Day Trip to Paris

Our trip to Ireland started out with a 9 hour layover in Detroit. Not very good connections on award tickets. The only good news is I travelled enough last year to qualify for platinum status with Northwest. That lets us use the lounge in the airport.







Mike, you said you always wondered what went on inside those glass doors. Here are a couple of pictures. Once you get past the Gestapo at the welcome desk you go up the escalators (above) to the service desk area. Around this area are chairs, tables, workstations, meeting rooms, showers, restrooms, snack bar, free drinks, etc. That is your mother sleeping in the yellow chair.






We had a seven hour layover in Paris. We left our carry-on bags at the airport and took a train/subway into Paris. This square is right outside the subway station. Click to zoom if you want to try and read the inscription.









After lunch at a sidewalk cafe we walked over to Notre Dame Cathederal. A very impressive structure!























Just as we walked in a service was starting. Sort of surreal situation. Parishioners (100s) sitting in the center and tourists (1000s) walking around the outside. We ran into this procession of priests accompanying the relics to the service. These relics are displayed on the first Friday of every month at 3:00PM, and several times during the Easter season. Just dumb luck that we wandered in at the right time.









Here are the relics on the altar. The relics are a piece of the cross that Jesus was crucified on, a nail and the crown of thorns.

http://www.notredamedeparis.fr/Veneration-of-the-Crown-of-Thorns







This is the inside of the main sanctuary. I'm sure there is a more proper name.







More shots from the service.







Another.








The congregation.









Many beautiful stained glass windows.













































Lots of artwork on the walls.


























Here are some shots from outside the church. The statue is on the plaza in front of the church.









Here are some shots of the architecture on the outside of the church. An amazing amount of carving.




























I assume that is John the Baptist 3rd from the left.









Check out the figures above the shoulders - 3rd from the left.








These are from the back of the church.

















We took the train back to the airport, collected our carry-on luggage and continued our trip to Ireland.