La Sainte Chappelle

I am currently using this blog as a study break between writing sections of my commentaire composé on a sonnet from the 16th century. So this post is mostly pictures.

Back in January, my friend Frank and I braved the ever-enormous line snaking down the sidewalk in front of the Palais de Justice on Ile de la Cité to go inside La Sainte Chappelle. Mon beau-père recommended the Gothic chapel many times before I left (and in our Skype conversations since then), saying that it had some of the prettiest stained glass windows he had ever seen. Also, Frank had a list of stuff he wanted to do before he left, and I had already bailed on ice skating at Hotel de Ville, since undoubtedly I would have run over a small child or some "racaille" would backflip right into me -- either way, smushed was going to happen --, so we put on our hats and mittens and coats (actually at that point I hadn't taken mine of in exactly 49 days, smelled fabulous) and got in line.

Here is what we saw:
Downstairs was beautiful, but much of the opulent artwork was hidden in shadows. There was some stained glass, but it was hardly something to shout (or Skype) about. I was confused about the rave reviews until we went upstairs. Absolutely stunning.