Hotel Sophie Germain, Paris: 48°49’51.5″N 2°19’50.4″E

We had a very good rest and a nice breakfast at the hotel. After breakfast we took the subway to meet Emily at where else? – Notre Dame Cathedral! We found her hotel which was across the street from the cathedral.

Emily dressed up in her Esmeralda costume to give us the VIP tour of Notre Dame and the reconstruction project.

She showed us around the construction area and told us of her adventures in the area. The scale of the reconstruction is astonishing with three major cranes operating constantly at the site.

Emily told us that the crews are working 24/7 to meet the deadline for re-opening next December.

After a few hours exploring in the beautiful fall sunshine, we had lunch at a café close to the cathedral. Then we visited an exhibit about the reconstruction project that featured some relics which were damaged in the fire and were to be replaced by replicas.

The exhibit also featured some interesting videos and virtual reality technology where you could actually take photos of yourself inside the cathedral.

Time to go back to our hotel using the Metro to have a rest. I love the Art Nouveau entrances but can do without so many people smoking! Thank goodness no one is allowed to smoke on the Metro or in the stations.

Emily came to join us for dinner at a café where Cath & I had lunch the day we arrived.