I left my luggage at the hotel (The hotel is on the "Rive Gauche" in the heart of the Latin Quarter, across the street from a corner of the Sorbonne.) (see map), and set out on foot down Rue St. Jacques toward the Seine. Two blocks away I saw an interesting looking church, St. Séverin, and I went in to check it out. The present building was begun at the same time Notre Dame was being built. I have
a few pictures, but I really recommend going through the English tour on the church's own website. Check out all the links in the tour. For pictures of the modern windows, go to this site. And a few more pics are here. I took my time looking around the church, which had a number of multilingual explanatory displays on reading stands. There was a 12:15 Mass, which I attended, in the Eucharistic Chapel. Then I went back to the hotel and checked in and went out to lunch (outdoors) at a restaurant across the street from the church.
Then it was time for the main business of the day. I continued along Rue St. Jacques toward the Seine. As you can see from the map, it leads to a bridge, and when you cross the bridge
Notre Dame Cathedral is to your right at the other end of a plaza. This picture was actually taken from the bridge. Sainte Chapelle (or more generally here) is a couple of blocks away, at a spot on the map indicated by the words "La Conciergerie."
It's in the courtyard of the Palais de Justice, which seems an anomaly, but is understandable. Originally the royal palace stood on the site, and the Sainte Chapelle served both as the site for the relics which St. Louis IX obtained, and as the chapel of the kings. One royal function was to administer justice for the realm, and that function is now performed by the courts, headquartered in the Palais de Justice. The sheathing covers some windows which are being cleaned and restored. But most are still visible.
I had wanted to see it since reading an article in the Christian Science Monitor, in which the writer told of being in a tour group. One member of the group was a constant complainer, and as they climbed the narrow circular stone staircase, she kept up a stream of grumbling complaints until the instant she reached the doorway and caught a glimpse of the chapel, which caused her to fall instantly silent in awestruck admiration. It is amazing, overwhelming, and it's easy to understand its effect on that tourist. Even knowing the story, I was similarly awestruck at
my first glimpse of it — a case in which expectations were not disappointed. I have to admire the artistry and technical skill which enabled people to create
such beauty and the faith which motivated them to do it.
I stayed there almost till closing time. On my way back to the hotel, I checked out Mass times at Notre Dame and bought some cheese and a bottle of tea at a grocery store. Dinner was at a restaurant a block from the hotel, on the Boulevard St. Germain. The restaurants often have what they call "menus," which are not what we mean by the word in English, but pre-set choices: for a set price, you choose among certain appetizers, certain main courses, and certain desserts; for another price, you can choose among other appetizers, main courses, and desserts. One of the menus at this restaurant offered a Basque item called axoa (or more generally), which sounded good. But as I pondered my choices, I forgot about it and chose the steak instead. Dang! The steak was fine, but this had been my first, and maybe last chance to sample axoa. The waiter said that they sometimes repeat a special, but they'd be closed on Sunday, and I knew that on Monday I'd get back too late from Mont Saint Michel. The menu cost 15.50 euros; beverages (bourbon, wine, coffee) added another 15.60; my credit card company exchanged it to $38.50, which is less than I'd expect to pay for a comparable meal at most restaurants I go to around here.
I recommend clicking on the pictures for enlargements, which show the detail more clearly.
BTW, I've just added pics to my first post about the trip.
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