Maybe he couldn’t find the bathroom. Public restrooms are very hard to find in Paris. Maybe the sidewalk cafe was too expensive. Maybe someone picked his pocket. These are all things that made me feel crazy at ND. Very soft target if you’re willing to wait in line for an hour.
I visited Notre Dame in October of '89. No lines, and no wait to get in. I didn't plan to go in the off season, but it worked out pretty well.