Paris 2012: Part Four Notre Dame Inside and Out

Welcome to Paris 2012 Part Four the final blog about my day trip to Paris back in April of 2012. I'm not really going to talk a whole lot about the ins and outs of Notre Dame. My experience there was a very solemn, quiet, peaceful, and even spiritual so I'm going to allow you to see what I saw and let you form your own opinion on it. That being said, here are a few links on where and what the cathedral is.

The Cathedral of Notre Dame Official Site

Notre Dame Information from Wikipedia 

The Cathedral as a tourist site 

Great Informational Video 

I'm going to start with pictures from outside and move inside. :) I would suggest listening to this video's audio while looking at these pictures. It's hauntingly enchanting and fits so well into grand cathedrals like this... Victimae Paschali Laudes & Alleluia

Now moving inside...

One of the most beautiful aspects of the Cathedral is the lighting and the use of shadows. The City of Paris set out to "light the cathedral" in 1991 but the project wasn't complete until 2002. The only thing I can say is, it's something you just have to see and experience for yourself. It's captivatingly beautiful.

Go.

One note about the splendor and magnificence of these European Cathedrals is the quote from St. Bernard of Clairvaux, "Oh, vanity of vanities, whose vanity is rivalled only by its insanity! The walls of the church are aglow, but the poor of the Church go hungry. The stones of the church are covered with gold, while its children are left naked. The food of the poor is taken to feed the eyes of the rich, and amusement is provided for the curious, while the needy have not even the necessities of life." Even in the splendor of such a place like this, you have to wonder where the Spirit of Christ was... this questions still exist in the church of America today. Something to think about.

London 2012: St. Pauls, Tower Bridge, and Tower of London

I'd like to start this post by saying if it wasn't for these at every crossing intersection in the UK... I probably would have gotten hit so many times. haha.... Anywho, So I know I said I'd post my Paris pictures next but I had a few more of London that I wanted to post so I'm going to do that and maybe a few more in my next post. Hope you enjoy! :)

The ones here are of St. Paul's Cathedral.

 I love this picture. 

This is the Millennium bridge. Thats the Tate Modern Art Gallery in the back ground. It's such a cool place and area of town. Shakespeare's Globe is just across the bridge on the left. Haha The lady at the bottom of this picture is looking fierce.

 I love this picture too.. 

 

 This is Southwark Cathedral (info)

Such a goof...

London City Hall

 These are from the inside of the towers on the bridge on the way up to the 

sky walk/viewing deck. So cool. :)

 View of London's East End from the Sky Walk.

 View of the West End.

 I love this picture too.

The Monument. 

A memorial to those who died in the Great Fire of London in 1666. (info)

 Lastly the Tower Of London (info)

 Pictures from inside the outer towers around the White Tower.

These are from the Royal Chambers of Henry III and Edward I.

The throne room of Henry III.

 

I'll end here. I have a few more London Pics and then I'll move on to my Paris Day trip. Thanks for stopping by! :)