In May 2014 I went to Paris for the first time. It was an amazing trip. I finally got to meet a Camino friend I'd met online after we both walked our first Camino in 2010 (a week apart), in person! We were both excited to spot a few yellow arrows in the city, but it was even more exciting to make our way to Rue Saint Jacques and find the Camino church. We'd been told this was where Camino pilgrims traditionally came to begin their pilgrimage to Santiago in Spain. It was a thrill to see it, and its big red doors, even though it had just closed for the day about 20 minutes before we arrived.
We went back the next day and it was open. The church was gorgeous, especially with the sunlight filtering through the windows. One stone sculpture there is labeled "Saint Jacques en pélerin" (Saint James, pilgrim) and is from the 14th century. I also noticed while in the church that a woodcut pilgrim was carrying the traditional water gourd (I've seen them on the Camino in Spain, though these days they're more for decoration), but it wasn't until I zoomed in on the photo of him after my trip that I realised his cloak is covered in pilgrim scallop shells!
My friend's husband who is French was with us, and he helped us to talk with the man working at the church and ask if it would be possible to get an official Camino stamp. Mine is in my Camino guide book. But he had an even greater surprise for us, totally unexpected. The original door that pilgrims walked through at the start of their Camino still exists, and he took us to it. Not only that, he unlocked it and let us walk through. I wondered how many other pilgrims had crossed this threshold before me, in ages past. It was quite moving to be there and be gifted with that opportunity.
After the Camino church we went looking for the Tour-Saint-Jacques, or Saint Jacques Tower, which has already been mentioned.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint-Jacques_Tower
It was beautiful too, but my friend and I agreed that the church was the highlight of our mini Paris Camino.
Bon Chemin!
Rachel