Steps today: 20 714. My goal is at least 25K per day, but I was on the train for over 2 hours so taking that into consideration, I am happy.
Today, I went to Amiens with the principle goal to visit the Cathedral – the largest one in France.
Here’s my walking map of my time in Amiens:
It was marvellous, well worth the detour! The cathedral is incredible.
It’s impossible to convey in pictures the feeling you get when gawking up at the incredibly high ceiling. The Gothic arches are soaring!
I also lit a candle for my father on what would have been his 74th birthday.
I spent about hour at the Cathedral, and then set off to explore the River Walk in the medieval St-Leu Quarter and the St Pierre Parc. I tried using the backlight corrector function on the camera, but that just made the pictures fuzzy in my opinion. Better to keep it on landscape and adjust the colours later if they are too dark.
There were lots of riverside restaurants which made finding a place for lunch a no-brainer.
I ordered frog’s legs for the first time – I’ve always been curious – and they were delicious! Little tiny bites of white meat, not chewy or gummy or gamey at all. I’d have them again but in a different sauce; they were served in garlic butter which was yummy, but it lingered all afternoon.
After lunch, I wandered the town a bit to see the Belfry
the millennium clock
and the Jules Verne monument before heading back to Paris.
I got back to Paris at 3:30, here is my walking map of the afternoon:
Fun fact, this building at 145 Rue Lafayette is hollow. It’s a vent for the metro.
I was particularly impressed by the Basilica of Notre-Dame des Victoires. I didn’t tour much of it because there was no one there taking pictures and everyone looked deep in prayer; I felt like I was disturbing them. In addition, there was a nun near the entrance who I think was controlling who came in. I snapped a few pictures in a corner while she was talking to someone else – the entire building interior is covered with these plaques; very interesting!
I read that there was supposed to be a hidden staircase in the Medici Column here … but this was a little more hidden than I anticipated!
The heat was getting to me by then, so I stopped in at the Sarah Bernhardt cafe for some shade and a drink but it was a bad idea. I was so dehydrated that it just gave me a headache. I drank an entire bottle of water after this and starting feeling better soon after – I have to remember that for the next few days. I did bring short pants, but it’s so cold in the mornings! This morning I could see my breath, I would get pneumonia in capris… but I do wish I had them in the afternoon. Ah well, we’ll see what I do tomorrow.
What do to for supper? I had a note to check out some restaurants in a certain area of the Marais that I remembered from a previous trip, but the area wasn’t cozy enough so I skipped it. My headache was not gone yet, so I thought I’d take the metro back across town to get closer to my hotel, but changed my mind at the last moment and took a bus to Montpanasse thinking I’d see if I felt better enough to walk home from there – I did, thanks to the power nap I had on the bus!
I settled on a nice place about block away from the hotel and ordered SALAD! I am so proud of myself because I normally don’t even LOOK at vegetables on vacation, but all that garlic butter from lunch was still lingering and I could not stomach the idea of a rich meal… but I did have some cheese…
Here are some more random shots of my day:
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