Three churches

We started out earlier than usual on Sunday, leaving FIAP (the international dorm where we stayed) around 9:30 in the morning. First on the agenda was a visit to Sainte-Chapelle, a Gothic cathedral.



Inside, it was stunning. These pictures do not do the stained glass justice. The gorgeous windows reached lofty heights, giving the chapel a grand presence. As the morning sun flooded through, the colors came alive and it was just beautiful.



Next, it was onto Notre Dame de Paris for Sunday mass. It was an international mass, so there were many different languages used--there was one reading in English.



It's so pretty inside the church, with the standard stained glass, high, ribbed ceilings, and the chandeliers all aglow.



The outside is just as impressive, with decorative gargoyles and chimeras everywhere you look. What made it even nicer was that it was turning out to be a gorgeous afternoon, the sky a splendid blue.



After mass, we walked across the river toward the Latin Quarter, where we would enjoy a couscous lunch. Looking back, we got a nice view of the flying buttresses on the side of Notre Dame. These buttresses act as arched exterior support, taking damaging weight off the thin, high walls of the cathedral.



After a delicious lunch, it was onto Saint Séverin, also in the Latin Quarter. This church is famous for its center pillar, which is in the shape of a palm tree.



I will never tire of stained glass... The stained glass in this church was really interesting, because there were both ancient and modern windows to admire.



Simply magnificent! :)