The Paris Effect
  • Welcome
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Press

Joy to the World for 800 Years

12/18/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
 There is nothing quite as sweet as the sound of a church bell ringing. 
The moment you hear that undeniable cadence, you can't help but stand a
  little taller, your spirit immediately boosted as you drink in the harmonious toll.

Is there any place in the world where the peal of a bell means so much?
  I speak, of course, of the bells of Notre Dame de Paris,
ten trumpets that enlighten us 365 days a year with
the promise of Joy to the World.
  A pulsating hum, a reverberating hymn that cannot be missed.
Heavy Metal never sounded so good.

For over 800 years, Our Lady of Paris has stood,
mother ship to believers the world over. 
But Notre Dame Cathedral is not just for the devout.
  Often a first stop for many of the 70,000,000 people who visit Paris each
year, it's the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow for those who have long
 dreamed of hearing her bells, lighting a candle, or grooving with the gargoyles.

You've seen this Gothic masterpiece all your life -- on calendars, postcards
and on the pages of history -- and you'll know you've really arrived in the
 City of Light the moment you thrill to the enchanting refrain that rings pure Paris.

Picture
Picture
Every time I visit Notre Dame, I see something new. 
The world's most imminent cathedral has so many features,
it's impossible to take them all in during one, three, or thirty visits.
  Your field of vision gets muddled by one masterwork after another -- statues,
murals, pillars, windows, doors... certainly too much to absorb in just a few visits. 
  The darling of countless photographs, sketches and paintings over the centuries,
it's possible that when you finally get your first look,
you might get an initial feeling of "been there, done that".

But if you take your time and really study this divine work of art -- one treasure
at a time -- you'll soon see that Notre Dame de Paris is worthy of its acclaim.

Picture
Picture
Picture
My personal favorite N-D experience was on a warm
summer day in the middle of the heavy tourist season. 
The cathedral was packed with families, children buzzing in their naturally rambunctious state -- when suddenly, a voice sounding how we think
God should sound -- you know, sort of like The Wizard of Oz -- made an
announcement that thundered theatrically throughout the acoustically perfect nave.
  I don't recall His exact words but I'm pretty sure it was an elegant way to say
"shut up" or perhaps, "wait until your Father comes home".....
  The Voice had an immediate and chilling effect.
  Aretha Franklin couldn't have conjured up more R-E-S-P-E-C-T even on her best day.
But then that's Notre Dame Cathedral -- a place so unworldly,
all fall to their knees in awe and wonderment.

Imagine medieval stone cutters -- likely seven or eight generations of families
toiling over the 200 years it took to build -- grinding away, their brave
efforts just a minuscule part of the big picture.
  Did they take it as their responsibility toward their Creator?
  Did they know that in 2015 alone,
over 20,000,000 visitors would see their work?

Artisans who carved Bible stories above the immense doors -- or those who
carved the Kings of Judah -- their heads mistakenly lopped off during the
French Revolution (impassioned masses mistook them for french kings) --
 Did they realize the world would come to their door 800 years later?

  Consider all the baloney and foolishness posted on the internet
these days -- shameless selfies, hateful rants, political blather, etc.
  We're told it lasts for all eternity -- but just how long is that and does it matter?
Eternity on the worldwide web seems small somehow,
stacked up next to Notre Dame's 800 year history, a rock solid miracle.
Our Lady of Paris is The Real Deal, standing the test of time -- both
rewarding and humbling --  and ably demonstrating what really matters.

Picture
Picture
I very much doubt if any other building so associated with
the history of Paris out-delivers Notre Dame. 
Think of the famous people who have passed through its great doors.
  From popes to heads of state to movie stars, everyone wants to
feast their eyes on this glorious piece of Paris. 

- It was here that Napoleon crowned himself Emperor in 1804.

 - Joan of Arc was beatified (and later canonized) within these great walls.

-The French Revolution renamed the great cathedral The Cult of Reason,
stealing nine of the ten original great bells and melting them down for cannon.

- At one point, N-D became so obscure, it was reduced
to little more than a storage shed for food and wine.

 - Daredevil Philippe Petit walked the wire between its two towers.

 - Author Victor Hugo, inspired to write his best-selling 1831 novel
"The Hunchback of Notre-Dame", inspired the people of Paris to save it from ruin.

The list of great moments is endless -- undoubtedly with many more to come.

