This morning we had a reservation to tour Sainte-Chapelle on the Île de la Cité, the island in the Seine where the Notre Dame is located. The Île is technically closed to the public right now in preparation for the Olympic opening ceremony tomorrow, but you can apply for a special access pass in advance (which we did) if you have a reservation within the restricted zone. Our reservation at Sainte-Chapelle qualified us for the pass and since few travelers plan ahead as well as Chuck does, we had the Île almost to ourselves.

Sainte-Chapelle was a great first stop for the day’s sight-seeing. The moment you emerge from the dark winding staircase into the small second story chapel, you’re flooded with light from the stained glass lancet windows that surround the entire chapel. We had paid extra for the audio guide, which is sometimes an iffy investment, but in this case it was worthwhile, as each panel of lancet windows is filled with medallions telling biblical stories that might have been difficult to follow otherwise.

After Sainte-Chapelle, we did the Rick Steves audio walking tour of historic Paris (Île de la Cité and the surrounding area). We weren’t able to get to all the places that were described in the tour, as a lot of areas are still restricted even with our fancy pants VIP access pass. Nevertheless, touring this area that is usually so full of crowds and pick-pockets without any of that hassle was worth missing a few landmarks.

We added an extra couple of stops to the tour as well, ducking into the Archeological Crypt showcasing uncovered historical remnants from ancient Paris, as well as from the later Roman empire. And, of course, lunch.

It was beginning to get quite warm by the time we finished our walking tour and Becky wasn’t feeling very well this morning, so we headed back to the hotel for some rest and rehydration before heading back out in the evening to watch one of the Olympic torch lighting ceremonies.

We weren’t sure what to expect and unfortunately, the ceremony was not particularly close to our hotel. In fact, it was technically not in Paris at all but in neighboring St Denis, which meant that transport there was relatively pricey for public transportation, and even then it was a twenty minute hike at the end into the park where the ceremony would take place. Once we got there and spotted the line to get into the ceremony and what looked like a very dense crowd already inside, Becky had some regrets. But the line moved quickly and once we were inside we realized it wasn’t nearly as crowded as it had looked.

And what a cool experience it was! It was crowded enough that it was a little difficult to see and the emcee spoke only in French (which we still do not speak well), but the energy was again electric and we were able to see glimpses of the torch as it was carried in. It may have been a hassle to get there, but we’re both glad we went.

We’re settled back in at the hotel for the night, doing sink laundry and watching women’s football (soccer) before bed.

Today’s Highlights

• Having an island to ourselves
• Pretty stained glass
• Seeing the almost restored Notre Dame (from outside)
• Memories of a lifetime seeing the Olympic flame carried through the crowd to the cauldron
• Not getting pick-pocketed

Tomorrow’s Proposed Adventures

• Day trip to Giverny to see Claude Monet’s house and garden
• Finding somewhere to watch the opening ceremony
• Hopefully not getting pick-pocketed