The photographs shown from the top of the bell tower were shot from the tower on the left, which is the south tower (sort of). You can see the fencing that runs around the top. The south rose window dates from about 1260 AD.
If you look closely you'll notice that one of the statues at the base of the steeple has a little High Anxiety: he (or she?) has turned around and has put a hand to his head to try and regain his balance.
Here you can see the famous flying buttresses. The steeple was added during the Violett-le-Duc restoration.
A nice view of the cathedral from the southeastern end of the island. It was a beautiful day for photographing this magnificent place of worship.
Here you can see the actual gargoyles of Notre Dame, along the north wall. The day we stood in line to climb the tower, these darlings were 'drooling' from the light rain accumulating in the gutters.
A look at the facade as well as the Charlemagne Statue. The pigeons love this guy.
If you are interested in a High Resolution copy of any of these photographs from this series, please let me know. I will make them available as requested. (And at no charge.)
A wonderful tour of Notre Dame. A sort of obsessive madness can overwhelm some visitors to Notre Dame. It grows out of the earth like a force of nature. Thos buttresses fly and fly. The gargoyles are alive. I have never recovered from my contact with that great organic heap of aspiration.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the experience.
Janet
Thank you for sharing, Janet. I'm glad you enjoyed the 'tour'. And it sounds like you could have taken on the job of tour guide quite easily. You're absolutely right about the affect it has on visitors. I kept finding a reason to pass by it. It was hard to move on and look for other sights.
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