Posted on Oct 9, 2009

Notre-Dame

… and yet almost just another picture post!

IMGP0840This summer I had the opportunity to wander around in Paris with German friends again -  which is always a good reason to “do” the tourist-stuff once more and show the city I almost grew up in. We had not planned to visit the cathedral “Notre-Dame” but when we walked by and noticed that there was no queue at all in front of the church (I think we luckily showed up right at the end of a service, when the doors just reopened), that was too great an opportunity so we stepped in.

Last time I went inside the cathedral was maybe 15 years ago for a Religious Scouting Ceremony after some kind of Parisian Scouts meeting. The memory I have of it are really confused… and mostly unpleasant. I remember sitting on hard cold stone for hours in a cathedral packed up with kids, most of which wished they were somewhere else. I remember nothing at all of the service…  which let me think it was no special at all. Anyway, the memory of it must have deeply shocked me since  I never wanted to go back in after that… but as I said, the opportunity was to great  so for my guest’s sake, step in we did!

The church not as full of people (obviously) but still loud as it can be. I had forgotten how impressive the architecture is, the light games, the arches… the cathedral is indeed beautiful. I tried to take a few pictures, but with the low light, without a tripod and with people constantly walking around me… I did not expect much results.

That proved itself about right, most of the pictures are blurry and have a lot of chromatic aberrations due to the strong outside light.  This picture is not an exception, the quality of it is far from good… but I love the atmosphere, the global look of it, the warmth yet coldness of it… the kind of feelings I personally get in churches nowadays actually.

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