Well, that is enough of standing on the doorstep of Notre Dame… let’s go in and have a look around, shall we… wait… are you staring at my uneven nostrils again? Cheeky monkey!
Now that is an impressive use of overhead space.
The lighting in Notre Dame is an interesting combination of sunlight streaming through stained glass, artificial lighting, and candles. The light mixes with the smoke from the candles and incense and the dust motes and does strange dances.
This is only our second stop on what turned out to be a very busy day, and it was still early morning.
I was still feeling pretty good.
I mean, my feet were a little beat up after all the walking around and on the Eiffel Tower, but so far so good.
Europe had not yet begun to conquer me.
I like that picture because the camera decided to focus on the candles instead of the windows, and I like the way the stained glass makes a blurry backdrop.
It pays to remember, when visiting churches and cathedrals in Europe, that they are still working houses of worship.
While you are wandering around with the hoard of tourists, try not to trample the little old ladies who just came in to say a quick prayer.
That isn’t just a work of art for you to gawk at, it is also someone’s shrine.
And don’t forget to read the plaques… they can help explain the meaning behind some of the more obscure symbolism.
The candles are not there to provide mood lighting.
They are there because someone lit them for… some religious reason… most likely…
I will admit that there are times when the line between the religious symbolism and more earthly works of art are not clear to me, but I do seem to recall that Joan of Arc was considered to be important for a reason that somehow combined religion and the killing of English soldiers, so of course it makes sense to have her in a church… she heard voices… telling her to kill English soldiers…
I wasn’t kidding about the cathedrals being active places of worship. I don’t just mean that the local people come in to pray. I mean that you and a few hundred other tourists might actually be in there when an actual service is going on… which explains the overpowering density of the incense smoke. Try to be respectful.
Okay, that’s about enough… I am starting to choke on the clouds of incense now… I don’t care how cool it makes the light coming through the stained glass look… I need air…
Thank you, Jesus, for letting us into your dad’s house to take pictures.
Let’s go look at the outside… we haven’t seen the back or the sides yet…
Pouring My Art Out 