5/20/25: Arrival and Notre Dame

After a long flight--that some of us might have slept on--we finally arrived in Paris (except for Philip). We met Patrick and/or Juliet at Charles De Gaulle airport and made our way to the hotel toting our heavy bags.

After a brief introduction to the extensive and head-scratching Paris Metro system, we eventually found ourselves at the newly refurbished Cathedral de Notre Dame, with the early arrivers having a few minutes beforehand to walk through the Louvre courtyard and Palais Royal.

Notre Dame was simply stunning…and crowded. (Fortunately, we had secured tickets in advance, allowing us to skip the lengthy walk-up line.) In 2019, Notre Dame had what was nearly a catastrophic fire; it appeared for several hours that the 12th century church was going to burn to the ground. Due to the truly historic efforts of the Parisian fire department the cathedral was saved, though the damage was extensive. The French government pledged to rebuild and reopen, a goal it achieved in December 2024.

We were impressed with the massive stained glass windows, giant confessionals, and representations of Catholicism outside of France and Europe. For those who had been there before, the brightness of the stone was striking. Not only did the restoration scrub off the soot from the fire but also the accumulated dirt of several centuries. Many of the church paintings had been completely reconstructed from photos and were bright and vivid. The reconstruction was a great success.

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We understand the intent of the prayer candles, but the recent history of Notre Dame made us nervous!

After a lengthy break at a cafe along the Seine to catch our breath and recharge with some caffeine, we took a brief walk past the Centre Pompidou and Les Halles before hopping back on the Metro for a quick rest before dinner.

One group recovered quickly and ambitiously hiked up to Sacre Coeur. Though the views of Paris were spectacular from the top, it remains hotly debated whether the vista was equal to the effort.

Since it was our first night in Paris, we opted for classic French cuisine--Italian! The dinner was lovely and our group quickly has grown close, even if some of us had to fight off the sleep that the comfortable booths invited. Philip would have loved it!

Some found their way to a post-dinner gelato; others just staggered home and to their beds after a long day, though not before Patrick’s forced lesson on the history of Paris Metro tunnels. We all look forward to a well-earned sleep!




Leo et Patrick