Towers of Notre Dame and Seine River Cruise

Today the weather turned chilly and rainy.  By the time we got to the Notre Dame cathedral there was already a long line for the entrance to the towers.  But we bundled up as best we could and settled in for a long wait.

While we were waiting in line we had a look at the gargoyles (gutterspouts) above us.  The protruding gutters help direct rainfall away from the walls and prevent erosion of the stone surface.

Good thing we practiced stair climbing yesterday at the Catacombs.  The towers are 226 feet high and it is 387 steps all told to the top of the South Tower.  Luckily there are two levels so you can break up the climb.

On the first level, we had an up-close view of the chimera statues and gargoyles.  We also had a panoramic view of the city.

"Why so glum, chum?"  You have a great view of St. Eustache church just to the left of this little guy.  Sacré-Coeur is just visible behind his head.

In this panoramic photo (left to right) you can see the golden Dôme des Invalides, followed by the dark, pointy tower of St.-Germain-des-Prés.  To the right of that is, obviously, the Eiffel Tower.  And to the far right you can see the spire of the Sainte-Chapelle.

This chimera seems to be shocked and dismayed by the looming monstrosity of the Tour Montparnasse.

This one just wants to enjoy his chicken dinner.  In the background you can see the network of wires that keep clumsy people and jumpers on the right side of the gallery barriers.

This faceless chimera looks out on the mismatched towers of the Église Saint-Sulpice.

The 13 ton Emmanuel bell in the belfry of the South Tower.

Victor Hugo was inspired by the bell towers to write his "Hunchback of Notre Dame".  The protagonist Quasimodo was the cathedral's bell-ringer.

From up here, the Centre Pompidou looks out of place, like a building made of giant tinkertoys.

By now we have climbed up to the highest viewing platform on the south tower.  On the left you can see the people below us; they are on the lower walkway between the two towers.  You can also see the gutter carved into the back of this gargoyle.

View of the church spire with copper statues of the apostles.

The square below.  The people look so tiny!

Over in the Latin Quarter on the Left Bank is the pretty Square René Viviani.

After descending from the towers, we walked over the Pont au Double past the Square René Viviani to the English-language bookstore Shakespeare and Company.

Don't be fooled by its disheveled-looking interior.  Many famous authors have spent time among the bookshelves here -- William S. Burroughs, Henry Miller, and Allen Ginsburg to name a few.

After lunch we took a sightseeing cruise on the Seine river with Vedettes de Pont-Neuf.

Kevin couldn't join us but from up on the Pont Neuf he caught this photo of us waiting for the cruise to start.

Here are some that we took:

The sightseeing boats take you right past many of Paris's monuments, and it is a great way to view the bridges, such as Pont Alexandre III, up close.

The hour-long narrated boat tour was a good way to relax after all those stairs at Notre Dame!