I had so much energy and excitement within me that I didn’t get to sleep until late. Amanda said the same, but fell asleep before me obviously. So, we slept in because we needed the rest. We’ve been moving.
We went for brunch around noontime. Right next door to Cafe du Nord. It turned out to be fantastic! We ordered coffee and bone marrow to start. When I go on vacation, I’m also on vacation from my diet. We also ordered omelettes. The coffee was so strong. I only drank half. The bone marrow on toast with a pinch of sea salt was divine. Just too good. French omelettes are different. I almost never get them at home. Mostly because they always disappoint me. This omelette I had today was the best I’ve ever had. Amanda agreed all around.
Every time I see a Parisian carrying or ordering a baguette, it makes me tingle. Biting off a chunk while walking down the street is the ultimate. I am complete.
The forecast was conspiring against us, so we had to start with an indoor activity. We took the Metro to Napoleon’s Tomb. I am glad we did. Before going to see the tomb, we checked out St. Louis’s Chapel, and I lit a candle for the fallen French soldiers. Imagine what it would have been like to fight for Napoleon. I can’t.
We entered the golden domed building that was now home to the Emperor. I’ve never seen anything like it. Why emperor? Why wasn’t it king Napoleon? Simple. He wasn’t royal. Napoleon was from barely noble family in Corsica. To say he was Italian wouldn’t be correct either. Italy was not established as a country when Napoleon was alive, but this isn’t an Italian history lesson. This is about Napoleon and why he was important, and why did the French create such a grand burial ground for him.
Napoleon rose from humble to modest beginnings to lead the most powerful empire in Europe and was arguably the greatest general in history. Napoleon kinda laid low during the French Revolution, requesting extended leaves of absence from the French army, and biding his time in Corsica. This was smart because they were beheading people left and right during the Reign of Terror. Even the king and Marie Antoinette fell victim to the guillotine. So, from my calculations, he was chilling out in Corsica, plotting his return, and avoiding being in Paris because as a military leader and minor noble he could have heard “off with his head” at any time.
The French Revolution and Reign of Terror created a vacuum of power and Napoleon stepped in. You don’t ask for power. You take it. During his reign, Napoleon pretty much modernized Europe. The feudal system was ending and he spread laws and education through Europe because he had conquered most of it. He would spend most of his reign battling the powers of Europe in the, wait for it, Napoleonic Wars.
Napoleon was a dangerous idea because he gave people hope that they could overthrow monarchy. The Napoleonic Wars were basically royal families of Europe clinging to power and declaring war on Napoleon’s France. He overturned the established order and threatened the monopoly of royal power. Monarchs wouldn’t tolerate regular people thinking that they could have that much power.
Napoleon represented the idea of the French Revolution that people had a right to be legally equal citizens and not a kingdom of subjects. We take these ideas for granted today, but in Napoleon’s time people didn’t even know that germs caused disease and the invention of the light bulb wouldn’t happen for almost another 100 years! So these were revolutionary ideas at the time.
We departed Napoleon’s place and walked towards the Eiffel Tower only to be caught in the rain. We were stuck under an awning and not sure what to do. Felt like Napoleon at Waterloo. I called an Uber to rescue us. Took us to a cafe near Place de la Concorde.
We sat and had a glass of champagne and split a crepe. We had to get dinner, get macarons, see the Eiffel Tower lit up, hopefully, and take the Metro home. We had a dinner reservation at the Eiffel Tower for Wednesday, but they canceled it because of worker strikes. Super disappointing, but there was nothing we could do.
After the cafe, we walked to Place de la Concorde. There isn’t anything specific to see here per se, but this is where the guillotine was set up during the French Revolution, and we had to go there. It’s also a pretty good spot to see the Eiffel Tower too. There were basketball courts set up there and it looked like more work was being done in the plaza. We saw a sign that said all of this was for the Olympics. Pretty cool! The 2024 Summer Games are in Paris.
The French Revolution is the mother of all revolutions. It more or less ended the feudal system in Europe. It spread anti-aristocracy spirit and shattered the class system. It went all the way to the top. King Louis XVI and his wife, Marie Antoinette, lost their heads to the national razor during the Reign of Terror when the blade of justice hovered over France like a shadow.
The American Revolution could have been great, but failing to abolish slavery and the treatment of Native Americans betrayed the ideals and fundamental principles of the whole revolution. The aid the French offered to the Americans, because they hated the British, did play a significant role in bankrupting France and bringing about the French Revolution. And, while we’re talking about this little ménage a trois, let’s not forget that Napoleon sold the Louisiana Territory to Thomas Jefferson in 1803 when he was at war with the British, and it was the greatest real estate deal in history, which doubled the size of the young United States!
Amanda knew the macaron place, so we went there next. We got a box of 8 and we were probably going to sit in bed and eat them.
Next was dinner and there was only one place in the area that we could go. Imperial. Obviously, for the emperor. The place was outstanding. We just ordered entrees. Amanda ordered the roasted cod and I had the filet of sea bass. Nobody is going to believe me, but I’ll say it anyway, this was the best sea bass I’ve ever had!
We took the Metro home and ate our macarons in bed in our underwear. We started with the Marie Antoinette macaron, which reminded me that it took three people to operate the guillotine. One to manage the blade, one to collect the blood, and one to hold the head. Sometimes to be really cruel, they would make the victim go face up so they could see the blade coming.
Goodnight!
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