Paris - A Beautiful Blur - cont'd. For outright beauty, however, the lovely little church of Sainte-Chapelle was a top contender. As the former “warehouse” for such relics as the Crown of Thorns and a sliver of the True Cross, its historical and religious background is legendary. But what truly dazzled us was the aesthetic beauty of the 50-foot-high stained glass windows running down both sides, telling the story of the Bible from Genesis to Revelations (photo). And elegance? Paris has it in spades. We found a great example of it not far from the flat where we’re staying: a beautiful plaza called Place des Vosges (photo). We had heard of it, but stumbled upon it quite by accident. While Michelle stopped in a boulangerie to buy a baguette, I crossed the street to peek into a stone courtyard marked by a sign that read “Hotel de Sully.” It looked interesting, so we continued on in. We entered an old passageway, passed through a beautiful little courtyard, and suddenly came out into the Place des Vosges. The arcade all around the plaza was full of musicians and merchants, and Parisians of all ages relaxed in the park. We intend to go back with a picnic basket and do the same. We’ve seen a lot more, and still have a long list of other sights we want to see, but we already feel like we’ve seen the best of what Paris has to offer. It’s like a smorgasbord where everything is delectable and you can never overeat. (Well, okay, maybe you can get a little full. After all, I’ve got time to write this because we came home exhausted from walking all over the city. But I’m still hungry!) Next: "L'Etat C'est Moi" E-mail comments | Back to Home Page Content, photography & design © 2001 Michael Strickland All photographs digitally watermarked · Unauthorized use prohibited