(Drone Photo of Notre Dame today)The spire is gone, along with the roof. Is the Rose Window still there? Fortunately, much of the church under the vaults remains intact and the front facade remains. You don't have to be Catholic or Christian to feel the loss. Notre Dame has religious, cultural, and historical status. I will not see it fully restored.
My first visit was in 1977. In 1978 when I had time to wander the city on my own I would often stop and sit inside the cathedral for a few quieter, and cooler, moments. Sometimes I observed mass being held for a few parishioners. At that time there were times of the day when relatively few tourists were inside or queued outside. As we returned over the years the plaza in front of the facade became more crowded and the lines to get inside longer. Our last visit we just walked around the outside.
The other big change in recent years was the visible military presence on the plaza and patrolling the nearby streets.
Some photos from our most recent visit in 2018:
From 2015
No comments:
Post a Comment