A Favorite Morning

I'm attempting to stay awake until 10:00 pm, but the jet lag has hit me HARD today.  Whew.   One more blog post before bed...

I love reviewing Paris.

On May 3rd we stopped by Cler Office again to buy a few more stationary goods.   The friendly shopkeeper remembered us, greeting us with a big smile and bonjour.  She threw a gift in my bag - some extra ink cartridges for the pen I had purchased on the first visit, and I asked her if I could take a photo.  She answered, in French, "usually not... but for you... yes."

This is a store I could spend HOURS discovering.

Isn't she adorable?

Next we got onto Bus 69 to head back to the cemetery and then to the Louvre.

I spied a cathedral out the bus window and we jumped off, spur of the moment.  The rain was pouring down as we entered the giant church.  A male voice was chanting as a mass was ending.   It was a magical moment.

The photos of Basilique Sainte Clotilde are here.

This was honestly one of my favorite times.  It was so amazingly huge and ornate, dark, a respite from the rain...and more.  It was ours.  We had discovered it without any input from Rick Steves or any other previous Paris traveler.  And the little park outside - what a treasure.

It was also really refreshing to be nearly alone.  After the hustle and bustle of Sacre Coeur and Notre Dame, this quiet basilica was so reverent and awe inspiring.  The quiet did me good.

Such a lovely way to spend a rainy morning.