68 Europe Part VIII (Goodbye Switzerland, Hello France)

Please bear with me with a few more pictures and stories of Switzerland.

The morning after our adventure on Mt. Rigi, we strolled through Lucerne, such a beautiful city with a gorgeous farmers market right up against the lake, just about in front of our hotel.

As you can see, the vegetables were very fresh, and the people were very friendly. We strolled hand in hand through busy, mid-day streets looking at gorgeous buildings like the one below.

 

If you look closely, the people on the building are actually painted on. We did a double take on it ourselves, as it was so well done. It seems the Swiss love painting things on buildings that we never see here. Check this next picture out!

 

 

The next morning, we left for Paris.

Now, we were going to spend a couple of extra days in Paris, as I have some friends that live there that I know from my 2 other trips there on business. They had planned to take a couple of days off to spend with my wife and I.

Paris:

 

Now, the picture at left is a large one when expanded (1600X1200), but I did that so you could see the "Acadamie Nationale de Musique", or the National Academy of Music. I'm sorry about the poor lighting, but I took it from a moving bus, and that's the best I could do.

 

 

The photo at right, was after we settled into our hotel, and had a dinner with all the people on the tour we were on. That's my wife and I on the right (hey Mark, another "looking through" picture!).

On the way back to the hotel, we passed this thing below that was all lit up, and I just HAD to get a picture of it!

We all called it an early night after this, and started out again in the morning.

 

The next 2 pictures are of Notre Dame de Paris (Notre Dame in English), one of the most beautiful Gothic Catholic Cathedral's in the world. It was one of the first buildings in the world to use the flying buttress.

One visit, and your mouth will drop in awe as mine did my first time there, and as my wife's did.

 

                                                  

At the picture on the right, you can see the flying buttresses. The next picture, is another large one, but I did it so you could see the detail in the work on the front of Notre Dame.

Walking through the cathedral, you get the most incredible sense of raw history. It's old.

Construction began on Notre Dame in 1163, and was completed 1345. Yes, it's that old.

Looking up from the outside of the cathedral, you can see the downspouts for the rainwater capture system, are gargoyles, and the water comes out the mouths!

I think that's going to be it for today.. and I'll continue on about Paris on Monday!

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend, as I'll be taking tomorrow off as it'll be in the low 80's, and I plan on taking the Vette out! Till then....