Skip to main content

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.









Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Hanging out with the Beefeaters

The Tower of London features a moat, Beefeaters, suits of armour and an impressive collection of jewels. Today we checked virtually all the classic British icons off our list. Castle with moat? Check. Beefeaters? Check, check. Union Jack? Check. Knights of the round table? Check. Crown jewels? check. Double-decker buses? Check. Really old church? Check. Don't Mess with the Guards At the Tower of London, you can't miss the Yeoman Warder guards sporting their fancy coats and period costumes. The Beefeaters got their nickname because they once protected the King and the crown jewels. As a job perk, they ate a generous helping of the King's best beef. While some serve as hilarious tour guides, some simply help the tourists find the many displays and museums on the tower grounds. You also can't miss the motionless guards posted in strategic locations with their tall, fuzzy black hats. Our favorite was a young guard posted just outside the building that houses th...
Post a Comment
Read more

Going the Way of Paul in Ancient Ephesus

The Library of Celsus When Paul, one of the apostles, preached in a giant stadium in front of thousands, he was at the stadium in Ephesus. We stood there. When people selling mini Artemis statues rioted because his Christian teachings were bad for the idol business, Paul was taken to prison. We saw that prison on the hill above Ephesus. In fact, ancient history is so well preserved at Ephesus, it's obvious why tourists worldwide come to see what was once a major city of the Roman Empire.   One of the best-preserved ancient cities in the world We walked down the original wide marble roads in the city’s downtown area and walked into public restrooms outfitted with ancient marble toilet seats and a drainage system for waste. We stood in awe in front of the Library of Celsus where the Ephesians stored 12,000 scrolls, and we sat in seats once reserved for ancient theatre performances. Terrace Houses Ephesus also offers a look inside the luxurious condo-style ter...
Post a Comment
Read more