Wake up early and beat the crowds to bask in the magnificence of Saint Chapelle. The stained glass panels there are in my opinion even nicer than the panels just down the road at the Notre Dame. If you have been on the site long enough, you will see a photo of the inside of the Notre Dame rotate through on the background – I will let you make up your mind which is nicer!
A single shot of Saint Chapelle just wouldn’t do it justice so here is another, which includes the famous rose window.
For brunch / lunch, don’t waste your appetite on McDonalds. Instead buy some of the best macarons in Paris at the tiny little patisserie by Pierre Herme located at 72 rue Bonaparte. This is consistently rated as one of the top patisseries in Paris, and should be on any macaron lover’s hit list. There are several stores scattered throughout Paris but I like this one because it is a stone’s throw from the Luxembourg Gardens.
The macarons were 12 for 20 euro when I went there, not unreasonable when compared to Australian prices. As for the macarons themselves, WOW. Eggshell thin crusts with melt in your mouth pastry and natural tasting flavours. Definitely worth the hype. Enjoy your macarons in the beautiful Luxembourg Gardens whilst watching the world go by. Incidentally, my favourite was the rose flavoured (pink) macaron followed by the chocolate and passionfruit (yellow and brown speckled) macaron.
After lunch, brave the crowds at the Notre Dame for a spectacular view over the rooftops of Paris. The Eiffel Tower can be seen in the background. The dome just to the left of the Eiffel Tower is Les Invalides, where Napoleon is buried.