 |
 |
| St Sulpice |
The other church which Da Vinci fans shouldn't miss is the stunning St Sulpice, tucked away in an impressive square on the Left Bank with its front door - believe it not - bang opposite Catherine Deneuve's flat.
Not that thousands of visitors this summer will spend a moment thinking about one of France's top film actresses. In Dan Brown's tale, St Sulpice is a possible hiding place for the much sought keystone, and where a bloody murder takes place.
With notices pinned on the wall saying the church has no real connection with events detailed in a recent novel, St Sulpice staff seem even grumpier about The Da Vinci Code than the Archbishop of Canterbury. But like him, they may be flattened by the sheer volume of gawpers in the coming months.
In any case, Paris offers so much more than links with Da Vinci.
We took one of the popular Bateaux-Mouche pleasure boats which wind their way down the Seine, passing in and out of the two islands. You get an English commentary during these trips, with the various landmarks pointed out as the boat glides past.
lived in this lovely square of just 36 |
The boat gave us excellent views of the Eiffel Tower which can disappoint by day, but sparkles at night.
Some, including myself, find the reddy-brown colours of the structure give the tower a somewhat rusty look in daylight. It is only after dark that the tower comes into its own, the floodlighting transforming it into a shimmering, silver icon.
Our hotel was really handy for a visit to La Defense - a huge Canary Wharf-style office-cum-leisure complex with towering skyscrapers.
La Defense is dominated by the huge Grande Arche de la Defense, which was the brainchild of former French president Francois Mitterrand. We took a lift to the top where you get great views of Paris and can stare straight down towards the Arc de Triomphe.
Another good spot to visit - and somewhat off the normal tourist beaten track - is the Place des Vosges in the east of the city.
Novelist Victor Hugo lived in this lovely square of just 36 houses, nine on each side, in the mid-19th century, and the city of Paris eventually bought his house and turned it into a museum.
Hugo wrote a large part of Les Miserables from this spot - and the location today is reckoned to be one of the most beautiful urban squares in the world.
3 of 4
See Also:
 |
|
 |
 |
| |