The Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France

Popping out of the Metro in Paris, we found crowded, narrow streets - alive and vibrant - with bars and cafes, and somehow it seemed perfect.

We wandered aimlessly, as curious observers, while bells rang out periodically.

Generally moving in the direction of the peals, eventually we came upon the Square René Viviani and discovered, tucked away and supported by a couple of concrete braces, the oldest tree in Paris.

The venerable locust tree has been hanging in there since 1601, and still blooms every spring, even after taking a shot from a shell in World War I.

The square is also home to some old stones from Notre Dame Cathedral, which stands just across a small bridge.

As we crossed the span, the massive church loomed before us.

In the dimming daylight we observed the structure from every possible angle, most likely with our mouths hanging open much of the time.

While the cathedral might be best known to us Americans for the bells we'd been hearing - and the odd little man who rang them - the gargoyles, rose window, and flying buttresses are what most caught our attention.

Built over the course of nearly two-hundred years, beginning in 1163, Notre-Dame de Paris was among the first buildings in the world to incorporate the flying buttress as reinforcements for the walls.

Although they were not part of the original design, its size required the additional support.

As night fell we were thrilled by the various views we encountered, especially lit against the darkened sky.

Perhaps a soul with an unfortunate deformity was hiding in the tower under cover of darkness.

As the bells rang out once more, we knew we had to return the next morning for another look... and an assessment of the inside.

The morning light allowed us a better assessment of the facade, and the restoration that took place after most of the statues were beheaded during the revolution.

Moving our gaze up toward the spire, we may have hoped to spot Quasimodo climbing along the rooftop, but instead found the twelve apostles, captured in surprisingly whimsical poses. These were also added during reconstruction.

Walking inside, we experienced the temporary blindness that comes from going directly out of daylight into relative darkness.

But our eyes soon enough adjusted and the sun streaming through the stained glass windows filled the otherwise dimly lit sanctuary with muted colors.

The glow seemed to be the perfect lighting for such a refuge from the outside world, so we settled into seats to soak it all in for a while. That is our favorite way to absorb overwhelming spaces such as this, by sitting still we are able to observe and process the scope of the building.

Once we were accustomed to both the light and space, we took a lap around the entire interior.

Not to take anything away from the classic cathedral, but we'd have to say we were more impressed with the exterior.

There is no doubt plenty to see inside, but for outstanding artwork we decided we would do better a few blocks away at the Louvre.

David & Veronica, GypsyNester.com

Thanks to Paris je t'aime for this adventure that made us exclaim Ooh la la! As always, all opinions are our own. 

This blog was originally published on The Gypsynesters.