As you may know, I am finishing up my trip to France, with 2 days in Paris to see Notre Dame. Today I went to visit her…or at least I tried. They have it blocked off and you can’t get too close. I went with a friend who lives part time in Paris. Her husband was sitting in the garden on the shady side of Notre Dame when it caught fire. He was evacuated to the street across the river, and after the spire collapsed he went home, thinking that she was lost. You probably saw all the coverage of the people who stood on the bank, praying and singing, hoping for a miracle.
In this photo you can see where the flames came out of the smaller Rose window. The scaffolding is being taken apart now, and there are big cranes on either side. There is a huge white plastic tarp spread over where the roof used to be. The scaffolding was built over the peaked roof for renovations before the fire – and now there is an empty triangle shape under the scaffolding where the roof used to be.
The people here are still in shock, but they are so grateful for the firemen who saved the building and the artwork, which is now safe in the Louvre. Today the tour groups were clustered all around the perimeter that has been set up, so we all gazed upon Notre Dame together…silently taking in the damage.
Here in Paris, I met with 2 old friends, and 2 new friends. We talked about Modern Quilters, aging traditional guilds, the price of fabric, and color preferences in different European countries. We shared our stories about our love for Notre Dame, and the 850 years of history she represents. And I must admit we toasted our love of Paris with glasses of French wine. There might have been a chocolate souffle somewhere in there too…I think this was my 5th visit to Paris since 1987. As they say…Paris is always a good idea.
Many thanks to Carol Veillon for hosting me in Nantes at the Pour l’Amour du Fil event. My week in France is coming to a close, but it was an inspiring trip and I am coming home with lots of stories and French fabric inspiration!
sharing your Passion for Fabric…
Luana and Paul
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Luana’s Travel Calendar:
May 16-19 – Quilt Market
May 24-25 – Dairy Barn – Quilt National Opening – Athens OH
June 11-15 – Quilt Canada Ottawa – (lecture Fri 6/14)
July 18-22 – Sacred Threads & Not Fade Away (VA & DC)
eQuilter Classroom:
June 27-30 – Jane Tenorio-Coscarelli – Altar Quilts & Embellished Garments Workshops
July 11-14, 2019 – Cindy Lohbeck – Shibori, Ice-Dyeing and Ombre Dyeing Workshops
Oct 8-10 – Jacqueline de Jonge – eQuilter Classroom
