PARIS- Day 2: Part 1

We were able to take this trip during the week days because the boys were off school last week (All Saint's Recess.)  At their school here, they have a shorter summer break, so they get a few weeks off throughout the year. 

Day 2:  Thursday, November 1st

We started our morning at a cafe near our apartment in the Marais district.  For breakfast, we enjoyed Cafe au lait, juice, croissants, and omelettes.   After breakfast, we headed to Notre Dame.  Paris is a very walkable city.  It can take time, but most of the monuments are along the River Seine. So, you can just follow the river and run into another amazing building.  On our first night, we took the river cruise, and it was a great way to orient ourselves with where we were staying compared to where the monuments were. 

Colin is proud of his new souvenir



My handsome redheads!


 

Haha...rainy and WINDY morning!

 My sweet Aidan and I waiting in line to climb the bell tower at Notre Dame
 

 

 







 

Cool Gargoyles

 

Views from Notre Dame

 

 

Paris

 

 

 

Our Family at Notre Dame

 

 

 

There's the BELL

 

 

Gorgeous Details

 

 

River Seine

 

 

More Gargoyles

 

 

Look at this urban city!

 

 

 

The boys loved climbing the 400 spiral stairs to the top!

 

 

 

Notre Dame Spire

 

 

 

Notre Dame is right near the River Seine 

 

 

 

Flying Buttresses! 

 

 

 

Architects in the Middle Ages built large churches.  Supposedly, they wanted to show how great their faith in God was by building enormous cathedrals.  Notre Dame is approximately 420 feet long, 160 feet wide, and 230 feet tall.  Because of the enormity of the cathedral, the exterior walls needed to be reinforced on the sides with flying buttresses.  Notre Dame took almost 200 years to complete.  It began in 1163 and was completed in 1345.  Could you imagine?! At my old firm, we got tired of a project when it took more than a couple years to complete.  But just look at the amount of detail that went into Notre Dame (each statue, window, gargoyle) and you can see why it took so long.  It is a great example of French Gothic Architecture with the use of gargoyles, flying buttresses, and pointed arches to name a few.  As a side-note, Notre Dame means "Our Lady."

 

 

Notre Dame Facade

 

 

 

 

Rose Window & Gallery of the Kings

 

 

 

All Saint's Day Mass at Notre Dame

 

 

 

The cathedral was a very peaceful setting. 

 

 

Magnificent Vaulted Ceiling

 

 

 

 

Rose Window

 

 

Statues on the facade