Saturday, 16 August 2025

Saturday morning we had a tour of Notre-Dame, which was really a tour that discussed both the cathedral and the city’s history. We had very strict instructions that the guide would leave if we were even a minute late, so we decided to have breakfast close by. (This turned out not to be true, but we had a good time joking about it). 

Photo from just outside my hotel, waiting to meet up with friends

One of the most famous Parisian sights, Notre Dame is a medieval cathedral – a church that serves as the seat of a bishop – built between 1163 and 1345.

The façade of Notre Dame

At the time of its construction, literacy was limited to those with power and wealth, namely clergy and royalty. The scenes depicted on the façade and in some of the stained glass windows were more than just decoration – they illustrated the stories of the Bible to the illiterate commoners.

Photo of the three front entrances Notre Dame

Closer image of the centre door

It has 3 rose windows originating from the time it was built. Other parts, like the spire, were added later.

After the tour, we had to squeeze in a quick lunch at a takeaway place, as we had a reservation for le goûter at the Ritz. Le goûter refers to the tradition of a sweet after school snack that tides kids (and sometimes adults) over in the long stretch between lunch and dinner.

The desserts were delightful, though we had more than we could eat and took the remaining ones up to the room. At the waiter’s recommendation, we had the Jardin Vendôme tea, which we both liked very much and was ‘An elegant blend of green tea with soothing wildflowers and a touch of chamomile’.

After, we wanted to stretch our legs and set off for the original Maille mustard shop, followed by île Saint Louis, which was where I’d stayed on a previous trip and wanted to revisit. I found the cute candy shop with interesting flavours I don’t often see back home – anise, orange blossom, violet.

We also came across a cute lemonade stand, which was a delightful treat on a hot summer day. They made it with soda water, fresh lemon juice, presumably some sugar, and, optionally, a flavoring of choice. I chose orange blossom.

We made our way back to our hotels and rested our weary feet before meeting up again for dinner at LouLou, an Italian restaurant by the Louvre. In the summer, they serve meals outside, looking at the gardens and le Roue de Paris, or “wheel of Paris” (the ferris wheel). You can also see the Eiffel Tower (not pictured below) and, right now, the Olympic cauldron.

Weather permitting, the cauldron rises each evening and is taken back down to the ground in the early hours of the morning.

After dinner, we took a lovely ride on the le Roue de Paris.

View of the Louvre from the ferris wheel:

On this particular evening, the cauldron either wasn’t released at all or was much later than when we were there around eleven PM.

Sunday, 17 August 2025

I finished off my weekend in Paris with a trip to the Musée D’Orsay, which is best known for its collection of impressionist and post-impressionist paintings by the likes of Monet, Manet, Renoir, Degas, Gauguin, and Van Gogh.

As you can see, once you’ve been inside, it’s not surprising to learn that it used to be train station.

These are a few of the artworks that I most liked on this visit.

“Vue de toits (Effet de neige)” by Gustave Caillebotte

“Sous la lampe” by Pierre Bonnard, which translates to ‘Under the Lamp’, which I find charming.

We enjoyed a cup of coffee at a cafe before my friends walked me to the Metro station, and I began my reverse journey home.