Paris - Ste. Chapelle, Musee D'Orsay

With only a full day in Paris before Normandy, we packed it all in: Sainte-Chapelle, Musee D'orsay and the Louvre, with a breather in the Tuileres, where Steven appeared to doze off. First up was Sainte-Chapelle, a chapel built in an astonishing four years from 1242 to 1248, to house Jesus' crown of thorns that King Louis IX had just purchased for the equivalent of $500 million today. (The cathedral cost the equivalent of $150 million in contrast). The relic did not make an appearance when we visited. It had been at the Notre Dame until the fire of 2019, and I understand now it is safely displayed at the Louvre. But for me, the real show is the jaw dropping stained glass. Imagine 6,500 square feet of stained glass rising 139 feet in the air containing over 1,100 biblical stories from Genesis to the Apocolypse, with one panel reserved for the story of how King Louis IX (now Saint Louis) obtained the crown of thorns. Astonishly, 70% of the glass is original to the 13th century.

You need a drone or a tall ladder to really appreciate the 1,100+ biblical stories, but I was able to make out some of Genesis and capture it on the zoom setting of my iPhone just for you. Looks like Adam and Eve are eating the fruit from the forbidden tree, are consequently banished from the garden of Eden, and then have to live through one son killing another son. Then it was on to the more modern Musee D'Orsay.

After a sweaty walk along the Left Bank of the Seine, where we were passed by hardy joggers and a scattering of booksellers, we arrived at Musee D'Orsay. The museum is housed in the former Gare d'Orsay (train station) and worth the admission just to see the architecture. Above you can see Steven on a catwalk, audio programming at the ready. Musee D'Orsay starts where the Louvre leaves off, chronologically speaking, displaying art from 1848 to 1914. Today it was jam packed because the first Sunday of the month is free. And the most packed section was the Impressionists, all the way on the 5th etage (6th floor). It was so crowded it was hard to appreciate Van Gogh, Monet, Manet, Renoir, and the like.

We had better luck with the sculpture exhibits in the atrium. We were delighted to discover this polar bear by the sculptor Francois Pom Pom. Pom Pom's polar bear is a favorite, with its own books and replicas that can be purchased right next to the audio guide tour station!