Cathedrale Notre Dame de Paris

After our tour, we took the Metro back across town to see Notre Dame. There was a mix-up of times so we did not get to do everything we wanted to do here. We saw enough to get a good feel for the place, though.


Notre Dame is not as big as I imagined. That's not to say it's unimpressive. It's definitely eye-catching from across the river and it's visible from St. Michel fountain.


This picture is of the famous gargoyles that guard Notre Dame. I was surprised when I realized I was recognizing smaller details as well as the bigger picture from the Disney movie. The animators did their homework. Many of the details on the outside of the cathedral look exactly like my memory of the animation. I was humming The Hunchback of Notre Dame soundtrack all day after this.


I know this is getting old, but I have to do it. I'm the definition of "tourist." I need to get a picture of myself in front of every famous thing I see, it's just a compulsion. I've lived in Galway for almost two months and I still want to get pictures of myself hugging statues and standing next to signs Vanna White style.


This is an example of something Disney executed perfectly in animation. I looked up at these guys and immediately the lyrics "But you never can run from nor hide what you've done from the eyes...the very eyes of Notre Dame" popped into my head. If I am remembering correctly, there is a fairly creepy sequence of these statues with blank eyes staring out in the beginning of the movie. Looks exactly like that in real life.


We went inside (It was free! The rest of Europe is crying at this loss of entrance-fee-to-famous-monument. Most places even charge for use of complete unfamous restrooms. Reason #25,163 why I'm going to be broke in December: small bladder.) and there were signs all around warning us not to take pictures. People were flashing away anyway and obviously I joined them. I was quite tentative at first, turning off the flash and holding up the camera no more than necessary, lest a Parisian police officer be lurking in the third pew ready to arrest a tourist. The precautions were unnecessary, and soon I was snapping pictures with flash with the rest of them.


The famous Rose stained glass window. It used to let more light in and the cathedral was a lot brighter back in the day. However, the Rose is now victim to a thick layer of grime which the authorities do not remove. If more sunlight was streaming through the windows, the ancient tapestries and works of art in Notre Dame would deteriorate. This is the same rationale I use when I don't wash my windows.


One of the alcoves in the cathedral was a Chapel of St. Joseph! St. Joseph (Fullerton and/or University) in (Institute of) Notre Dame. Pretty much the best place ever.

Notre Dame was something I was not expecting to see in Paris, so it was a pleasant addition to my weekend. The Gothic architecture complete with gargoyles and the dark interior made it the perfect mid-October hotspot. I love connecting things with the time of year or season and Notre Dame was my most perfect match yet!