Jeffrey Hellmers Travels: France


	On Wednesday, 6 April, we left Chicago (O’Hare Airport) in the late afternoon on Air France, arriving in Paris (de Gaulle Airport) at about 9 am on Thursday, 7 April. We took the RER train, line B to the heart of the historic city, where we went first to our hotel. After checking in, we immediately set out on a walking tour of the sites along the River Seine. Here are Norm and Pat with the Seine in the background.

	The view from our hotel.

	Notre Dame Cathedral

	Our walking tour included the Musée d'Orsay (French impressionists), Les Invalides (burial place of Napoleon), Musée Rodin (home of "The Thinker"), and the Musée Louvre (Louvre Museum). Our swift walk through the Louvre included seeing the Mona Lisa, the Winged Victory of Samothrace, and the Venus de Milo, here being admired by Norm. The Paris Museum Pass let us visit many museums for one fare.

	Île de la Cité

	On Friday, 8 April, we took the RER line B4 to Orly airport where we rented a car for a two-day trip through the French countryside. Our first stop was the Deutscher Soldatenfriedhof Cimetiere Militaire Allemand, Champigny - St. André. Here we stopped to pay our respects at the grave of Werner Neumann, father of Norm's brother-in-law Wolfgang Neumann. Werner, a soldier in the German Army, was killed in action at Rouen in August 1944.

	Our drive through the Normandy countryside found us going through one charming town after another. At this one (we can't remember the name) a country market was in progress. We bought pastries at a local pâtisserie (confectionery) for our lunch.

	At Rouen, we walked about the old city and saw the great Gothic cathedral, the spot on which Jeanne d'Arc (Joan of Arc) was burned at the stake in 1431, and the Gros Horloge (left), the great 16th-century astronomical clock that passes over Gros Horloge street.

	Rouen

	From Rouen, we drove to the Normandy coast and Omaha Beach, the best-known of the D-Day (6 June 1944) landing points. It was a chilly and windy day, adding drama to this scene of one of the pivotal events of the 20th century.

	The American cemetery at Omaha Beach holds the graves of 9,387 U. S. service men and women, 307 of whom are unknown. This cross says: HERE RESTS IN HONORED GLORY A COMRADE IN ARMS KNOWN BUT TO GOD. The cemetery lies on the bluff just above the beach. We also saw the ruins of the German defenses at Pointe du Hoc.

	Our drive took us further west to the Brittany coast, where we stayed overnight at the Hotel Port-Jacquet in the small resort town of St. Cast le Guildo. We had a great seafood dinner at our hotel.

	The next morning (Saturday, 9 April), we drove to the historic, city of Saint-Malo, where we had an excellent French petit-déjeuner (breakfast) and toured the ramparts of the fortified old city.

	By mid-morning we could see Mont-St.-Michel, which dominates the countryside. This incredible place was a highlight of our visit to France.

	As did centuries of pilgrims, we made our way through the crowded La Grande Rue to the Benedictine Abbey and church at the top of the mount. The narrow street is lined with a myriad of shops and restaurants.

	Mont-St.-Michel

	We headed back to Paris, and on the way stopped to see the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres (Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres), considered to be one of the greatest of all French Gothic cathedrals.



	Sunday, 10 April was another day to tour Paris. Just as we reached the Seine, the leaders of the Paris Marathon came by. Our morning was spent on the Île de la Cité, an island in the River Seine with many features. Our first stop was the lovely Sainte-Chapelle, consecrated in 1248 and known for its delicate stained-glass windows. The chapel is surrounded by the Palais de Justice.

	The major site on the Île de la Cité is Notre Dame. The Gothic cathedral is one of the most recognizable Parisian landmarks, along with the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe.

	Artists, vendors, and street musicians cluster around the major sites, including Notre Dame.

	The ice cream (gelato) in Paris was some of the best we've ever had. It was Amorino Gelato Italiano.

	La Tour Eiffel (the Eiffel Tower) is the symbol of Paris. We took the elevator to the second level. When we visited in 2005, Paris was vying for the 2012 Olympic Games, hence the "PARIS 2012" in colorful letters. Paris lost; the 2012 games will be in London.

	From the Eiffel Tower, looking northwest across the Seine, we could see the Jardins du Trocadéro and the Palais de Chaillot, and in the distance, modern Paris.

	Looking north, the Arc de Triomphe stands above the surrounding buildings. We had climbed it earlier in the day.

	On the morning of 11 April, we took the subway to Montmartre to visit Sacré-Cœur. The basilica is on the highest point in Paris, and can be seen from miles around. The sparkling Romano-Byzantine influenced church, made of travertine stone, was completed in 1914. We also took a walking tour of the Montmartre area, known for its arts scene.

	Our afternoon included a walking tour of the Marais district. Lunch was at an open-air cafe facing the Place des Vosges, one of the oldest public squares in Paris, now a gathering place for students.

	Guidebooks and maps were essential for our walking tours.

	After all the walking, we joined the regulars taking a break on the steps of the Opéra Garnier. Can you find Norm and Pat?

	Our last night in Paris gave us some beautiful views of the River Seine. The bridge is Le Pont St. Michel.

	Our last morning's walking (Tuesday, 12 April) was in the St.-Germain-des-Prés area. We saw the Pantheon, St.-Sulpice, and the oldest church in Paris, the 11th-century Église-St. Germain-des-Prés. Left, the Jardin du Luxembourg (the Luxembourg Garden) surrounds the Palais du Luxembourg, now used by the French Senate.

	The last thing we did before leaving was to climb the towers of Notre Dame. We then checked out of our hotel, the Hôtel Moderne Saint Germain at 33, Rue des Écoles on the Left Bank in the Latin Quarter. We took the RER line B3 to de Gaulle Airport and flew back to Chicago via Air France. We were home in Valparaiso by late afternoon. Au revoir, Paris!