TravelswithCharie

The Notre Dame Cathedral has stood on Ile de la Cité since the 13th century. The Ile de la Cité was once the center of Roman occupation. It was then called, Lutetia. At sunset, the rose window comes alive in a myriad of colors. The long nave is flanked by graceful columns and pointed arches. The light emanating from the stained glass windows behind the main altar directs your gaze upward to the high cross vaulted ceiling. At night the cathedral takes on an aura when bathed in light. * * * Photos by Charie

Joseph being sold by his brothers These well preserved stained glass windows are from the Ste-Chappelle. It is now in the collection of the Musée National du Moyen Age. Ste. Chappelle is famous for its stained glass windows which practically make up its walls. It suffered great damage during the French revolution when part of the windows were taken down and destroyed or lost. These stained glass windows date from the 12th-13th century. The subjects are derived from the Bible. The ruby red and Chartres blue colors define the Ste. Chappelle stained glass. They are as vibrant today as they were in the Middle Ages. * * * Photos by Charie

A Mon Seul Désir - To My Only Desire I've been intrigued by the Unicorn tapestries since I read the novel, The Lady and the Unicorn by Tracy Chevalier. While I've seen these tapestries in the past, I never really paid much attention to the details. After reading Chevalier's book, I have a better appreciation of these tapestries as works of art. Taste There are six tapestries in all, five of which deal with the senses. The sixth one portays a woman putting away her necklace into a box held by her lady in waiting. Above her, on the tent, are written the words, "A Mon Seul Desir". The lion and unicorn hold back the flaps of the tent. Her poodle sits regally on a silk draped bench to her right. All around are signs of life-fruit trees, flowers, birds, rabbits, monkeys, leopards. Smell The tapestries were found in the Chateau de Boussac in Auvergne. It was commissioned in the 15th century by Jean Le Viste whose coat of arms are worn by both the unicorn and the lion. It

I've just discovered the Rue Mouffetard which is a short walk from my hotel on the Left Bank. All along its cobblestone streets are stalls selling fruits and vegetables, wine, cheese, pastries and bread, meat and seafood as well as take out food. Several restaurants and two supermarkets flank both sides of the narrow street. There are a couple of shops with a good selection of wines and the prices are reasonable. When I came back around 3:30 p.m. to Rue Mouffetard after spending some time at the Cluny, the restaurant where I wanted to eat was already closed for lunch so I stopped by a traiteur (prepared food for take-out) and I bought riz cantonais and poulet croustillante . It wasn't what I hoped for so after eating my "to go" lunch I walked across to the patissier and studied the sweets. I picked up a pavé of chocolat to save the day. All's well that ends well. * * * Photos by Charie

On Monday the entire garden was blanketed in snow. Today, the grounds were a little wet but it was wonderful to walk the length of the park for a view of the outdoor sculptures of prehistoric animals which form part of the Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle. Inside the museum are the galeries of Evolution and Paleontology. There are botanical gardens, a small zoo, a maze, hothouses, even a carousel. Some of these are closed in winter. It's a great place to take the kids. The museum is at 57 Rue Cuvier near Gare Austerlitz. * * * Photos by Charie

La Tour Eiffel I am a poor map reader. No matter how much I check my directions, I still get lost. So I have to ask someone to tell me how to get back to St. Sulpice as I did this evening. The young lady was apologetic that she didn't know how to get there and how charming the French are when they apologize. If I know how to translate correctly, I heard her say to excuse her for her "bêtise", or stupidity for not knowing where the street or landmark in question might be. This is the second time I heard this since I arrived in Paris. Each time I'd asked for directions, the people I asked didn't know where to direct me to as they were just as lost as I was. Paris is a big city after all. Place de la Concorde But what a good thing I was lost tonight because I discovered the City of Light. This is serendipity. The Seine at night La Madeleine Bonne soirée! * * * Photos by Charie

Canal St. Martin After walking along the Canal St. Martin today, I decided to take the metro across town to check out the gourmet grocery store of Au Bon Marché, La Grande Epicerie Paris on 38 Rue de Sevres. I tried to ignore the first glass counter of tempting delicate cookies and sweets and walked towards the back of the store. I walked past the deli and olives counter to the "plats a emporter" which had various Asian dishes like noodles, egg rolls, and sushi. I thought about taking out some of the dishes but decided against it as I was really hungry after the long walk and couldn't wait to go back to the hotel before eating dinner. Plateau Bac Behind the bread section is a small restaurant with high tables and bar stools. I checked out the offerings and decided the Plateau Bac looked very appetizing indeed. This is a seafood concoction with shrimps, a generous helping of coquilles (scallops) served with rice and vegetables (string beans, tomatoes, white onions, carrot