So Dark the Con of Man

Melissa and I got up a little earlier than Jerry, had breakfast at the hotel, and went off to Church. Originally I figured we would go to Mass at Notre Dame as that is the church in Paris, but then I found out about the Saint Sulpice organ concert. It seems that Saint Sulpice has a very famous organ and a very famous organist, and before, during, and after the 10:30 Mass, he has a little organ concert. With us much as Jerry and I like music, and especially organ music, I thought this would be a good idea. Melissa and I got there a little after 10:15, in time to hear the opening concert. The Mass itself was kinda nuts as they had visting Catholics from some French part of Africa helping to say parts of the service and singing their own songs. Odd and yet cool. The organ during Mass did not disappoint. After Mass, around 11:30, the real fun began, pure organ concert for thiry minutes. Jerry showed up right as the concert started so he timed that well. The music was excellent and it just sounds so right in a church. After the concert, we head to the magic door. After the concert he opens the door to the organ loft and lets people in to see the loft and him play during the next Mass. There are a few people waiting but we make it in OK. It's a small spiral staircase. Up top you have a nice view of the church from above and an up close view of the organ. After about thirty minutes he starts to play. It's five keyboards and footpedals and all these knobs. Nuts. And awesome. I have pictures and Jerry had video.

After a quick lunch in the mallish area below the Louvre, we buy our tickets and head in. It's huge. I mean really huge. I suppose former royal palaces tend to be on the large side. Our plan is to do the Rick Steve's walk through to see the higlights and get out in a reasonable amount of time. We quickly hit a snag. The whole first are of our tour, the Greek area, is under renovation and everything is moved around. We eventually find Venus de Milo. For some reason it was less impressive than I imagined. Not sure why. Very cool, and mobs of people around, but it didn't move me like some other pieces of art that I have seen. After Venus we backtrack to find the remaining Greek items of interest. Roman was next I believe, busts of emporers and what not. Then out of classical times and into medieval meaning 2-D Mary scenes. And then the Grand Gallery. Now that's a room. Crazy long and filled with awe inspirining Italian Renaissance paintings. Da Vinci over here, Raphael over there. We make a turn into a middle room and come upon the hightlight of the tour, the Mona Lisa. I had been prepared to be underinspired. Too small they said. Too dark they said. Bull. She's perfect. I had to fight the crowd a bit to get close but enventually I had a spot in the front to contemplate the painting. That pose. That smile. Very different in person than in a text book.

It's all downhill from here. We take a quick dash through some French paintings, Coronation of Napolean and later Liberty Leading the People. Then its downstairs to end the Rick Steve's tour with Michelangelo statues. Whew. Saw the highlights and didn't die on the trip. Good deal. Of course since we are touring a museum with Jerry we aren't done yet. He likes to go in every room. Now in the Louvre that really isn't possible to do and retain your sanity, but we at least figure we should hit some wings that we haven't gone through. First, Hammurabi's Code, or as Melissa called it, that Hammurabi shit. Then quick walks through a bunch of French statues and rooms of Medieval tapestries. We also walked through a Rembrant room I believe. It all started to blend together, which is how we knew it was time to leave. We left out the main entrace, the giant glass pyramid and walked around the Tuileries Gardens a bit before catching the Metro back to the hotel.

Having been reinvigorated by a break in the hotel, we head back out into the world, this time the plan is to go up the Eiffel Tower. On the Metro ride over, Jerry bumps into a girl he chatted up on the train over from London. Small world. The view of the Eiffel Tower after we get off the Metro is amazing. Right as we start walking toward it, the lights come on, and it starts to twinkle. More amazing. Then we finally reach the base, and see the long line, not so amazing. Forty-five minutes later, we are ascending in the elevator to level two. After another thirty minutes or so, we are ascending in the elevator to level three. Nine hundred feet over Paris and what feels like a tiny piece of steel is a very weird place to be. Nice views at night, Paris is well lit, but it did freak me out a bit to be that high. After what seemed like an eternity of Jerry taking pictures, we went back down to level two. More pictures and sightseeing of Paris at night. Then down to Terra Firma. Walking away from the Tower it really is amazing to see it lit up against the night sky.

We had to hunt for dinner but found a nice place not too far away called the Dome Cafe. I had an omelet I believe, not sure what Melissa had, and Jerry had a crepe, checking off another on his list of Paris cuisine. After catching what was likely the last Metro of the night, we got back to the hotel for a night of much needed rest.