It is so sad to see such an important cultural and historic site ravaged by a devastating fire. As of this writing (Apr 16, 2019), the day after the fire, officials are assessing the damage and while excessive it appears that through heroic efforts of fire fighters and others, important art and artifacts were saved.
The loss of this beautiful cathedral is a blow to the French people as well as all of us who cherish our culture and history.
While the damage is extreme, there is a commitment from the leaders of Paris and France to rebuild and it appears that significant donations are already pouring to support that effort.
After standing tall for over 800 years, through some of the most important historical periods, the Cathedral of Notre Dame may rise again, but I suspect it will be a very long process and the restoration may not finish in my lifetime.
Fortunately, I have had the chance on two occasions to visit Notre Dame Cathedral, once in the Fall of 2010 as part of a Viking River Cruise and again last year, ironically, one year ago to the day of the fire, April 15, 2018.
I want to share some of my pictures of Notre Dame Cathedral from my past visits.
From our October 2010 trip
From out April 15, 2018 visit
Rick and Kathie's Travel Adventures 