La Cathédrale de Notre-Dame de Paris

I was so naive, thinking I’d pop in and light a candle. (Insert howls of laughter!) I was just going by the last time I visited Notre-Dame, which was some years ago. A lot has changed.

Still, it was so lovely to see her with all the barriers and some of the blockades removed from the front.

The tour I took today was wonderful! Our guide was so knowledgeable, and shared all the details of the fire, the reasons it burned so long, and the reason for the possibility of charging a fee from now on to visit the grande dame.

The first fire alarm was ignored. The second fire alarm was taken seriously, but there was traffic. Every delay increased the problems. By the time the firemen were able to get to her, it was evident there were more problems ahead.

The walls and roof were all wood, like 13th Century wood, and the fire was hungry. The lead in the structure melted, and spread the fire wider and faster because of the temperatures reached of this now molten metal.

The firemen couldn’t use modern powerful hoses because they would destroy the structure. They couldn’t fight the fire from above either because of the force/pressure of dumping so much water onto this weakened structure. They could only use low pressure hoses and so they did, for 15 straight hours.

The spire – la flèche – is so valuable. I’m sure you’ve seen the dramatic videos of it crashing through the roof. You can hear the gasps from Parisians watching.

At the top of la flèche is the symbol of France: le coq. There were religious relics inside this rooster, including a relic from Christ’s Crown of Thorns, and relics from Saint Denis and Sainte Genevieve. Somehow, they’ve been saved, protected, and now they’ve added to the cache of meaningful mementos, such as a list of all the names of the thousands of workers and artisans who helped restore her.

The coq is an iconic imagine of France, and you’ll see it all over France – most notably it is depicted on athletic apparel of the French Olympians, for example. And on that note, French Olympic athletes’ medals were melted down to create another bell as a gift to Notre-Dame.

The oldest bell, “Emmanuel” is massive. Other bells (13 total, maybe) were destroyed at various points over the centuries, including having been melted down for ammunition during the Revolution. And on, and on the stories go. There are so many stories to be told over the lady’s 821 year history, and I can’t keep track of the different bells in the stories. It’s hard to believe how much of the original structure still exists! And she was made for and dedicated to Mother MARY, Queen of Heaven.

To think this amazing structure was nearly demolished – so run-down was it, that at one point it was sold at public auction. An eyesore. Unloved and unappreciated. And everyone knows the story that changed all that, literally. Victor Hugo the writer, who loved the old Cathédrale and worried in general about gothic structures such as she falling into disrepair. A mixture of the sublime and grotesque, he wrote Notre-Dame de Paris (Hunchback), and from that point forward, the French have adored and protected her.

You can see the difference in the color of the stones at the top of the structure, where the refurbishment was done.

I’m lost in time now, thinking about all of this. I feel like I was here for some measure of it all, medieval times, and I can’t say why. I’ve felt this way for a long time in my life. My first “feeling” was when I was a child watching the film (not the cartoon), Hunchback of Notre Dame. I literally wept at the story, but I had a deeper feeling I’d been in that place before. I also remember hearing French music as a child, and it being entirely familiar to me, yet it made no sense. I never could shake it, and it was a no-brained when I chose to study French upon entering high school.

Anyway, for the next two weeks – basically my entire stay – the fee to enter Notre Dame will be 20,000 euros. The price will drop afterwards, but I don’t know when it will reach sane pricing. The cost of restoration is astounding, and that is why there are such fees being donated. The guide gave us all the figures that were donated from the United States, and luxury brands such as LMVH, with L’Oreal I believe, being the largest benefactor.

All of the blueprints and documents were destroyed in the fire. There were no duplicates. They had no way to know how to rebuild. Enter: Assassin’s Creed “Unity.” That’s right, Playstation helped the rebuilding of Notre Dame. How? The Cathédrale had been mapped for their game! Seriously. Another fun note, is that there was an aspect of the wooden joint that supports the weighty spire that no one knew how to duplicate. And I mean, they are being EXACTING with this rebuilding, meticulous and devoted to recreating it all by hand 13-this Century style. They didn’t want to invent something NEW. Lucky for France, there was a carpenter from Minnesota who was brought in to help build that particular structure. He hails from Grand Marais, Minnesota (irony!), and because of his expertise in Medieval woodworking skills, he understood the assignment. Nothing was to be done by machine and only tools from the 13 Century were to be used.

They needed some 1,000 Oak trees to replace the roof. The people insisted it be the same as before, so all new concepts and designs were rejected and the found their Oak trees from some 200 forests.

Tomorrow and Sunday, the entire area will be closed off. I feel bad for people who came here for this week because a lot of monuments will be closed. All the bouquinistes are shuttered near the area, and shops will be closed, as well. It’s a sea of gendarmerie and other armed military types.

When I booked this tour, they showed 12/7 and 12/8 as available, but I knew in my heart that was an error. I’m so fortunate to have had the tour today, to feel the energy and excitement in the area – and to see all the media and protective measures being put into place. I hope to hear the bells tomorrow.

I’m sure you can read more about it, and correct anything I’ve gotten mixed up, but that’s the gist of it all. I’m so moved by all the stories, and just seeing her again.