Ta-Da Part Deux: Paris!

Paris was amazing!!!  I loved every bit of it and would love to go back some day.  The trip was a wonderful celebration after my hellish year of battling breast cancer.  I could go on and on about it.  But there is one thing in particular that simply must be part of my blog.

On Thursday of our week in Paris, Rachel and I went to Notre Dame Cathedral.  We walked around a bit and decided it was worth it to wait around for the afternoon tour in English.  We took a break at a little café across the street, had crepes and wrote a few postcards and went back over for the tour. 

Neal, a darling Irish boy, did the tour and it was really quite interesting.  When we were up by the altar, he told us about how mysterious things sometimes happen in Notre Dame.  He told of a non-believer who said he was touched by an angel and at that moment believed and became a notable theologian, of a woman who realized her prayer to be pregnant was answered, and he even said that one day when he was helping to set up the altar, the papers he carried inexplicably burst into flames.  He concluded that you never know when something mysterious will happen there.  The story was still almost hanging in the air as we walked to the next stop. 

Behind the altar there are a couple crypts were bishops are buried.  As we walked around that way, I noticed an interesting looking man with his back toward us – he caught my eye because he was dressed kind of cool with a worn leather jacket and boots with buckles all the way up the back.  He turned around and OH MY GOD – it was JOHNNY DEPP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  (no, I am not kidding).

Two feet from me – THE OBJECT OF MY DESIRE – I couldn’t believe my eyes.  I froze where I stood and let out an embarrassing gasp.  He kind of half smiled and started to saunter away all gorgeous and perfect.  I could barely think.  I grabbed Rachel’s arm and said “Oh my God, Rach – that’s Johnny Depp!”  She looked over and said “Oh it is just someone who looks like…..” and as she said that he turned back toward us and she said “Oh my God, it IS him!”  He half smiled again and sauntered away, and unnoticed by anyone else, slipped through the crowd not to be seen again. 

We were stunned.  I mean really, even though he lives in Paris and has for years, what are the odds that he gets up on the very day that I am in Notre Dame, not even a week after posting that he should jump out of a cake to celebrate my beating cancer, and decides he needs to go walk around Notre Dame.  Seriously, what are the odds???

Rachel said maybe my mom’s spirit whispered in his ear that morning to tell him to go. Frankly, I wouldn’t put it past her!  It is as good of an explanation as any.  Really?  Johnny Depp in Notre Dame.  Johnny Depp two feet from me.

Johnny Depp.  In person.  Holy Crap.

His appearance will remain a mystery of Notre Dame I suppose.  But how do you say “Ta-da!” in French?........