Saint-Denis

We had a very short and easy trip this weekend but such a FASCINATING one! In a suburb just north of Paris and still reachable through the Metro stands the Saint-Denis Basilica Cathedral. It was originally built on the site of a Gallo-Roman cemetery which held the remains of Saint Denis, first Bishop of Paris, martyred 250 AD. Over the years it became one of the most powerful Benedictine abbeys during the Middle Ages. Sorry if this sounds like a history lesson. Gaulish rulers and French monarchs have used this "necropolis" since the 6th century. It holds the kings, queens, princes and princesses from every dynasty through the revolutions. It even displays the heart of the boy king, Louis XVII, who died in prison. Amazing numbers of recumbent and praying statues showing the styles and glories of each era are unbelievable. Definitely not to be missed when/if you come to Paris!

After visiting the cathedral, we stopped and ate at Anthony's favorite restaurant--Breakfast In America (can anyone say Parisian IHOP?) and browsed through the Red Wheelbarrow (an English language bookstore) and Thanksgiving (a store selling American foodstuffs). Then it was home for a leisurely evening.