 My vote for wish-I-was-there-moment:
Notre Dame held a special mass to celebrate the liberation of Paris in WWII.
Accounts of sniper fire and stray bullets allegedly marred several windows
and yet, can you imagine the thrill of hearing Emmanuel* toll on August 24, 1944?

LIBERATION!

*All 10 bells have their own names.

Picture
Picture
Picture
If you have fearless thighs and buns of steel (like me), go ahead
and climb the 387 steps to the best view in Paris.
  But if you have a touch of claustrophobia (like me) and detest
narrow, winding steps with sweaty people in front of and behind
you (like me), then forget about it. 
You'll avoid the long lines and have more time to poke around the interior.

The crowds can be intimidating but if you visit in the early evening (around 6pm), they'll quickly dissipate just in time for 6:15 mass.
  Even if you're not Catholic, it's lovely to sit and absorb heaven's light
in the world's most well-known cathedral. 
Put away your camera, gut your "to do" list.
  Quietly reflect and give thanks for the privilege of sitting among the angels.
Just think, you're a stone's throw away from the Crown of Thorns
and remnants of the Crucifix (inside the treasury).

  Then consider this.
Building began in the 10th century.
The magnificent minds and talent who conjured up this immortal work
built a body that measures twenty stories high with seating for 9,000 congregants. 
Imagine that!
Contemplate the inventiveness, the odyssey of  designing and installing
flying buttresses that hold up the heavy walls and impossibly high ceiling.
Appreciate the light reflecting in the church's gorgeous stained glass windows.

  Built on the site of a Roman temple,
you can also tour the archaeological crypt below.
  It harks back to the time when Paris was still called Lutèce.
The center of the world. 
Well, almost -- at the very least, it's the center of Paris.
  Officially, this is Point Zero, where all distances to and from Paris are measured. Look outside for the medallion that marks the exact spot.

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Birth, death, war, peace.
  Being a grownup.
There's never enough time to get everything "done".
  When life sometimes feels like it's flashing by too quickly,
maybe the universe is telling you to slow down.
  Reflect, let the clock stop.
  This is a good place to do that. 
Eight hundred years of human activity puts it all into perspective.

Notre Dame Cathedral
Hear the bells ring and cherish the moment.
It's not just "for whom the bell tolls" but the who, what, when, where and why. 
Listen and feel your spirit re-discover the joy.

Picture
0 Comments
    Picture

    AUTHOR
    MICHELLE MOGGIO

    Thanks for visiting  my blog!

    I've been experiencing the joys of Paris since the ripe old age of eleven.
    As a big fan of duck fat, raw oysters and bad French movies, my long career in advertising helped pave the way for drinking at lunch. When not living la vie en rose, my husband Gary and I live in Brentwood, TN, where we stay busy planning our next travel adventure and offering unsolicited advice to our daughter.

    Archives

    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014


    RSS Feed

    Click below to buy
    The Paris Effect 
    book today
    Enter your email address to receive blog updates -
    Subscribe Now
    Buy Now

