Since I've arrived, I've mostly walked the streets of Paris with my long underwear on, my head down against the wind and an umbrella obscuring most of the view but for a square of sidewalk and my feet. Friday the 11th was a simply glorious late winter day. Bright and sunny with a breeze that was so light you could hardly feel it but which nonetheless held definite hints of spring. Saturday and Sunday were equally glorious, though the lion of March is breathing wintry gusts today.
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| Saint-Germain-des-Pré |
A month ago, the walking tour I took of the Latin Quarter was fascinating but an altogether different matter as it was bitterly cold and pouring buckets. Four people had signed up and only two, Meg and I, showed up. We started at the Church of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, which is the site of a 6th century abbey that was located in fields outside the city wall of Paris. The Abbey's donation of land for construction of the University of Paris in the Middle Ages led eventually to the the area becoming known as the Latin Quarter. We then moved on to St. Sulpice, the second largest church in Paris and one of my favorites. It sits on a lovely square with a beautiful fountain. There's a charming little Café de la Mairie there where one can enjoy the view on a nice day (naturally these photos were taken on one such) but there was no time for such luxuries on our tour.
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| Saint Sulpice |
One of the streets running off the square in front of the church is the tiny rue Férou where a poem by Rimbaud, one of France's great 19th century writers, has been carved in a stone wall. As one walks away from the square, the poem unfolds alongside.
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| Poem by Rimbaud, rue Férou |
From there, we walked through the Luxembourg Gardens, passed what is now known as Sorbonne I and the Panthéon, to the church of Saint-Étienne-du-Mont, another 6th century abbey that is now a parish church. According to legend, St. Geneviève, the patron saint of Paris, is buried there. It is certainly the case that from the church there is a beautiful view of the tower of St. Jacques, which is located on the Right Bank. We don't think of Paris as having hills, but there are little ones and the church sits on one of them. The interior of this church is utterly enchanting, with its lace-like marble carvings. How often these little gems are tucked away in little squares or down side streets and we more often than not never find them. This was a fortunate day indeed!
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| Interior of Saint-Étienne-du-Mont |
