TRAVELMAN PARIS: A Walk in and Around Notre Dame in Paris

Notre Dame was the first tourist spot I recognized upon my arrival to Paris. Shortly after, I spotted the Eiffel Tower in the distance from the river bank.

I put my name down on a sign up sheet at the hostel for a free walking tour on my first morning. I figured it would be an opportunity to get acquainted with the city as well as fellow travelers, and it was free. ...Well, like Meatloaf sings, “Two out of three ain’t bad.”

It wasn’t really free. I thought that the tour was something put together by the hostel. It wasn’t, it was a private tour guide company that had a deal with the hostel. The company employed freelance tour guides that worked for tips. So if you wanted to be a jerk and not tip the guide it was free, but they made it quite clear that they didn’t make money otherwise and to tip what you thought it was worth at the end.

I found this out in front of Notre Dame, the first official stop. The guide then told a long story about the history of Notre Dame. I was a tiny bit miffed that I’d been corralled into the “free” tour. I thought it was going to be a typical hostel organized thing.

I did, however, learn from the guide that the French didn’t care about Notre Dame for a while and planned to tear it down. But Victor Hugo wrote his book to save it and succeeded. Thanks Vic.

By the second stop I decided to split off from the tour. I wasn’t into it and it was still early enough to bail, so I did. I’d already met three people from the hostel, so Iaccomplished that goal, and I learned a little bit. I ended up walking to the Eiffel Tower that day and paying fifteen dollars for a beer at lunch. Fifteen dollars! It was almost as much as my overpriced lunch salad. Whatta ya gonna do?

Enjoy Paris, that’s what!

I learned that a function of the gargoyles on Notre Dame, other than scaring off evil spirits, is a rain gutter. The water shoots out the gargoyle mouths when it rains...

I also learned that a sacred relic, Jesus’s supposed crown of thorns, is kept in the back of Notre Dame.

I ended up not hanging out with the two women and guy I met, schedules didn’t match up. Oh well.

This is a pic I took as I entered. It’s free to walk around the cathedral area but you have to pay to go to the towers. I can’t remember how much, but it was more than I deemed to be worth it...

The line to get in is long, but don’t let that intimidate you, it moves fast. I probably waited twenty minutes...

There was a service in progress while I was there.

I like this pic...

The crown of thorns is in the red velvet box. I guess there’s other crown of thorns as well, so I do t know if they put Jesus through costume changes, or what...

People rubbed the hand on this statue, I suppose for good luck. Looks They they also rubbed the knee, weird...

It was a cool place. I’m glad I went inside.

!steemitworldmap 48.8527 lat 2.3505 long A walk in and around Notre Dame, d3scr