Notre Dame Cathedral

Wed, Sep 2, Paris, France:  After breakfast this morning we took a taxi to where we had to pick up our Paris Pass. This pass allows us access to museums, attractions, subways, buses, and some trains. After picking it up we headed to the subway to try it out. Managed to get back to our hotel pretty easily. We’re going to have to try a transfer soon though to get to most places. Then we walked over to the Cathedral of Notre Dame. What an amazing place when you consider it was started in 1160. How they did this with such primitive tools is incredible. We read a good book on the subject by Ken Follet—“Pillars of The Earth”. A really good read with many interesting characters. After walking all around the Cathedral, we stopped at a little café for some dinner. Walked back to our hotel and headed to the downstairs bar for a glass of wine, but no one there. Asked at the front desk if it was open, and were assured it was. Waited a bit and then gave up and came up to our room. Beautiful day today. Probably somewhere in the mid to upper 70s. So far, so good.

At dinner last night.

The Eiffel Tower is lit up at night.

Need a tripod to get a good picture, but you get the idea.

Notre Dame Cathedral

The craftsmen who did the work inside the cathedral used to leave their "mark".  Here is one.

You can see them on this column.

Very ornate carvings on the entrance.

The builders used these buttresses to take the weight of the ceiling.

We were sitting at a little cafe on the side of the cathedral and wedding pictures were being taken on the side entrance.

Every once in a while you see these soldiers walking around with automatic weapons.  Saw a lot at the Gare du Nord.

Garden and fountain behind the cathedral.

These are the "lovers locks" on the Pont Neuf bridge. They affix their lock to the bridge railing and then throw the key in the Seine.

Here we are on the Pont Neuf bridge.

One of the boats plying the Seine.