    Categories

    All
    100th Blog
    20th Arrondissement
    Abbaye De Fontfroide
    Absinthe
    Academie De La Grande Chaumière
    Adrian Leeds
    Aix-en-Provence
    Albi
    Aligot
    Alsace
    Ambassade D'Auvergne
    Amboise
    American History
    American Revolution
    Amphitheatre
    Antibes
    Apartments
    Aperitif
    April In Paris
    Arc De Triomphe Du Carrousel
    Architecture
    Arena De Nimes
    Ariége
    Armenian Cathedral Of Paris
    Art
    Art Deco
    Artistic Paris
    Artlover
    Art Museum
    Art Nouveau
    Atonement Chapel
    Auray
    Avenue Foch
    Avenue Frochot
    Avignon
    Baccarat
    Baden-Baden
    Baguette
    Basque
    Bayeux Tapestry
    B&B
    Benjamin Franklin
    Bénodet
    Bercy Village
    Biarritz
    Biot
    Biot France
    Bistros
    Bonbons
    Books Set In France
    Boulangerie
    Brassaï
    Brittany
    Brittany American Cemetery
    Burgundy
    Cagnes-sur-Mer
    Cakes
    Canal Du Midi
    Candy
    Cap D'Antibes
    Caracalla Spa
    Caramels
    Catalan France
    Cathars
    Cathedral
    Cathedrale St-Just
    Cemetière De Passy
    Cemetière Saint-Vincent
    Chantilly
    Chapelle Expiatoire
    Chapelle Saint Vincent De Paul
    #Chapel Of Hospice Saint-Jean
    Charles Aznavour
    Charles Trenet
    Chartreuse Du Val-de-Benediction
    Chateau
    Chateau De Clisson
    Chateau De Foix
    Chateau De Fougeres
    Chateau De Malmaison
    Chateau Grimaldi
    Cheese
    Chinon
    Chocolate
    Choice Vs. Chance
    Christian Constant
    #Church Of Saint-Volusien
    Cimiez
    Cité Des Fleurs
    Cité De Trevise
    Claude Monet
    Clisson
    Cocktail
    Coco Chanel
    Cognac
    Cointreau
    Cole Porter
    Comedie-Francaise
    Cote D'Azur
    Coulon
    Cours Mirabeau
    Cours Saleya
    Coussin De Lyon
    Crêpes
    Dessert
    Dijon
    Dreams
    Duck-confit
    Eating In France
    Ecole Des Beaux-Arts
    Ed Clark
    Edith-piaf
    Eglise Notre Dame De Clisson
    Eglise Sainte-Trinité
    Eglise Saint-Germain-des-Prés
    Elsa Maxwell
    Entrevaux
    Environmental Challenges
    Eric Kayser
    Eugene Delacroix
    Fabergé Museum
    Falling For Paris
    Famous-faces
    Fashion History
    Fauchon
    Fernand Léger
    Fete De La Transhumance
    Fête De Vendanges
    Fish Specialties
    Foix
    Folies Bergère
    Fontainebleau
    Fontaine Du Palmier
    Food Markets
    Fougeres
    Fragrance
    France
    Francois-premier
    Free Museums
    French Atlantic Coast
    French Bread
    French Cuisine
    French Food
    French-food
    French History
    French-islands
    French Musee D'Art Moderne De La Ville De Paris
    French Music
    French Resistence
    French Revolution
    #FrenchRiviera
    French Riviera
    French Slave Trade
    Friedrichsbad Spa
    Fun Fair Museum
    Genevieve De Gaulle-Anthonioz
    Genièvre
    George Sand
    Germaine Tillion
    Germany
    Gertrude Stein
    Gordes
    Grand Mosque Of Paris
    Grand Palais
    Grasse
    Guerlain
    Gustave Moreau
    Harvest Festival
    Haut-de-Cagnes
    Healthy Travel
    Hediard
    Henri Le Roux
    Henri Matisse
    Holocaust
    Hometown Memories
    Hotel Belles Rives
    Hôtel De Soubise
    Hotel Dieu
    Hotels
    Ile De Bréhat
    Ile De Ré
    Isadora Duncan
    Jacques Genin
    Janet Flanner
    Jardin Samuel-de-Champlain
    Jay Z
    Jazz A Juan
    Jean Seberg
    Jewelry
    Josephine Baker
    Josephine Bonaparte
    Juan-les-Pins
    Keith Haring
    La Campagne A Paris
    La Couveroitade
    Lafayette
    La Jourrnée San Voiture
    Lalique
    Language Skills
    Languedoc
    La Rochelle
    La Verrerie De Biot
    Lavinia Wine Store
    Le Bonbon Au Palais
    Le Bon Georges
    Le Capitole
    Le Carrousel Des Mondes Marins
    Le Clos Lucé
    Le Cochon à L'Oreille
    Le Coq Rico
    Legendary Lovers
    Le Grand Véfour
    Le Musée Montmartre
    Leonardo Da Vinci
    Le Rostand
    Les Cocottes
    Les Fauves
    Les Invalides
    Les Machines De L'Ile
    Les Sept Iles
    Lichtentaler Allee
    Lille
    Little Gourmand
    Loire Atlantique
    Luberon
    Luxembourg Gardens
    Maison Carrée
    Malmaison
    Man Ray
    Marais Poitevin
