Paris Day Four

We began the day debating whether to go to Chartre or be inside at Notre Dame - a discussion over fresh croissants and expresso! The rain decided for us - Notre Dame it was to be.

Our RER ride included music along with the transportation. Nice for us occasional riders, perhaps not for the regulars.

 Notre Dame is celebrating it's 850th Anniversary and has various structures for the celebration everywhere which impedes the opportunity to capture broader views of the front of the building. But we managed a bit, hiding under the umbrella to keep water off the lens, and snapped away.

The big story is inside, of course. The sheer magnitude is stunning and slows one down immediately - so much to see and so much space to see it in. Diana said the early Christians built their cathedrals as high as they could in order to be closer to Heaven. Well, they did pretty good - I've tried to grasp the size in my photos but it is difficult.
The traditional worship area included the modern white strips of cloth - making for a striking scene. Drama varied depending on the angle that you viewed from - there were no bad angles.

Joan D' Arc

This is under the white linen drapings.

Tapestries are works of art.

A very modern altar  that felt ancient with the materials and figures.

After the tour off to a bit of lunch and a glass of wine at a nearby cafe, then we walked a ways to the Paris Tourist office to pick up our pre-ordered museum passes. The walk took us down by the Seine, seeing the Eiffel Tower shrouded in fog, and then through the Louvre onto Rue de Rivoli - shops, people and lots of activity. We will be back to explore the Louvre and the shops.

Teas 

Dinner at La Rotonde just down the street, recommended by our landlady, and we had a French meal, complete with a young waiter that took great care of us.  A wonderful way to end the day, a short walk back to the apartment and some leisurely reading before bed.