Sabbatical Day 17: Feast of the Assumption, Montmartre and three churches

The morning began with a lovely little breakfast in the hotel. I had yogurt and a small croissant with coffee. Dan had scrambled eggs, a croissant, and coffee. Then we wandered about 30 minutes north the Montmartre neighborhood. Along the way we came to a very old church with a worship service taking place. 

We wandered in and spent some time in worship - it is the Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, a national holiday in France. We were at a church built in the 13th century and it’s become the local worship place for the congregation and clergy displaced from the fire at Notre Dame. The entire service was sung in French, except the scripture readings. It began like a morning prayer service with Psalms and Canticles then moved into the readings and Eucharist. I didn’t stay for Eucharist. And, while it was in French, I could mostly follow along. In addition to the main worship there were two side chapels with people coming in and lighting candles. I lit on too and said a few prayers for people I know in need of healing, as well as for my congregation back in Dearborn and for my family. I have offered these prayers in Scotland, twice in London, and now in Paris. 

From there we wanted up to Montmartre.  It’s an area with a lot of little shops along interior galleries between buildings. Most of the stores were closed for the holiday or just closed. There lots of antique book stores, stamp stores, and jewelry stores. We found a cute little shop for souvenirs, and bought a few things to take home. Then we wandered back toward our hotel. 

The following photos are all out of order as they uploaded on an iPad. They are of the Louvre, a cool building with an iron work facade, the Seine, a look down a neighborhood or two….and beautiful door front.

The pyramid at the Louvre

Along the way we walked into the courtyards of the Louvre. Two musicians were playing music, and I took a little video of them. In another courtyard we found the famous pyramids. And a line to enter the museum that was so long there was absolutely no way we were going to even try to go in. No way. Besides, once in the place is supposed to be so mobbed that one can’t even see the art. Not my kind of fun, no matter how famous the pieces. So we took photos of ourselves at the Louvre and left. 

We stopped in a little street side cafe for a light lunch. We had an iced coffee and a platter of meats and cheeses with fresh bread. Truly, the cheese here is divine. But, there was enough for us to take about half of it back to the hotel and save it for tomorrow. (We have a fridge). Back at the hotel we rested a bit, having walked 10,000 steps. 

Later in the afternoon we walked to Notre Dame. The area was crowded. It was simultaneously stunning to be in that space and shocking to see the destruction and efforts to repair if following the fire in April of 2019. Along the way I bought a small painting from an artist, a woman. A small piece with the Eiffel Tower, it will be a gift. But really, a painting from an artist in Paris…isn’t that just about the right thing to do?

It was getting warm so got an iced tea from Starbucks and headed back to the hotel. In a while we’ll head out for dinner.

We ate dinner a busy little street corner (Rue de Saint Germaine), sitting outside in the sun and the busyness. It was a lovely dinner. I had salad and veil in a cream sauce, with a glass Pouilly Fume. I’ve been a member of a wine club since 2020 and it’s fun to see some of the wines I’ve had through this club available here on menus. Dan had chicken in a richly seasoned sauce and roasted potatoes. 

After dinner we walked more and came upon another small, very old church. This one was originally built in the 4th century, destroyed by the Vikings, rebuilt in the 8th century and completed in the 13th. It has an interesting history. Saint-Germain-does-Pres. In the 1940’s and 1950’s this neighborhood was the center of the existentialist movement associated with Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir. It’s also home to Ecole does Beaux-Arts and the several schools affiliated with the University of Paris. Eugene Delacroix used to live in this neighborhood. 

The perfume shop, making my perfume 

After wandering through the church we navigated our way back toward our hotel. Dan has a really good sense of direction, so we have been mostly wandering without google maps. On this wandering we came upon a little shop that makes its own scented body oils, shampoos, lotions, and perfume. We bought some oil and a perfume, which the shop keeper literally mixed up on the spot and told me it needed to rest for two days before I used it. He then gave me two small samples to use until its ready. The oil smells like roses and the perfume is just a mix of heady herbs. I’m not sure what it is, but its lovely. 

Further along, looking for a place to get ice cream (there are lots of them), we watched some street performers. It was quite an act. We found a little ice cream shop and I had a very small dish with four very small scoops: vanilla, coffee, caramel, and chocolate. It was delicious. We stood outside, people watching, while eating it. We walked about 17,000 steps, down a bit from the 20,000 I walked on Saturday and Sunday. 

Tomorrow we plan on going to the Musee d’orsay, the Arc de Tromphe, and the Eiffel Tower. I couldn’t purchase tickets for the Eiffel Tower, so like the Louvre, we’ll probably just take photos of being there. I am not much of a touristy tourist anyway and really don’t enjoy the crowds or the site because of the crowds. That may be enough for tomorrow, but like every day, something unplanned may come along. Also, thunderstorms are predicted for the day, so that will probably impact our plans. We’ll aim for an early start.