A snowy day in Paris

We decided to try again for Venice tomorrow (Monday), giving us another day to explore Paris. It was snowing pretty steadily when we woke up and continued snowing until about midday. Here are some photos from the morning:

A view from last night's hotel window

On our way back to Sacre Coeur

We listened to the mass for a little while, and then walked on to the Metro to visit another of Paris's cathedrals, Notre Dame. I was particularly excited about visiting Notre Dame. The last time I was in Paris was 1997, and Jacques Cousteau had just died. The cathedral was closed to prepare for his funeral. So not only did I miss seeing the inside of the beautiful building, I had to deal with the news that one of my childhood idols had just left the world. Bummer. This time, the visit was much lighter.

At a market on the way

We made it TO Notre Dame quite easily. Getting back FROM Notre Dame proved a little more challenging. All the trains were jammed so full we couldn't squeeze on! So we walked a while until we got to another Metro station where we could catch a different train (but still end up in the same place). We were cold and wet by the time we got back to the hotel, but it's warm and dry in here, and we are well fed, so no complaints. Well, I mean, I complained about not being able to squeeze onto any trains... but other than THAT, we enjoyed ourselves.

Paris in the snow is really magical. I found myself wanting to buy fresh flowers and baguettes, and dance around in the streets...

It's a good thing we brought our winter boots. The weather in Venice the next week looks pretty grim with a couple of days of mild sunshine. We're hoping for the best and preparing to tromp around in the wet and cold anyhow!