This morning was taken up with checking out of our ultra budget shoebox and depositing our bags at Gare de Lyon for the day.
Then to Sainte Chappelle, a small (by French standards) mediaeval chapel on Île de la Cité surrounded by the newer Palais de Justice. Sainte Chappelle is remarkable for its near absence of walls, being nearly all stained glass. It is one of the most impressive interior spaces in the world.
It's worth commenting on the security checks we had to go through to get into Sainte Chappelle and other monuments. Bag checks and X-rays, and metal detectors make for very slow and long queues everywhere. The reasons for these checks is not always apparent and E didn't remember them being there in 2004. We can only guess it is a result of the London bombings.
The amazing interior of Sainte Chappelle.
After Sainte Chappelle we wandered a bit aimlessly and dropped into an old patisserie founded in 1802, Dalloyau, for cakes and macaroons. We enjoyed these in the Jardin du Luxembourg with some of the first sunny weather of our stay in Paris.
A delicious cake...
...and macaroons.
The Jardin du Luxembourg.
After our sugar break we did some fragrance shopping at L'Artisan Parfumeur and could not resist buying some more sweets at La Maison du Chocolat.
That afternoon we visited the Musée D'Orsay, famous for its impressionist paintings. A particular highlight was the collection of Art Nouveau objects.
The Musée D'Orsay.
A fantastic Art Nouveau room in the Musée D'Orsay.
We met up with friends Arwen and Alejandro for a delicious vegetarian dinner at a restaurant in le Marais whose name translates as 'The Supreme Victory of the Heart'. Evan had met Arwen through the Paris Quaker Meeting in 2004.
Arwen, Alejandro and David at The Supreme Victory of the Heart restaurant.
Our new hotel for one night was clean and comfortable.
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