Exterior, Sainte-Chapelle – Paris, France

This photograph hints at our first real tourist destination in Paris, Sainte-Chapelle, a royal chapel in the Gothic style. Located on an island in the middle of the River Seine, called Île de la Cité, it also houses the world-famous Notre Dam cathedral.

We got off the metro near the river and walked across one of the many bridges to the island, affording us scenic views. While truly an island, it doesn’t seem like one since the bridges, walls, and architecture seamlessly blends into the city.

I snapped this photo as we approached the chapel. The Palais de Justice, with its ornate gate, is in the foreground. There are so many historic-looking buildings packed into a small area that it wasn’t always obvious to find our destination. Locating the entrance was another level of mild confusion, though not frustration. All part of the joys of travel to a foreign land.

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