The enchanting beauty of Notre Dame

When I first visited Paris in 1999, the facade of the Cathedral of Notre Dame was covered with huge tarpaulins. Apparently the whole of Europe was preparing for the Jubilee, so restorations were being conducted in many of the most important churches. On my second trip to Paris in the mid-2000's, my then husband and I went to the Cathedral but failed to capture its true beauty since it was winter. It was a cloudy day, and all the pictures I took were blurry. At the time I still didn't have a digital camera. Yeah, call me old school. In 2012, my friend Emilie and I went to Paris, as part of our 28-day European tour. I took this picture one sunny day in June 2012. I guess it's true what they say: third time's definitely a charm.

A Statue at the Vatican Museum

A statue known as Barberini Juno or Barberini Hera

I took this picture while on a guided tour of the Vatican Museum with my friend Emilie. I love the way the light hits the statue in this picture, illuminating just the right parts. The statue is a Roman copy of the Greek original. Here Juno holds a scepter and a patera (shallow bowl for pouring libations).

For Rome travel tips, please my post titled Rome 101: Travel Guide to the Eternal City.