It’s a wrap

And not a moment too soon. The heat is rising and we are out of clothes!

Today we have reservations at Sainte Chapelle at 1 pm (just as the heat is really starting to ramp)…

We saw Sainte Chapelle in 2002 and I thought it was something we just stepped into and it took your breath away. Well now there are metal detectors and armed guards (although I think we figured out this had more to do with the justice department right next door). We wind our way through and enter downstairs where there is a gift shop! In the cathedral! And itis nothing like I remember.

But then there are narrow steps winding upstairs - and it is exactly as I remember. No pictures can do this justice.

The specific reason we added Paris to our itinerary is to see Notre Dame and the restoration.

There is no fee to get into Notre Dame

But reservations are encouraged. Reservations are also impossible to get. There is the option of just standing in line to get in, but we (me) would never have survived standing in the long line in the heat, so we pay the extra money for a 2 hour tour. We meet our guide and listen to an overview of the sculpting on the outside, and then he lets us tour the inside on our own.

It really is remarkable how clean and vibrant inside is.

notice how clean the columns are - then notice all the people.

Look at the colors uncovered in the restoration.

Remember the spire burned in the fire and fell into the cathedral? Even though the cathedral opened, there is still much work in progress - including the spire.

There is no access (like before) to the upper floors. But it is still a site to be seen.

We are supposed to meet our guide outside for the last hour of our tour to learn more about the area, the fire and the actual reconstruction- but it is just too hot to even think about continuing. We abandon the tour and head back to the hotel. Even though we Uber/Bolt back to the hotel - traffic is horrific and there is no air conditioning in the car - the only benefit is that we are sitting down.

We grab a bite to eat at the hotel and share our bottle of champagne. Our glasses had real gold flakes in the bottom - so ours looked different from Jordan’s. They look like mimosas!

And that’s it! Thanks for joining us on a real trip of a lifetime - so wonderful to be together as a family.