    Marc Chagall
    Marché Beauvau
    Marché D'Aligre
    Marché President Wilson
    Marché Victor Hugo
    Marie Curie
    Market Street
    Marquis De Lafayette
    Matisse
    Maurice Utrillo
    Medieval Festival
    Medieval France
    Memorial De L'Abolition De L'Esclavage
    Memorial De La Shoah
    MFK Fisher
    Minervois Wine
    #ModernArt
    Monolithic Church
    Montmartre
    Montmartre Museum
    Montparnasse
    Montparnasse Cemetery
    Montpellier
    Movies Set In France
    Musee Carnavalet
    Musée De La Chasse Et De La Nature
    Musée Des Arts Decoritifs
    Musée Des Arts Forains
    Musée Des Beaux-Arts De Dijon
    Musee D'Orsay
    Musée D'Orsay
    Musee L'Orangerie
    Musée Marc Chagall
    Musee Marmottan Monet
    Musée Matisse Nice
    Musée Picasso
    Musée Yves Saint Laurent
    Museum
    Museum Of Decorative Arts
    Museum Of Hunting & Nature
    Museum Of Modern Art City Of Paris
    Nancy
    Nantes
    Napoleon Bonaparte
    Napoleon III Apartments
    Narbonne
    Nashville
    Natalie Portman
    Nazi Atrocities
    Nice
    Nice France
    Nimes
    Normandy
    Not-far-from-paris
    Not-far-from-paris
    Notre Dame De Lorette
    Notre Dame De Paris
    Occitanie
    #Occitanie
    Off-the-tourist-track
    Off-the-tourist-track
    Opera-garnier
    Operation Dragoon
    Oradoursurglane
    Our Lady Of Paris
    Palais Lascaris
    Palais Royal
    Paloma Beach
    Pancake
    Pancake Pantry
    Parade
    Parc De Bercy
    Paris
    Paris 1968
    Paris Arrondissements
    Paris Art Museum
    Paris Art Schools
    Paris At Home
    Paris Cafes
    Paris Fashion
    Paris Friend
    Paris Markets
    Paris Metro
    Paris Neighborhoods
    Paris Parks
    Paris Patisseries
    Paris Pets
    Paris Predestination
    Paris Retail Therapy
    Paris Travel
    Parks
    Passage Boudin
    Passerelle Simone De Beauvoir
    Pastis
    Patisserie
    Patricia Wells
    Paul Cezanne
    Perfume
    Pernes-les-Fontaines
    Pet Cemeteries
    Petit Palais
    Photography
    Picpus Cemetery
    Pinching Pennies
    Pink Granite Coast
    Place De Furstenberg
    Place De La Concorde
    Place Des Vosges
    Place Masséna
    Place Stanislaus
    Place Vendome
    Ploumanac'h
    Poilane
    Ponr Alexandre III
    Poster Art
    Promenade Des Anglais
    Provence
    #Provence
    Provence Markets
    Puffins
    Pyrenees-Orientales
    Rambouillet
    Raoul Dufy
    Regional Cooking
    Rennes
    Renoir
    Robert Doisneau
    Robert Wuhl
    Roquefort
    Rue Cler
    Rue Cremieux
    Rue De L'Eole Du Medecine
    Rue De Nil
    Rue Dénoyez
    Rue Des Ecoles
    Rue Des Martyrs
    Rue Irenee Blanc
    Rue Jules Siegfried
    Ruelle Des Chats
    Rue Montorgeuil
    Ruth
    Saintdenis
    Saint-Emilion
    Saint-Emilion Grand Cru
    Saint-Etienne-du-Mont
    Sainteustache
    Saint-Goustan
    Saint-Guilhem-le-Desert
    Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat
    Saint-Malo
    Saint-Medard Church
    Saint-Paul-de-Mausole
    Saint-Remy-de-Provence
    Saint-Vincent Cemetery
    Sculpture
    Senlis
    Serendipity
    Shopping
    Sliceoflife
    Slice Of Life
    Small Paris Pleasures
    Small Town Saturday Night
    Social Media
    So-Pi
    Springtime In Paris
    Square Des Peupliers
    Square Montsouris
    St Nicholas Russian Orthodox Cathedral
    Street Food
    Suzanne Valadon
    Suzy Solidor
    Sylvia Beach
    Texas
    The Avignon Papacy
    The-dreyfus-affair
    The Hunchback Of Notre Dame
    The Louvre
    The Moose
    The National Archives
    The Pantheon
    The-paris-effect
    The Pink City
    Toulouse
    Toulouse-Lautrec
    Tourrettes-sur-Loup
    Travel
    Travel Advice
    Travel Planning
    Troyes
    U.N. World Climate Conference
    Urban Art
    Uzès
    Vacation
    Vacation Planning Food
    Vel D'Hiver
    Vichy
    Vieille Bourse
    Vieux Nice
    Villa Eilenroc
    Villefranche-de-Conflent
    Villeneuve-les-Avignon
    Vincent Van Gogh
    Walking
    Walking Paris
    Willi Ronis
    Wine
    Wine Festival
    WWII
    #WWII France
    WWII Paris
    WWII Provence
    Yachts
    Yves Saint Laurent

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.