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Published: June 11th 2019
This morning we decided to witness, with our own eyes, the damage suffered by the iconic Notre-Dame Cathedral as a result of the recent fire. We learned of that tragic event just before we began this year's odyssey, while staying with our daughter and son-in-law in Orlando prior to our departure the following day.
Since it was nearing lunchtime, we stopped first at the Café Constant, hoping to find an indoor table open, but instead had to settle for a cramped sidewalk table. This tiny café on rue Saint-Dominique, owned by the celebrated French chef Christian Constant, has become so popular that it's difficult to find seating--no reservations are accepted.
I thought I recognized the young waiter from our last visit two years ago, when he served us and our granddaughter, and confirmed this later with a photo taken at that dinner. He's still as gracious and personable as he was then, and we enjoyed chatting with him during lunch. Dee ordered a crab salad, while I had a bowl of onion soup--a genuine French classic that never gets old.
After lunch we rode a #69 bus (which was standing room only) to the stop near the Pont
Notre-Dame-de-Paris
Rear view, before the fire.
Photo: https://www.sortiraparis.com/arts-culture/exposition/articles/1183-la-cathedrale-notre-dame-de-paris-coeur-historique-de-l-ile-de-la-cited'Arcole, the bridge spanning the Seine that is not far from Notre-Dame. The cathedral's massive twin towers, rising 226 feet high, appeared to be undamaged by the fire. However, when we were able to view the rear of the cathedral (eastern end) from behind the barricades that now ring the area, the extent of the damage became obvious.
While undergoing renovation and restoration, the roof of Notre-Dame caught fire on the evening of April 15, 2019. Burning for around 15 hours, the cathedral sustained serious damage, including the destruction of the 300 ft.-timber spire over the crossing and most of the lead-covered wooden roof above the stone vaulted ceiling. It was quite a sad sight for us to behold, as we've made many visits over the years. Even more disturbing is the likely prospect that we'll never again set foot inside this magnificent cathedral during our lifetimes.
This 12th-century cathedral, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, is considered to be one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture. The use of the rib vault and flying buttress, the enormous and colorful rose windows, as well as its sculptural decoration set it apart from earlier Romanesque-style churches. Other features
The former wooden spire
The spire as it appeared before the 2019 fire.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Flèche_Notre-Dame_de_Paris.jpg that make Notre-Dame stand out include one of the world's largest organs and its immense church bells.
By the time the fire was extinguished, the building's spire and most of its roof had been destroyed, and its upper walls severely damaged; extensive damage to the interior was prevented by its stone vaulted ceiling, which helped contain the burning roof as it collapsed. Many works of art and religious relics were moved to safety early in the emergency, but others suffered some smoke damage and some exterior art was damaged or destroyed.
The cathedral's two pipe organs, and its three 13th-century rose windows, suffered little to no damage. The French president, Emmanuel Macron, has promised that the cathedral will be restored. A fundraising campaign has generated pledges of over €1 billion, but a complete restoration could require twenty years or more.
And now for our scary moment---It was while walking behind Notre-Dame, trying to find an unobstructed spot from which to take some photos, that Dee tripped and fell flat on the pavement. I'll let her words speak for themselves:
"As we approached the back side of Notre-Dame, which had fencing all around it, we started to
Notre-Dame-de-Paris
The fire on April 15, 2019, destroyed the roof and spire but left the structure intact.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Incendie_Notre_Dame_de_Paris.jpg cross the street I have walked upon many times in the past. But this time, my right foot got caught between a metal grate and a piece of loose concrete, and down I went. My foot must have twisted, because it started to hurt, and I felt so embarrassed lying there in the street, face down. But almost immediately, several kindhearted people came to our aid, helping me off the ground, and one woman even offered me some pain pills. Everyone was so nice!
We crossed the street to sit down on a bench in the park behind the cathedral, so I could get myself together. My foot was hurting, but I could walk gingerly on it, so we walked a slow walk over the bridge to the bus stop next to Hotel de Ville. On the way home, several stops before ours, the bus driver told all passengers to get off the bus. It turned out that a street on the bus route had been closed to clean up after an auto accident.
So I hobbled the rest of the way back to the apartment, where we iced my foot, had a couple stiff drinks, and after
Hôtel de Ville
City Hall of Paris a few hours there was a little swelling, but the pain began to subside. By the next morning, the foot felt much better, so we decided not to go to the ER.
I think my pride was hurt more than my foot when I fell. We have walked on cobblestones and climbed stairs from hell during this trip, and I had no problems--but with only 14 days to go, I suffer a tumbleweed. It sucks!"
At this point, we'll have to wait and see how much walking Dee can tolerate in the coming days. The Paris weather forecasts are predicting cool and rainy weather for the next week, so we may find ourselves on a short leash anyway.
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Jeni
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I’m so happy you weren’t badly hurt, sure more embarrassed hurt than anything. 16 days to go, keep yourselves in one piece! I can’t imagine the feeling of seeing the Notre-Dame in person after the fire. I shouldn’t read your blog before dinner, I’m so hungry now and ohhh the macaroons.....