Sainte Jean de Montmartre

Turns out I prefer the other church in the Montmartre area.

Spare yourself the throngs of tourists and spend a little time in Sainte Jean de Montmartre instead.  The mosaic work is wonderful and there was just enough stuff crumbling or peeling to make me appreciate it all the more.

A Notre Dame Pop-In

The other evening I was meeting a friend for dinner in the 7th.  I rarely find myself on the left side so I decided to take my time and walk there.  One of my favorite things about Paris is that there is something remarkable everywhere you go.  Sure, there are the obvious things like the Eiffel Tower or Place de la Concorde or the Pompidou.  But really the history is everywhere.  I've been walking by the Carreau du Temple twice a day for nearly a year now, but only recently did it take on new significance as I learned that it was where Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette and family were housed before being moved to the Conciergerie (and then being off-with-their-heads-ed).  Before the carreau was there, the spot was a Knights Templar joint/prison;  and this was the royal family's second-to-last stop.  (There is a big renovation underway at the carreau now, and they've found bodies dating back to the 12th century.  There were not one but TWO layers of cemetery under there!  Follow the link above to learn more about the excavation and renovation.)  But what I meant to tell you with all of that wind is that history is everywhere here, so you don't need to seek it out.  (Though you'll find no shortage of it if you do.)

So it happened that Notre Dame was smack in the middle of my wander to the left bank.  It couldn't have worked out more perfectly if I had planned it to arrive there just before closing so that there was no crowd and the day was square in the "golden hour" before sunset.  And there was a mass on.  A mass, people!  That counts for, like, two visits!  I had never seen Notre Dame without a large crowd out front, so I did a double-take that I was actually there.  And I marched right in.

Honestly, I got mad respect for Notre Dame and its perfect Gothic architecture (those buttresses are FLYING!) and its age and its location and all of that.  But really, the inside isn't that remarkable.  I still dare any church to beat the cathedral in Brussels.  Though it's not fair because some churches are older than others and blah-de-blah-de-blah.  I'm not so taken with the interior of Sacré Coeur, either, if you must know.  But I'll take its view any day.

 An unremarkable shot of the Seine.

 The Hotel de Ville.

Low-light iPhone action at Notre Dame.

Lit up.

Not such a big turnout for mass.  Did you know that the current Archbishop of Paris is called André Vingt-Trois?  That translates to André "Twenty-Three."  Cool.

Exterior action.

Church Hopping

You know I love an old European church as much as the next guy.  So when the last bank holiday foiled me from getting some delicious mustard from Maille, I decided to pop into some of the nearby churches. (As well as treat myself to some macarons from Laduree.)

First, I hit up Notre Dame de L'Assomption, which is commonly called "The Polish Church."  It sits right on Rue St-Honoré, though I didn't get a shot of its exterior.  (Follow the link for that.)  It is domed, and its stone has darkened according to its years.  I went in expecting to photograph the interior, but it was all prayer business up in there!  Even though my iphone is silent, I felt disrespectful getting it out at all.  So sorry, no shots of the interior.

Next, I hit up the Church of La Madeleine, which sits between Place de la Concorde and Place de la Vendome.  This is a church that commands respect, what with its pillars that don't quit, its surrounding square, and its eponymous metro stop.

I quite like this machine.  It's Jesus-meets-Vegas for a brochure of the history and architecture of the church.  At least I *think* that's what it is.

Sadly, the priest on duty was not that day.  (I guess priests take bank holidays, too.)  I like how his office looks all Barney Miller--check out the lettering and the interior blinds!  I wonder if he's pulled any perps straight outta mass for a talking to in his office?  I picture him as the enforcer of La Madeleine.  Guess that's what Barney Miller blinds inspire in me.

Saint-Etienne-du-Mont

Scenes from Saint-Etienne-du-Mont.

Altar to St. Genevieve.

Everyone's favorite guy from Padua.

Notre Dame de Reims

One of the major points of interest in Reims (besides the champagne, more on that later...) is the cathedral.  Notre Dame de Reims was where 33 French kings were coronated, starting with Louis I (you may know him better as Louis the Pious) in 816.  The current structure has been there since around 1211, having celebrated its 800-year anniversary.  It is an imposing structure, and you can read more about its architecture (gothic, baby!) here.

Leaning cathedral of Reims.
(Not leany at all in real life...)

The angel at right is the famous "smiling angel" of Reims.
She's actually kinda smirky in person.

These are the Chagall stained glass windows, which were installed in 1974 and depict everything from the Abraham to the apocalypse.

Fleur de lys with a statue of St. Jean Baptiste de La Salle (a local of Reims) in the background.
(This one goes out to Phil.)

Mostly headless mini-statues.

How creepy are those little guys under the middle statue?!