Day 2 was actually a continuation of Day 1 since we both dozed off & on during the trans-Atlantic flight - hardly qualifying as SLEEP. CDG (Charles De Gaulle) airport was so bizarre due to the closing of Terminal 2 and flight cancellations earlier in the week due to heavy snow. The roof was in danger of caving in which is why they closed it down. While anticipating the trip I adopted a Que Sera, Sera attitude, because truly, what can you do about what you cannot control?? The post-Christmas results were thousands of abandoned suitcases stacked by every luggage carousel. We were so grateful to have carry-on bags only. Sadly, too, there was a dog abandoned in a crate barking out of fear, thirst, hunger... it made us feel helpless. Then, to keep everything reasonably "secure" all the exits were chained shut, and due to the holiday, there was no obvious personnel to assist us lonely travelers who actually made it! Again, great karma accompanied our every move! We walked in circles seemingly forever to find our way out of the terminals to a taxi stand. Security & customs were minimal to nonexistent - we could have picked up any one of those stacked suitcases & simply walked out. Too bad for anyone without their belongings!
Paris... quite urban, like any other large city; however, once on Île Saint-Louis... très magnifique! Teeny streets with little shops, hotels & restaurants. Ours, Hôtel de Lutèce, was adorable, a 17th century converted mansion between a small grocery and a chocolate shop. 
I finally saw Notre Dame de Paris (French for Our Lady of Paris), also known as Notre Dame Cathedral. In high school & college, having taken several years of French & attended 2 Catholic schools, I was fascinated with the Cathedral in Paris. In an art class in the 1970s I used watercolor, pen & ink to paint the church from a photo in a book. I had it framed a couple of years ago and, while it hangs in my living room, I never dreamed I would see it in person. This does not explain my obsession, I can only say - some things are beyond explanation... It just is what it is.
So many views of this magnificent structure from the outside, inside and across the Seine, daytime & at night. On this day we were there in time for Christmas vespers. Started in the 1200's, it is hard to comprehend the scope of this still active Catholic church. So elaborate in design and decor... The thing that really got to me was the commercialism, very hard to take. There were vending machines surrounding the open sanctuary for medals and holy cards: choose your saint, insert coins here. Plus a gift shop inside the church with outrageous prices for cheap trinkets, rosaries, magnets, etc. Just could not go there.
We ended our day close to the hotel with a lovely, simple dinner at Le Flore en l'Ile : onion soup, rustic bread, a cheese plate and wine. The chocolate shop next door provided a rich hot chocolate for dessert. We were DONE for this very long day. Our plan for the next day was to tackle the Paris Métro, then Musée du Louvre (the Louvre).
Bon soir!
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