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Paris
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Saturday morning and gathering for a free walking tour of Paris. This is Place Saint-Michel on the left bank of the Seine. In this area is the University of Paris. Enlarge this photo and see their handy work in the fountain.
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This of course is Notre Dame Cathedral which sits on an island in the Seine, Ile Da La Cite. This island saw the first beginnings of the city of Paris in 250 BC. Construction of Notre Dame began in 1163 and continued for 170 years.
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Enlarge and see the detail
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Great view of the cathedral from a tour boat on the Seine
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Flying buttresses which help support the walls of the church
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In the early 1800's the Cathedral fell out of favor and actually served as a stable for a while. Hard to imagine horses in this location.
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Look how small the priest appears to be. Gives you some idea of how huge this cathedral really is,
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In 1831 Victor Hugo wrote "the Hunchback of Notre Dame" which thrust the church back into the public interest. A series of renovations resulted because of the renewed interest. Thank you Victor Hugo!
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The Rose Wimdow
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Awesome
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The Louvre. See the album showing some of its more outstanding exhibits
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Our walking tour guide pointed out the uniform appearance of the buildings in Paris. This is due to height restrictions imposed when central Paris was rebuilt between 1853 and 1870. Prior to 1853 the city was overcrowded and unhealthy.
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Time for a lamppost along with the Vendome Column. The original column was erected in 1810 with a statue of Napoleon on top. The memorial dedicated to War sat at the head of the Rue de la Paix(peace). It was torn down in 1871 but was re-erected in 1874.
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Department of Justice. Look at that ornate gate
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Closer detail of the gate and building
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Closer detail of the gate and building
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Next to the Dept of Justice is Saints Chapelle. The spire is in the distance. The chapel was built in the 13th century as a private place of worship for the royal family
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Look at these nearly floor to ceiling stained glass windows
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There was extensive restoration in the first decade of this century
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I was really impressed
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Beneath the main worship area
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Just beautiful
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Just around the corner from Ste Chaplle is the Supreme Court building with the New Bridge(Pont Nuef) crossing the Seine. The Pont Nuef completed in 1607 is the oldest bridge still standing. It was named New Bridge to distinguish it from existing bridges
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This is the south part of the Pont Nuef. It crosses the west end of Ile de la Cite so there are two sections to the bridge
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On a landing at the end of Pont Nuef are thousands of locks with inscriptions of undying love. The keys have been thrown in the Seine. Love can never be unlocked, well except for the one guy who put a combination lock on the fence. Playing the field?
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More random pics of the Seine. Taken from Pont d'Arcole looking east at Ile Sainte Louis
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Like most Europeans, Parisians enjoy their city and a riverside green space
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And more
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Ready for a boat trip?
