Notre Dame de Paris (after April 15, 2019)

I was traveling in southern France when I heard of the fire at Notre Dame Cathedral from my cousin in the U.S. I turned on the television to verify the news as I didn't believe her. And the news wasn't good. Notre Dame was burning and I saw how the spire toppled, weakened by the fire that rose up into the sky. It was heartbreaking to watch. Thousands of people were singing and praying in the streets of Paris as the fire continued to raze Notre Dame into the night.

A special mass and prayer service was held at the Notre Dame in Nice the following day as it was in many churches across France. It was a prayer of faith and hope for the restoration of one of the most loved churches in the world.

When I returned to Paris after a couple weeks of exploration, I went to the Cathedral and was relieved to see that the twin towers were unscathed as was the rose window. This view of a spireless Notre Dame is from the Left Bank.

Behind the rose window, a hint of the extensive damage to the roof of the Cathedral can be detected.

People left bouquets of flowers in the square in front of Notre Dame which is now closed to the public. The rain and wind on the day of my visit had blown away many of the floral offerings.

Notre Dame de Paris will rise again and live on as it has in the last 800 years.

*****

Images by TravelswithCharie

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