"Do not miss the exquisite stained glass windows of Paris' Sainte-Chapelle near sunset," my Womantraveler pal advised, and she was breathtakingly correct. For peaceful, reassuring and exquisite beauty, I would package the day with lunch at Printemps' department store -- under the Art Nouveau stained-glass restaurant dome --
and a late afternoon visit to Sainte-Chapelle. The vitrail (stained glass) of Paris is unrepeatable soothing pleasure.
All this is easier post-summer when tourist traffic has slowed and the lines, such as those at Sainte-Chapelle, much shorter. That, of course, is an issue of convenience, not preference. Whenever you go to Paris, be sure to put these stops on your to-do list. You won't always find them underscored in the usual tourist guides, but you'll see Parisians and French visitors appreciating their perfect beauty.
Printemps' stained glass dome, dominated by floral patterns, was built in 1923. Of all the Paris department stores, I find Printemps the most manageable -- terrific clothing balanced by variety for all pocketbooks and intimate service. Lunch, or simply a coffee after an exhausting shopping cruise, is delightfully spent in the Brasserie Printemps. Later, over on the Ile de la Cite near Notre- Dame, the Gothic Sainte-Chapelle church dates back to the 12th century, an awesome display of stained glass by artisans telling the story of the Passion.
Visitors sit quietly within and look up, their thoughts their own.
