I first toured the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris in 1980. 
Having been raised in a Catholic household, I was anxious to see this famous sight and as you will see in this excerpt from my memoir, French Illusions: From Tours to Paris, my tour of the structure on a rainy spring day, didn’t disappoint.
““I can’t wait to see Notre-Dame,” I said taking a bite of my brioche. “Too bad it’s raining. I’ve been looking forward to this for days.”
Michel smiled. “Je t’en prie. The weather is supposed to improve. I just hope there’s not a long line.”
The downpour subsided, but a drizzle remained as we descended the stairs into the Bastille station. Five minutes later, we arrived at the west façade of the cathedral and slipped into the end of the short queue.
“Wow!” My voice filled with wonder as my eyes followed the massive, grandiose structure heavenward, pausing to admire the vertical and horizontal lines and the huge, round rose carved in the center of the church. “How old is the cathedral?”
“Twelfth century, I believe.”
“Vraiment? I think the Cathédrale Saint-Gatien in Tours was built around that same timeframe.”
“Yeah, I think you’re right.” Michel pointed up. “See those statues perched on the ledges?”
“Uh-huh.”
“They’re called gargouilles and they aren’t just ornamental. They actually help drain water off of the roof.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Really? How clever.”
The line moved quickly and, moments later, we entered the building through a wooden door, nestled inside one of the three large, heavily decorated portals. It took a few seconds for my eyes to adjust to the dim lighting and, when I saw the holy water stoup near the door, I immersed my fingers and made the sign of the cross. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Michel grimace.
“You take your religion seriously, don’t you?” He whispered over my shoulder.
I felt a surge of adrenaline. “Yes, I do.” What a strange question. He already knows that. I’d really like to hear his view on religion someday, but not while we’re inside the cathedral.
We moved forward, past the pews, and my mouth went dry as I took in the nave’s towering heights filled with graceful carved arches. A massive altar, embellished with a flamboyant organ that looked like a wall of pipes, and intricate, rainbow-colored stained glass windows, filled the apse.
“It’s beyond beautiful,” I finally said, unable to find the right words for something so incredible and spiritual.”
If you would like to learn more about my experiences in France, you can purchase a copy of my book at Amazon.com. For a nominal fee, you can add audible narration with Whispersync. The audiobook is also available at Audible.com.
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