First Day of School!

Notre Dame

Detail on wood door at Notre Dame

Sainte Chapelle

Interior view of Sainte Chapelle's lower level

Interior view of Sainte Chapelle's upper level

First day of school in Paris was fantastic!  Our first stop was at Notre Dame designed by Viollet-le-Duc. Incredibly high vaulted ceilings, stained glass windows, and an immense amount of hand carved stone.  Breathtaking and as beautiful as I remember when seeing it in 2008.  We had our first sketching assignment here where we had to sketch 3 bays of the nave.  Hoping I can hone in my sketching skills by the end of the semester... talk about a rough start! 

Sainte Chapelle was a new experience that was also incredible.  The painted ceilings were very detailed and painted in rich hues (my pictures don't quite do them justice.)  There is a lower level church which is a little darker, less windows, but still has the beautiful ceiling detail.  The second level church has high vaulted ceilings with stained glass, which is currently under construction.  The renovations will be complete in 2014 and began in 2008.  It will take 6 years to restore the stained glass.  I'm surprised it wouldn't take longer with how intricate it is.  Sainte Chapelle was built to house the Crown of Thorns, which is no longer there, but is said to be in Notre Dame.  Ahhhh I love learning!  I think this is already a great start to the semester.