Friday, April 15, 2011

Gargoyles of Notre-Dame

PARIS...spring break....I can hardly believe we went...the time passed so quickly......   our small group waited in line for a while outside the Notre-Dame bell tower. I did not keep time....but to pass time I walked around the structure and took some photos.



The girls located a crepe shop and we just enjoyed a little down time. Once inside the gift shop, I was shocked the cheapest silver charm was $75....later we discovered inside the main church, a small book stand sold silver charms for $20....not as large but the other one was huge... At the top we had climbed close to 400 steps...my legs felt every one...but  the view......it was so worth it!

Gargoyles: an architectural, a stone medieval work of art, but throughout all ages..... a means of water diversion....
to a church....since most folks were not literate....images were the best way to convey ideas....also they were used as a representation of evil....to scare folks into coming to church...reminding them the last days were near.....

This one is not as scary as others....

I don't even want to ask what this one is eating.....

From this angle....you can see the spire. This 300 foot masterpiece is the product of Eugene Emmanuel viollet-le-Duc the architect in charge of the restoration work done in 1860....very impressive....



It looks like an old gentleman travel looking over the edge on the corner....and the alien with the large tongue hanging out..... in the other corner....what were they thinking?

This gargoyle has a terrific view......

I think the pelican was our favorite.... My daughter took a wider pic with the black roof building and it's clock showing....I'll post later all the collection of pics of clocks in Paris.......

This one brought over some grapes from Italy to eat.....

A friend that visited 5 years ago said there was no fence then.... Is the fence for safety???

To get shots like this you have to place your lens between the wire....
We had a clear blue sky.....


Hope you enjoyed looking at the view from the bell tower of Notre-Dame.....now for a look inside the tower and the bell.....by the way.....it rang when we were taking pictures....so that was an added bonus...



I saw a photo that included this gargoyle...so I took several of this view....If I had used the polarizing lens, the sky would have been bluer....

Above....the apostles look out toward the city....the architect at the top, right ....is pointing to his work of art......
Well, it you ever get to Paris....take time to visit Notre-Dame and the bell tower....I did not see the Hunchback of ND.......
Leave me a comment if you please......



1 comment:

  1. Lucky you, I haven't been, but seems like I just was.

    ReplyDelete

Feel free to comment! I would love to hear your thoughts...