" the majestic Notre Dame "

this is the back view of the church

My prayers have finally been answered.
Me and dear Pepperoni were looking forward to see the Notre Dame,
I, being more excited than ever, can't wait to marvel at its structure,
visit the gargoyles and
gape at the gleaming rose window.
so, that's the first thing we did when we landed.
okay, we strolled down a few blocks first before we head here.










Unfortunately,
the places i've been dreaming to see for the longest time
turned out to be the biggest disappointment.







It was 6-ish p.m. or thereabouts when we arrived.
The place, still filled with tourists,
everyone clearly wants a piece of Notre Dame as a memento.
Seeing the line to get inside made me feel tired already,
but thankfully, we don't have to wait that long.






A mass was being held during that time,
so a mixed of local churchgoers and more tourists abound inside.
The interiors looked solemn and very imposing,
It was quite dark thanks to a handful of flickering candles and incandescent lights.
a priest was in the middle of his sermon and
fragrant smell coming from the incenses.
It's hard to get a close up look without bumping someone's elbow or head,
but again, who was I to complain as i'm a tourist myself. ^0^
The crowd got thicker and the space got thinner,
and I was beginning to feel dizzy.
I had the urge to leave but couldn't because the area was
barricaded for a one way trail, thereby only for one entrance and one exit.


















I thought to myself:
why not re-visit the whole thing in the morning instead.
which was our first plan really.
to wake up early, have a great start,
But of course,
we never had that chance again.
we woke up late, thanks to sore feet and jet lag.
The next day,
our laid out plans turned out to be a different one.
Despite my ambitious drive to see everything in a jiffy,
I was still able to appreciate its glorious beauty.


here I am still flashing a big smile. ^0^

ps: photos were taken in either Canon (yellowish-orange) or Nikon ( brownish)

* where was this *
Notre Dame
Paris
4th arrondissement

" Let me show you Sagrada "

I've been meaning to show you La Sagrada's exterior.
(the masterpiece of Antonio Gaudi)
But you see, my archives are becoming a mess,
while segregating, some of my photos have been mixed up by
another, thereby creating a folder within a folder.
To make the story short,
I got exhausted and finally gave up.

So I decided to compile it instead,
photo intervals of about 2seconds. ^0^



On Board the Hop On and Hop Off bus,
La Sagrada Familia was the highlight on the 2nd day of our trip.

Even the deprived sleep and lack of breakfast,
I was already beaming when I saw the spires even from afar.

Even as early as 9'oclock in the morning.
There are people already lining up and wandering along the area.

Here's a partial peek.
Hope you'll enjoy it as much as we did. ^-^



* where was this *
La Sagrada
E'ixample
Barcelona

" Institut de France "

aka: the longer version that is Palais de Institut de France.
seen across La Seine (Seine river),
famous for its black and gold topped dome that was added in 1663.
It was designed by Le Vau and was once a school,
a prison and is now home to the Académie Française,
which devotes mostly to arts, lettres and sciences.
The interiors are not open to the public though.

well, it took me awhile to find its name.
for a first timer in Paris,
the domes from left to right can really be puzzling.
and if you're a dome fanatic like me,
you might want to have a handy map to appreciate Paris's structure.

how to get there: head to La Seine,
infront of Pont des Arts, near Quai Malaquais

for more inspiring skies, visit Skywatch today.

* where was this *
6th arrondissement
Pl. de L'Institut -Paris

" Musée du Quai Branly "

one of the newest museums here in Paris.,
that is a stone's throw away from Eiffel Tower is Museé Quai Branly. 



The exhibit during that time,
featured [ Maori- leurs trèsors ont une âme. ]
The vibrant Maori culture from New Zealand,
too bad though, we didn't get a chance to see it, but
that didn't hinder tourists from waiting, despite the long queue.






The sleek lines and modern architecture is conspicuous inside out.
 




You could visit its official web for more info about this = Quaibranly.fr.

the best metro stop is to hop off at Alma Marceau station.

* where was this *
7th arrondissement
Musée du Quai Branly- Paris

I'm joining the weekend reflections by James.
for more cool reflective shots,  
click here.

" checkered "

i have a thing for architecture, even without meaning, i love its lines and curves.
here's a protruding bay window in some of the nice apartments here in BCN.


* where was this *
Carrer Rosselló- Barcelona

" comme gargoyles "

along the narrow streets of Carrer del Bisbe are a row of expressive gargoyles and
this is one of them.


* where was this *
Barri Gothic - Carrer del Bisbe

" Under Construction "

La Sagrada Familia-
one of the oldest architectural structure left by the Antonio Gaudi
and renovation is still on going up to the present.

* where was this *
Eixample area- Sagrada Familia

for more inspiring skies this weekend...
do visit SKYWATCH today. ^-^