Paris - Day Three, Part One

Links to all posts in this series:
Paris - Day One
Paris - Day Two
Paris - Day Three, Part One
Paris - Day Three, Part Two
Paris - Day Four
Paris - Day Five, Part One
Paris - Day Five, Part Two

I'm going to split our third day into two parts, since we covered a lot of ground that day. We started by walking from our hotel, located near Palais Royal and the Louvre, to the Île de la Cité, home of the justly famed Notre Dame Cathedral. As you look at the photos, bear in mind that this building will celebrate its 850th birthday next year. It took laborers using what we would regard as primitive tools nearly nearly 200 years to construct this architectural and engineering masterpiece.

Photos don't do justice to this edifice's awe-inspiring presence. The first photo below shows the cathedral as one approaches the front entrance. The tiny people give a sense of the massive scale of this beautiful building.

The photo below shows the cathedral as viewed from across the river near the batobus station.

Below are some detail shots from the front of the cathedral. The beauty and quality of the stonework are stunning.

Now we move indoors. First, some views looking into the main sanctuary.

Both sides of the sanctuary are lined with several smaller chapels. Each of these is decorated uniquely.

Far be it from me to overlook the magnificent stained glass windows.

 Having completed a circuit of the interior, we moved back outside.

No tour of Notre Dame is complete without observing its famous gargoyles.

We exited the cathedral grounds from the garden at the rear of the building. This is a calm space that inspires serenity of heart and mind.

This concludes our tour of Notre Dame. Come back soon to see more of Paris.