Memories of Notre Dame in Paris…

Notre Dame Cathedral is one of France’s most enduring icons: symbolizing Catholicism, Gothic architecture, & centuries of French history.  In many ways, it’s the cultural heart of France.  On a personal note, it’s one of my own most enduring travel memories: it was the first moment of sheer awe I ever felt abroad.  It was late at night, & my friend & I had just eaten in the Latin Quarter.  This was 20 years ago…so we had no maps, no phones.  We turned a corner, & B-A-M!!  There was Notre Dame, lit spectacularly & soaring so high, with architecture like we’d never seen.  It was a spectacular moment.  To pay homage to this landmark, this is a collection of photographic memories of Notre Dame, as captured by fellow travelers from around the world.

Notre Dame Cathedral burning on April 15th, 2019. Photo by ag_photographe

Memories of Notre Dame in Paris…

Because I visited Notre Dame so many years ago, I have no surviving photos from that trip (or if I do, they’re buried somewhere in a storage unit).  On my last international trip, this past fall, Notre Dame was ironically the last thing I saw before hopping on a plane back to America.  It was a cloudy, December day, & I took maybe two photos of it, because I simply wanted to enjoy the moment instead of trying to get the “perfect” photo. 

Since news of the fire broke on Monday, I’ve scoured Instagram to find some of the best photos of Notre Dame from photographers & travelers around the world.  My personal favorite is @georgesarmando ~ his photography of Paris is incredible.  All respective photographers (if known) are credited in the images below.

Notre Dame was built in 1163. Many historic events have occurred there, such as the coronation of Napoleon in 1804. Photo: Unknown.

I find the work of @georgesarmando CAPTIVATING ~ his shots of Paris are stunning.

Paris (& Notre Dame) in springtime…Photo by @miajeana