October 2, 2012; way home from day-trip to Versailles
Dan & Betsy 6 months pregnant
We love lists. Love lists.
Few things are more satisfying than cross things off a to-do list. They’re one of the only ways these two working parents can get anything done. If you want it done, put it on a list. Paper, whiteboard, phone,just write it down somewhere.
Lists are essential for planning a trip, specifically your itinerary. You want to make the best use of your time and money and a little planning goes along way. Our itineraries have evolved into 1 “big” activity per day with a short list of secondary. This allows us to focus on one thing and gives us freedom in filling the rest of our time.
But if you’re not careful you can get too comfortable (i.e., stuck) in a groove.
Sometimes you have to off script, if only a little. It’s like an adventure within an adventure, and it’s almost always worth it.
Live classical music in an 800 year old church
One very modest example of this was the time occurred in 2012 in Paris when Betsy was 6 months pregnant. We spent most of the day at Versailles walking in light rain and were really looking forward to comfort of our flat when we passed Sainte-Chapelle and saw a sign for a classical music concert.
We’d been to Sainte-Chapelle earlier in the week and it was stunning. Stained glass like you’ve never seen it. The sun came through that morning and it was amazing.
We’re pretty good with history. Getting better with art. But still need some serious culture training with music. We chose to believe this would be the perfect antidote to our lack of classical music, and, to our surprise, the concert started in 30 minutes!
Waited in line for 20 minutes, bought fancy 25€ tickets (they started at 10€!) and followed the red carpet to the chapel where musicians were warming up and we took our place in front row of 100 or so folding chairs.
They played Vivaldi, Mozart, and Bach. We only recognized some of the pieces but loved every second of it. That little 60 minute show is still one of our favorite experiences in Paris.
Talk soon,
Dan & Betsy
Learn more:
Watch: Smarthistory provides a helpful overview from an art historical perspective (6 min)
Watch: the master, Rick Steves, shows you around the chapel (2 min)
Read: Sainte-Chapelle ticket and hours info and concert info
See: Christian relics represented throughout the church, such as Christ’s Crown of Thorns below
Family Conversation topic: How is live music a different experience than recorded? Adele, Metallica, Kendrick Lamar, Beethoven, or Bach. How does the physical surroundings (venue, crowd, city) factor into the experience?