Day 9   Paris -- Marais, St. Chappelle

We began this day with a buffet breakfast in the hotel.  Then we met our guide for a walking tour of the Bastille/Marais District of Paris.  To get to the Bastille/Marais District, we needed to take the Metro.  Again, this was an easy, no transfer ride, exiting at the Bastille station.  Before we left the Bastille station, the guide pointed out some exposed stones which had been part of the foundation of the Bastille.  The Bastille was originally built in the 1300's as a fort to defend the east wall of Paris.  It was converted to a prison in the 1400's and served as such primarily for those who had angered the King.  It was stormed during the French Revolution on July 14, 1789 (Bastille Day) and demolished.  A good account of the Bastille is rendered in Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities.  When we emerged from the station, the guide pointed out a circle of different stone on the street and sidewalk that marked the spot of the Bastille tower.  A new modern structure housing the Paris Opera sits on most of the Bastille site.

Paris Metro Bastille Station -- note stones that were part of the Bastille foundation

Bastille tower outline in stone on street and sidewalk

We proceeded walking along the streets, with our guide pointing out various spots that were significant in the history of the area and telling us the reasons that this section of Paris was important and how to read some of the historical signs.  For example, most of the buildings were, as in most of older Paris, 4 to 5 stories tall and narrow.  This was because taxes were based on the ground area covered by a building, and not on the total space of the building.  Taxes were also levied on the number of windows, so some buildings had few windows.  This area had grown and developed from the 12th through the 16th centuries.  One of the reasons this area had grown was that King Charles V built a mansion in the area in 1361 and resided there at least part time.  This sparked growth because all of the nobles who needed or wanted  to be near the King also built mansions there.  Thus, this area became the home of Paris' aristocrats.  We walked through the Place de Vosges, which is a residential community built around an open plaza.  It was built in the 1600's and remains an exclusive residential spot today.  It is very well maintained and has some shops and even a school.  The plaza was filled with people who were out enjoying themselves.  We even saw a couple of young guys throwing a baseball to each other.  One of the notable historical residents was Victor Hugo.  His home is now a museum, and I could just see him thinking out and writing Les Miserables here.  Many of these mansions today are museums, libraries, art galleries, and other public facilities. 

Paris Marais scene -- note width and windows of each building

Paris Marias Vosges Place

Paris Marais Vosges Place, Victor Hugo Residence

Paris Marias Fallafel Store

Paris Marais Jewish Bakery

In later centuries, this area became the center for Paris' Jewish community, and is growing as such even today with synagogues and Jewish businesses.  We also saw a middle eastern influence in the abundance of shops selling Fallafel.  On our walk through the area, we were able to see local residents going about their business without the crush of tourists that had plagued us tourists.  We finished our walk at Paris City Hall, an ornate structure originally known as the Hotel de Ville.  It has housed the city government since 1357.  Across the street, in a building with the Hotel de Ville in stone above the door, we found a large department store that was busy with shoppers.  Out in front of the city hall, the plaza was teaming with people.  Many were standing around and some were reclining on air mattresses watching a giant screen displaying the Olympic Games.

Paris City Hall

Paris City Hall Plaza -- Olyimpics on large screen with Notre Dame in background

Paris City Hall Plaza, Olympics Watchers

We had lunch at a small cafe on the plaza with another couple who had been part of our tour.  We then proceeded across part of the Seine to the Ile de Cite, walking by Notre Dame Cathedral again on our way to a nearby church, St. Chapelle.  It was on our list to see because it is noted as being the most beautiful of Paris' churches.  We found the church and a line waiting for admission, which cost 6€.  The church was hardly visible from the street because it is in the courtyard of Paris' Hall of Justice.  The Hall of Justice was once a royal palace and St Chapelle was built in the 1200's to house King Louis IX's collection of religious relics.  From the outside, the church was not as impressive as many others, but once we entered, we found out why it was noted for beauty.  We entered on the ground floor into the chapel.  It was highly decorated with an elaborate altar and some stained glass windows.  The difference from other churches we had seen was that the walls, ceiling, columns, and arches were painted in bright blues and golds with the Fleur de Lis pattern painted all over the gothic ceiling.  It was small (in comparison with the other churches we had seen), but was indeed beautiful.  However, we were asking ourselves where are the noted stained glass windows.

St. Chapelle Chapel

We were directed toward a small spiral (really helical) staircase that wound upward for a long climb.  We emerged from the staircase to see what had precipitated the church's reputation.  This was the main part of the church, and it was spectacular.  The building had been built so as to support the walls and roof without the massive flying buttresses.  This allowed almost the entire wall space to be used for stained glass windows.  The effect was dazzling with all of the colors and patterns.  Each window was different.  We stood around for quite some time just in awe of the artistry before us.  In addition to the windows and painted ceilings, the floors were covered in colored patterned tiles.  We had not seen anything else like this before.  In seeing this, I wondered if St. Chapelle might have been the inspiration for the recent renovations and redecorations of Sacred Heart Cathedral in Tulsa with its use of colors and patterns.

St. Chapelle walls in tile and paint

St. Chapelle stained glass

After these tours, it was time to find our way back to the hotel.  This should have been simple, but a wrong turn took us in a direction away from our "known" metro station.  I turned on the GPS to find out just where we were and with that and a map, we located the station, the correct train, and rode back to Republique Plaza.  We had dinner in a small restaurant, walked around the area just a bit, and retired after a long day.