The Gargoyles of Notre Dame

---

I was one of the 13 millions people visiting Notre Dame de Paris in 2007. Needless to say, its majestic Gothic architectures and elaborate sculptures were breathtaking. Its colorful rose windows, filtered with sun light, gave a deep serenity and peace of mind. I sat there quietly for few minutes to take all this in.

What draw the most of my attention were the leering Gargoyles of the cathedral. E and I waited in line for at least an hour before we could climb the steep stairs to the top of the cathedral tower. It was definitely worth the wait and the climb!

There must be thousands of them, the half man, half beast creatures overlooking the City of Paris. We spend significant portion of the time observing the gargoyles, the ones we could see clearly, the ones we could almost touch. "Gargoyles once served the very practical purpose of funneling water from the roof when it rains and directing the resultant jet of water out away from the foundations where the water could cause real damage. " Ah-ha..... they were build as drain pipes as well as serving a decorative purpose. Human, indeed, is a very creative creature. Legend also says that gargoyles can ward off evil spirits.

On the top of Notre Dame de Paris, these gargoyles have been sitting here since 19th century witnessing the growth and expansion of Paris, witnessing the up and down of human hisotry, watching the millions that have came to worship this cathedral. Perhaps, in the darkest night, these gargoyles do come alive fighting evils. (All right, this is my imagination talking)

Enough about gargoyles, E and I could hear the near by restaurant calling our name. It was time for lunch.

---

Recently, I read in The New York time that some of the gargolyes and the cathedral's outer walls are severely damaged due to polluted air. The restoration is undergoing and will take 10 years and millions of dollars to complete. Sigh....the side effect of industrialization.

---

Photos

Over looking the City of Paris
This is my favorite

Different Gargoyles
They all look different!

Gargoyles
They overlook the city of Paris for hundreds of years already

More Gargoyles
Ornaments the cathedral roof

Paris
See the Paris from Gargoyles' view