Notre Dame - Paris Day 1

After the catacombs, we bought crepes from a street vendor, then walked to another Metro station. What with all the train/metro travel and the catacombs, it didn't feel like we had spent a lot of time aboveground. The crepes were a necessity - to fuel both body and spirit. And I can think of few things more charming and Parisian than having a piping hot crepe made by a charming, flirtatious French man, shilling his wares with charm and friendliness.

The last time I was there, 15 years ago, Notre Dame was covered in scaffolding. Not so this time. In fact, 2013 marks the 850th anniversary of the building (I don't think that includes completion) of Notre Dame.

We did due diligence taking photos outside.

And then headed inside to the battle the crowds. Every few minutes a voice would come over the loud speakers, "Shhhhhhhhhhhhh," which would quiet the crowd for a few minutes.

It's hard to fathom the enormity of this gorgeous building when placed in the context of it being 850 years old. How did those people DO that? How did they achieve such wondrous vaulted, gothic ceilings put in place without benefit of cranes or other modern technology? Did they even have such a thing as slide rules? It boggles the mind. Without amazing architects, mathematicians and other intellectuals, the way could not have been paved for the technological gadgetry of today.