I burst into laughter --- as did he when he saw what I was laughing about. I said, "It is for the fromage." Then we both got the giggles....we giggled until I cried. I said to Kathy --- You know he is probably wondering if he has the old ladies from Arsnic and Old Lace in his hotel!!!
We were up and had breakfast and waited to change rooms....because the other issue with our room was that once I wrestled the lugged up to our floor --- and found 105 -- it was down 6 steps through a narrow hallway to the room....
When I went down to get Kathy --- as soon as the door began to open I jumped on so that Kathy would have time to get on the elevator without getting crushed by its hungry jaws --- and she decided to take the room --- because we were tired--- but in the morning we asked to take another room on the 1st floor without steps. We have learned that people think a place is accessible as long as there is an elevator --- but as you can see--- it is not always true. In fact, though American hotel rooms are all alike --- in Europe -- since many of these places were built long before they became hotels -- the rooms are all very individual.
We walked down Rue Cardinal Richeleau to the Lovre, (maybe 3 blocks) crossed the Seine and went to the Musee de Orsey. I left Kathy in line and went to the head of the line to ask about access. When I got back a handsome young man had her wheelchair and when he saw me said, " a present for you" We saw him later on the top floor and thanked him again for his help. Sometimes when Kathy is in line people will just cut in. I don't know if it is just that they do not see her - since she is not at their eye level or if they are just rude. As before--the museum was spectacular, but it had many paintings different from those that I saw last time I visited.
The sky was gray and there was a cold breeze -- it reminded me of the last visit to Paris in 2003 when it was hot, but after rain it was actually chilly. I remember the rain came while we sailed on the Seine and how beautiful the Eifel tower was lighted against the darkening sky. The clouds ocassionally spit rain, and as we crossed the river the poplar leaves were dancing in the wind and glittered on their own -- even without the sunlight.
We left the museum and went to the little sidewalk cafe where we had onion soup the last time. Kathy has been back there several times, but for me -- this is only my second visit. After lunch we caught the bus to St. Chapelle. Like the Mussee we had to go in a different route that took us into the Justice Building which is built all around the chapel. In fact it may have been a palace. The Chapel sits down as if it had sunk maybe 10 feet --- and you must go down the ramp to reach the bottom floor of the chapel. This room was impressive --- but nothing could have prepared me for what we were about to see. The second floor -- or main chapel required us to go on a lift up into the justic building. Then a staff person came and opened the door to let us out onto a galcony which had huge blue doors which opened onto the chapel.
As we were escorted through the young attendant who helped us said, "this was the queens private entrance to the chapel. I thought it was especially appropriate that the entrance for those with disabilities was the queens personal entrance. As the doors opened I was literally stunned by the beauty. I was not alone. A few minutes later a group of school children came through the public door and one of them cried out "Oh," making audible what I felt. I began sorting out the stained glass --- looking for the stories in the windows from Genisis through the passion and ressurection of Christ. It was all there in minute detail -- the Bible for the illiterate! At one end of the chapel was the passion window and oposite was the rose window with the story of John the Baptist. I sat trying to take it in for a very long time. And when I pushed Kathy back through the queen's entrance I was completely overwhelmed by its beauty. Imagine building this chapel in the 13th century and how long people have worshiped here. It is such a small chapel and to me much more meaningful than the magestic Notre Dame.
We left the chapel and started walking toward the Eifel tower then caught bus 69. The day was filled with unusual events. As we rode along the Seine a large passenger jet was flying very low over the river escorted by two military jets. This was followed by two more military jets and a third group of planes including a large prop. Shortly after the planes passed a team of wheel chair athletes from Mexico got on board the bus, and when we actually wanted to get off, we had trouble getting the wheelchair past all the wheelchair athletes. Along the way we passed a number of streets that Rick Steves mentioned as good locations for tourists.
We got off near the tower and then began to work our way back to the Musee De Orsey. We walked along in the neighborhood just east of the tower and south of the Seine. A cool breese and gentle rain dominated the walk. The rain kept me cool and made the day much easier than the walk about in Nice (which was quite hot). It was wonderful to just be in a neighborhood and see how people live and interact. Old women dressed with beautifully matching shoes, and purses walked along with their canes, business men in suits, and people on their way to and from meetings. A man in the street --- was telling his friend that there was no time for a cup of coffee. Pointing to his watch and then making that "air kiss" to his friend. Kathy was able to find the little coffee/tea/kitchen shop that she had visited before. There were many European coffee pots and accompanying items. There were pastry shops, pharmacies, european versions of the container store (of course on smaller scale), a supermarket, Real Estate shops, and every few spaces there were little bars (not just for alcohol --- but for coffee and fresh squeezed orange juice.....and sandwiches.....), perfumeries and flower shops.
It was a wonderful day, and as it got close to dinner we headed back toward the hotel and the restaurant where we had reservations for dinner. It began raining harder and the wind picked up so we ducked into a bus stop where we met a young woman whom Kathy asked for her suggestion for the easiest path to our desitnation. Not only did she tell us how to go --- she was heading the same way and helped us get to our destination and then exit the very busy bus. We came up on the back of the museum and then found our restaurant, Le Frigate.....enjoyed our dinner and headed for hotel. The sun peeked in and out on the walk back and found ourselves in our new large room getting set for the journey tomorrow to London.
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