Notre Dame - Keeping a Promise

Day Seven:

Notre Dame Cathedral - Strasbourg France

This Grand Lady and I have had an appointment since we first met back in April.  

And That Appointment was with Her Staircase!

There is a sign at a small side door which reads 

330 Marches

66 Meters

Vue Panoramique

entre Vosges et Forêt Noire

And after paying our €5.00 each

we embarked on the 330 steps of the Spiral Stone Staircase 

to the Viewing Platform above.

And somewhere up this staircase - 

My phone rang and the voice said.....

"I presume you are sitting somewhere, relaxing having Coffee!"

No Mum, I can't really chat at the moment - I am half way up a Spiral Staircase heading for the Bell Tower of Notre Dame Cathedral!

A few turns later

(My Mother's phone call had dropped out)

We were confronted with this!

VERY FUNNY.......

as if we had a choice!

I remember as a Child hearing of Flying Buttresses
and stories of the Great Cathedrals that were supported by them.

And now I had the opportunity to see them Up close.

The secondary function of diverting the water from the roof via (can I say?) 

Gorgeous Gargoyles - These seemed to be Pigs.

It would be something to see them in the Rain!

On reaching the top we exited onto the Viewing platform and out into the Sunshine.

Notre Dame's Original design had 2 Spires but it was decided not to build the second, leaving a conveniently large space on the roof.

(And if anyone can tell  me what they call those Compasses that show far-away cities - I would be grateful!)

They say on a clear day you can see the Black Forest and the Vosges Mountains.

It was a bit too hazy for us but we could see all the way to the European Parliament.

The View is not the only spectacular thing you can see up here.

Stonemasons who have worked on the Spire have left their mark for future generations.

Would Ludwig Wirttenberg have had any idea that his words would be read by 1000s of tourists when he inscribed his name on the Spire wall back in 1581?

This is as far as they will let you climb - 

So it is in the small door 

Under the Bells

and on

Down via the Spire's Staircase

330 Steps back to the pavement below

and Very Happy to have Kept this Promise.