Based on the trivia I've sent to you to date, you might think that we haven't visited any of the great historic or cultural monuments of Paris. Not so. But remember, this is our fourth visit and we are less interested in re-visiting the main tourist attractions and more interested in seeing those things that demonstrate how Paris and France developed, how people lived and worked and what made things happen. However, today we re-visited Notre Dame de Paris -.
Our Lady of Paris.
Disregarding the picture of the old gent in the white robe, this is the main alter of Notre Dame. Taken from the floor level of the transcept, it is looking a bit uphill and is therefore difficult to see all of the alter detail.
The organ at the opposite end to the alter.
The window in the East transept. I really think only professional photos can do justice to the interior of Notre Dame. Light levels are low. Flashes are discouraged. It is glorious but subdued.
This is a sort of private alter for special purposes. You can see how religious I am from my knowledge of all the special terms.
And outside, it is easy to see how bloody big the thing is. It's huge!
If you have read Ken Follet's "Pillars of the Earth" which is about building a cathedral in England in roughly the same period as Notre Dame, you can appreciate how we sat in this huge cathedral today and wondered at the skill and courage of the people who built these huge, difficult and absolutely beautiful structures.
And finally, we intended going to visit the Archeological Crypt of Notre Dame which apparently contains what they found when they went digging under the cathedral some years ago. But it was closed. Because it's Monday. Oh well.
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