On April 15, Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France, experienced a large fire.  I was lucky enough to have visited the cathedral in the summer of 2017 on a family vacation. As I watched video of the fire ravaging this historic site and saw the iconic spire collapsing, I could not help but recall the beauty and detail that marked every inch of the structure.

When we arrived at the cathedral, I was in shock of the size. The two towers stood so tall and the spire on top is what really stuck out. I did not believe there was any way they made such a big and beautiful building in 1163.

There were three different entry ways into the cathedral. Above the doors to the different entries were beautiful sculptures of all different saints and animals. The detail in these sculptures is what blew me away.

We were able to take a tour of the inside of the beautiful cathedral. There were so many different things to see. The thing that amazed me the most from the inside was the artwork. The art on the walls was gorgeous, and the age of the art added so much beauty.

At the end of the tour, we were able to go all the way to the top of the cathedral. Being on the top gave us the incredible opportunity to see the rest of the city of Paris. Also, at the top we were able to see the gargoyles. The gargoyles looked out towards the city and are there to “watch over” the city.

This experience was amazing for me, and one I will never take for granted. Hopefully, they are able to restore the cathedral to its original beauty.