Bon Voyage!

Sunday morning dawned all too soon.  With it came grateful goodbyes, as the Shores headed to Zurich for flights to London and home.  Jordan and I, on the other hand, caught a later speed train to Paris for a very full afternoon of sightseeing.

First we made our way to the Cluny Museum, which features all things related to the Middle Ages.  The last time I was there much of the museum was closed for renovations, and I was thrilled to be able to explore more of their collections.

The museum contains old furniture, reliquary boxes (like the one carved of ivory above), and coats of armor, among many other treasures.  

But the museum is best known for its collection of tapestries, many of which are quite well known.

From there we walked several blocks to check on the progress of the restoration of Notre Dame.  The work that has already been done is quite impressive, and we look forward to going back one day to see it completed.

Paris is a busy, noisy place - and it can be overwhelming at times.  For this, and many other reasons, I most often choose to walk along the Seine when I am there.  On street level, the sidewalks flanking the river are mobbed.  But on the river level where the ancient cobblestone path is wide, there is room to breathe and escape the chaos above.  We even saw some swans gliding across the smooth water as the Seine reflected the night sky. 

All too soon, we had to head back to our hotel to get ready for our morning flight back to the States  and reality.  We were so grateful for an incredible trip, even if it wasn't what we had planned.