Basilique Cathédrale de Saint-Denis and the Poesie Fair

I have a sore throat and Ed a bad cough so we were not excited about touring far today. We ate breakfast and got ready, noted the transit strike is only RER and trams so we walked over to the rue de Bac Metro and it was running. We got on and took line #12 to Gare St. Lazare and changed to #13 out to Basilique St. Denis. You exit into an unattractive shopping area but there were signs to the basilica. It was a short walk and we rounded the corner to see the Basilique Cathédrale de Saint-Denis wrapped in scaffolding. So much for exterior photos . . .

We entered the burial place of French kings and started to explore only to discover you pay to visit the Royal Necropolis. We paid and reentered via a side door and wandered through the lovely gothic cathedral. There are two magnificent rose windows and my photo of the one in the north transcept came out well. Several of my ancestors are buried in St. Denis including Charles Martel (the Hammer) and Pepin the Short. I think Robert Capet is buried there too but we didn’t find him.

Recumbent Effigies in Basilique Cathédrale de Saint-Denis

We visited the crypt and all the displays there including a list engraved in stone of all the kings of France. The oddest thing was the tomb of Saint Denis which was a hole in the ground in which they projected an image of Saint Denis lying there holding his head. The legend is that he was decapitated and picked up his head and walked 6 miles with it while preaching the entire way. It's very dark and the projected image is very dramatic. Web site of Basilique Cathédrale de Saint-Denis

Here is another web site from England that gives information about the current restoration work on the Basilica.
An English-language web site about the Basilica

We left the church and had a coffee and hot chocolate at a café across the street, then walked through the little park before riding a very crowded Metro back home. We left hats and camera at the apartment and walked down to L’Empire for another lunch. My entrecote is probably the least appealing of their menu choices and it was still very good. Came back and napped. We’re both wiped out from these silly colds.

Later we walked across rue Jacob to rue Seine and down to the Buci Market and over to St. Sulpice. The Poesie Fair is in full swing so no fountain photos. It's covered by all the tents. I love the Poesie Fair. Once we were there and a kindly publisher gave me a free book of French poetry. I didn't have such luck this year possibly because it was very busy in the whole area. On the way home we stopped for a kir at the Café St. Germain and made reservations at La Bastide d’Opio for tomorrow after church. Fun!