Today we went to Notre Dame Cathedral. It is amazing. We found a lady with an organization offering a free tour of the cathedral. It was amazing to have a great tour guide to point out and explain some of the more significant areas of the cathedral. The German tour guide even gave Leah her scarf for the tour as Leah was cold. Joel was enamoured with the flag and was the official flag bearer as we walked through the tour. I’m not sure if he learned anything during the forty five minutes besides the flag of the United Kingdom. His Granddad will be very proud.
The workmanship and detail are astounding.
The view from the top of the tower is pretty cool too.
It’s fun exploring with these two.
After the cathedral, we walked over to the Pantheon.
Joel was in the mood for silly pictures after waiting around at the top of the Pantheon for our tour to wrap up.
From the ceiling this pendulum swings and keeps time accurately. I have no clue how it works but it was neat to see.
There is art everywhere you look here. The ability to sculpt something has always amazed me and to see statute after statue with such fine detail and so well crafted is mind blowing. The stained glass windows, massive paintings and general architecture is astounding.
We are amongst lots of people these days as we explore cities and we have had the joy of some conversations. Today while standing in a long line for Notre Dame, we got talking a Dutch mom and daughter. Yesterday we got talking to a family from the UK. It is so interesting to hear about their stories and country and their perceptions of our side of the world.
It feels a little odd that in a small way we represent Canada to the people we meet. Everyone we have talked to so far seems to like the Canadians. I was feeling quite Canadian when I told Morgan I only needed about three words in French – sorry, please and thank you.
It is assumed just by the fact we are Canadians that we are nice, great people. There are a lot of assumptions that go into our perception that are conceived only by knowing our nationality. It feels a little odd and even wrong to be judged by something I have no control over, even if the judgment is a positive one.
As we walk into these massive buildings with amazing art surrounding us in so many forms, I feel small. Yet there is also this cool sense of being with people from many parts of the world all being able to share in the pleasure of experiencing these places of old regardless of language, belief, nationality or age.
I also think of other nationalities that aren’t as represented. There are also developing and developed nations with people who are struggling for daily sustenance, never mind a vacation.
I feel spoiled, like I won the lottery. Why is my family able to experience this when many others can’t? I’m not sure how to reconcile all my feelings right now except to be thankful. No matter where I find myself, thankfulness has not lead me astray. It keeps me grounded and finding joy whether in a fancy church in Paris or washing the dishes in Vancouver.