Those Gargoyles are Creepy

"This church is just creepy."

That's what Kirk said as we walked up to Notre Dame in Paris. Its imposing stone structure is decorated with scary gargoyles staring down at you from every possible angle. Some are evil-looking dogs and birds. There's even a gragoyle eating what appears to be a lamb. Freaky. I can't imagine how creepy this church would be at night.

You can get a great view of the most photographed gargoyle in Paris if you climb Notre Dame's tower. This gargoyle has his head in his hands as if he's bored from scaring away evil spirits for hundreds of years. The view from the Notre Dame tower is not as expansive as the view from the Eiffel Tower, but I think it's much more beautiful.

Inside the church, it's gothic beautiful. Stained glass and high arches make it huge and impressive. It better be impressive, though. It took two centuries to build.

Just down the street on the island in the middle of the Seine River known as L'île de la Cité, there's another church. The outside doesn't particularly stand out, but the inside is a kaleidoscope of colors. Saint Chapelle's huge stained glass windows line the walls and feature so many mini stories, it'll make your head spin. The colors are amazingly vibrant.

Yes, We saw the Mona Lisa

At the Louvre, there's clearly one star. Signs featuring her face point you to the painting from all over the museum. The Mona Lisa is beautiful, but it is so much smaller than you probably imagined. There are also tons of super-French paintings that make even an American feel patriotic. Our favorite was one featuring Lady Liberty.

What's cool about the Louvre is its sheer size. It's enormous and used to be a royal palace. The opulence is evident in its many rooms with ornate ceilings. Aside from all the amazing art, it's nice just to wander around the Louvre's huge outdoor square at night complete with its glowing pyramids.

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