Notre Dame Cathedral

Notre Dame de Paris. Our lady of Paris. A gothic, Catholic cathedral located near the banks of the River Seine in Paris. The groundbreaking on the cathedral was in 1163 and was finally completed in 1345. I visited it in 2011.

Notre Dame was a nice attraction because it was free. Free to go inside the church but it did cost to go up in the towers. But going inside was just enough. I love the smell of a church and this one smelled the same as any other I had been in. Visitors are able to walk around the outside perimeter of the first floor admiring the woodwork, stained glass, and statues of saints. It had been a while since I had touched my Catholic roots but I wanted to do something special in Notre Dame. I lit a candle for my grandma Sarah among a candelabra  of many other burning flames.

 

The cathedral still holds mass several times daily and Sundays. The public is welcomed to join and can come in free of charge without reservation.

Nearby Notre Dame Cynthia and I had our first real food in Paris. There are places nearby to get sandwiches pretty cheap at five euro a pop. I know a sandwich isn't too much to get excited about but when coming from Morocco and a nice basic sandwich is something that we don't get it surely is a pleasure. The bread was soft yet crispy, the veggies were fresh, and the turkey was a nice treat. With food in Paris it didn't take much to please us.

Please check out Notre Dame's official website for more information.