Paris is the organ capital of the world, housing 234 instruments, 126 of which are the property of the City of Paris. With nearly 8,000 pipes, the organ of Saint-Eustache is considered one of the most prestigious in France alongside that of Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris.
In the 17th century, a financier, an architect, a gardener and a painter, combined to build one of France’s great estates, Vaux le Vicomte. They united their genius to build a model that inspired the whole of Europe for over a century.
I have been going to Sainte-Chapelle since the early seventies when there were no tourists, no queues, no selfie sticks and no security. Then, it was free. But, it was hard to find. Buried behind the Palais de Justice, it was the hidden gem of Paris. It hadn’t even found its way into the guidebooks.