No Hunchbacks in Sight
Wednesday morning began with a continental breakfast at the hotel. It was the first time I ever had a continental breakfast on the Continent. Each day it consisted of cheese, croissants, yogurt, cereal, and fruit. For American kids used to eggs, pancakes, and Fruit Loops, it was another new experience, especially since the French don't believe in having anything too cold -- drinks, food, or air conditioning.
After breakfast we made our way in small groups to Notre Dame, that beautiful, magnificent church that is as representative of Paris as the Eiffel Tower, and even more so because it represents the Catholic heart of this country called the "first daughter of the Church." We were ushered into the cathedral and pointed to the apse behind the main altar. As Mass with Cardinal Law began, I knelt next to the tomb of an archbishop of Paris from centuries ago. As I prayed and worshipped the Lord, I was struck with an immediate sense of the long, long history of our faith and with gratitude for my forefathers who dedicated their lives to ensuring that the faith was passed on to each generation.
Our music was led by Joe Ford, as it often was during the trip, whether it was singing hymns at daily Mass or Beatles tunes on the Metro. His sharing of that gift ensured that our pilgrimage was always filled with music at every turn. Now, as the songs filled the vaults of Notre Dame, I was awestruck how even amateurs like us could sound so good in a place like this.
After Mass, John and I decided to head over to the Saint Augustin parish for the English-language catechetical session being led by Cardinal Law. Thousands of pilgrims from the US, Great Britain, Ireland, Australia, Canada, the Philippines, and other countries crowded in until the latecomers (including us Bostonians) had to crouch in the aisles. Here I heard His Eminence preach with a fierce conviction and surety about abortion, life, the priesthood, chastity, and the tru spiritual life. Here in this typical parish church of Paris -- older than the United States itself -- we were enlivened and inspired. How can we not be inspired as we sit in the church where St. Charles Foucault experienced his conversion after receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation?
The beautiful gardens behind Notre Dame highlighted
with a statue of Our Lady.
Mass with Cardinal Law in the apse of Notre Dame
The high altar of Notre Dame depicting Our Lady holding
the body of Christ after it was removed from the cross.
Paris by Foot -- a journey of a thousand steps
St. Augustin parish: site of the first catechetical session
These Boston pilgrims are all smiles as they tour Paris.
Front and back of ticket to travel to top of Eiffel Tower
As we walked through Paris, I enjoyed the feeling of being in a completely foreign city. It was my first trip overseas and I really got into the experience of seeing the city and its people. After we walked more than five miles by my reckoning, we realized we had walked right past the Eiffel Tower and backtracked across the Champs-de-mars to thefamous landmark. There were two lines to go up into the tower, one for the elevator and one for the staircase to the second level. Deciding to attack the experience with gusto, we stood in line for the staircase. As we waited in line we were repeatedly solicited by gypsy beggars. While my sense of charity nudged me to give them something, I recalled the warning that these gypsies are not as poor as they seem and in fact make quite a bit of money at their chosen profession. I studiously ignored them and so they ignored me.
The walk up to the main level of the tower was not as hard as I thought it would be, and I was glad for the view as well as the breeze. Stopping for our midday repast of "jambon et fromage," we enjoyed a favored pasttime of people-watching seeing representatives of almost every possible culture pass by. After a suitable time of rest, we gathered ourselves up for the final assault on the summit -- more than twice as high as we had climbed already. Of course the stairs are not available from here, we had to take an elevator -- thank God.
Once at the top I had a new experience: vertigo. I love to fly and to be in high places, but I got a bad feeling right away because of something I saw. A tourist was standing at the railing and trying to get his video camera through the safety fence for a look straight down. When the strap around his neck impeded his shot, he slipped it off and stuck the camera out through the fence. I suddenly had an image of the camera slipping from his fingers and falling 1700 feet to the ground and killing someone. I couldn't watch and turned away. John was greatly amused by my predicament. I'm just sorry I couldn't stay up there and really appreciate the view.
We eventually returned to our hotel to decide our plans for the evening. I eventually decided to go out on the town with three young adult ladies -- Krissy, Sue, and Sarah. We dined at a cafe in Place St. Michel near Notre Dame on the edge of the Quartier Latin, and then walked along the Seine as night fell. We ended the evening behind the cathedral on the Pont St. Louis bridge watching a couple of street performers doing the tango. Ah, the legendary romantic evenings in Paris!
Day Four