Paris - Notre Dame under wraps

While we are staying in the 3rd Arrondisement, it turns out it is not far from the 1st Arrondisement, which contains the beating heart of Paris, the Ile de la Cite, the island in the middle of the Seine that contains Notre Dame. We took the 25 minute walk along Rue du Temple, straight past activities for the Paris Paralympics (which follow the Olympics), and across one of the four bridges that connect the Right Bank to Ile de la Cite. Here we circled Notre Dame, all wrapped up in scaffolding and fenced off from actual entry until December 2024. When the 13th century roof and 19th century spire collapsed in a fire in 2019, French President Macron promised the cathedral would be rebuilt by 2024. After the Olympics, if the Notre Dame reopens as planned in December, it will indeed be a special year for Paris.

The story of its reconstruction is contained in panels wrapped around the exterior of the cathedral. Not only has the structure been reconstructed using materials used in the 13th and 19th centuries (mostly French oak, felled from centuries-old trees and wait, for it, lead!), but everything is getting a good cleaning. See the panels above for just how dramatic it can be to clean centuries of grime off statues and paintings.

Because you can't yet step inside Notre Dame, the city has installed wood bleachers on the plaza to view the front of the cathedral, without scaffolding, so you can gaze at the Virgin Mary and Kings of Judah unimpeded.

Paris - 3rd Arrondisement

We are back in Paris. We last visited the City of Lights together 32 years ago, on our honeymoon. This version of Paris has just concluded the Olympic games. We saw the stadium (wreathed in pink and purple, a bold color choice), as our tax driver navigated one way streets and swore strenously in French. Now we are relaxing in our tiny but chic hotel in the third arrondisement after a culinary feast aboard Air France and a bit of sleep. (Air France doesn't mess around with their cuisine; they provide you with a multi-page menu and biographies of the chef and sommelier, and drape a real linen cloth over your tray. And of course, the wine flows. Bordeaux from Medoc anyone? Best airline food ever.)

Now we are off for unstructured walking near our hotel. (Street view from our hotel room, on the 1st etage - that's 2nd floor for us Americans.)