Author: Debra Fitch

In Awe of the Notre Dame Cathedral

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Ever since our tour of Old Montreal on Sunday, May 18, which included a stop at the Notre Dame Cathedral, I’ve been trying to find the words to describe my reaction to seeing the interior of this incredible structure for the first time. I’m still struggling with this because nothing seems to do justice to all the emotions I experienced walking through those doors. Adjectives like awe-inspiring and ethereal come to mind.

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The breathtaking architecture draws you in; the closer you are to the intricate detailing, the more you wonder how earthly hands ever managed to create such a masterpiece.

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Behind you, above the main entry, the pipe organ rises toward the curved ceiling, reaching for the golden stars. What must it be like to hear its acoustics within this wondrous space?

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One of many stained-glass windows depicts the church’s founder, carrying the cross.

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I imagine how images from decades past might have represented the altar …

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… perhaps focusing on the light emitted from aptly-placed, majestic skylights.

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The priest’s pulpit also seems to rise heavenward.

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The Notre Dame Cathedral in Montreal – an unforgettable part of my study abroad experience!

 

Walls

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The most unexpected thing I’ve learned about Montreal is that the city, at one time, had a wall that separated itself from the outside. Because I traveled to Berlin last December, images of the fragmented Berlin Wall were fresh in my mind. I couldn’t help wondering whether there were similarities between these two walls – both built to keep out the “Other”. During our walking tour of Old Montreal, we saw an area where their Wall once stood. Only rocks embedded in a structure roughly eighteen inches in height remains. This original foundation is capped with modern stone slabs with sleek lines; its previous purpose as well as its height seemingly truncated by more contemporary materials and ideas.

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