Notre Dame Interior

I wanted to make a quick post regarding Notre Dame Cathedral.  When visiting Europe it is very easy to experience cathedral burnout.  I experienced this both times while visiting Spain...you get to the point where 'you've seen one, you've seen them all' - and, yes, they all might be spectacular but you get tired of one cathedral after another.

We visited Sacre Coeur (Sacred Heart) cathedral last Sunday here in Montmartre and it was imposing and beautiful.  We don't have photos to share at this time because that was the day Cari was in charge of photo-taking and had a memory disk issue.  We attended the 11:00 Mass with the full nun choir and it was the most genuine, beautiful, moving experience I have ever had at Mass (and I have been to Mass in Spain) - and it was entirely in French and I could barely understand a word of it.  All I can say is that I practically cried through the entire Mass - the music of the nuns, the heartfelt, expressive, impassioned readings by the laypeople and the sincere tenor of the priest were absolutely overwhelming; I can't even express how it all made me feel.  I had a translation of what they were saying (in general) but it was more than the words, it was the way they expressed themselves with such emotion and sincerity that made it so beautiful.

So, after that incredibly moving experience at Sacre Coeur we took a chance yesterday afternoon (yes, after Giverny) and swung by Notre Dame to take a peek inside.

 I had a Harry Potter book series moment when I thought, "This has got to be overrated, I am totally NOT going to like this mediocrity," and then was delightfully proven wrong.  As genius as Harry Potter is, the Notre Dame cathedral is delicate yet awe-inspiring, impressive and stunningly beautiful.  It contains the perfect design elements for a cathedral devoted to the Virgin Mary (Notre Dame = Our Lady).  (Note:  Cari is horrified that I am making a comparison between Harry Potter and Notre Dame Cathedral, but - if you know me - it works!)

 The cathedral is narrow down the center aisle which makes the ceiling arches appear even higher, and there is an open upper gallery on both sides of the church which adds to the fragile, multi-layered, delicate feel of the structure.  You can see the open upper gallery in the photo above:  the arched openings that glow with round stained glass windows leading to the outside.

A 'Pieta' at the main altar...