yards in front of the Cathedral. Discovered during excavations from 1965-1972 it contains the remains of many of the structures that existed in the center of Paris since early Roman times. It is a fascinating underground look at the earliest history of the Gallo- Roman town of Lutetia, later to become Paris.

Also high on my list were neighborhood walks. We took the historic Paris walk of Ile de la Cite and the Latin Quarter, the Marais walk, Montmartre walk and of course Champs-Elysee from the Arc de Triomphe.