President-elect Donald Trump is among the global dignitaries expected to be in Paris on Saturday for the reopening of the iconic Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral.
Parisians navigating the narrow streets of the 4th arrondissement in recent days may have heard a familiar, yet nearly forgotten, sound. The bells of Notre Dame Cathedral have been ringing again after nearly five years, in preparation for the famed building’s long-awaited reopening.
Visitors rediscovering Paris’s Notre Dame cathedral when it reopens this weekend will be stepping into a highly charged conversation about France’s past and its future. Both sacred and secular, the cathedral tellingly illustrates the conflict between tradition and reform in France, as a historically Catholic and imperial power tries to adapt to its multicultural and postcolonial present.
Over the years, I have written frequently about what makes a destination worth exploring. And, if we’re truly honest, the trio of Wine, Cheese and History pretty much sums it up. If you can find a destination with all three, you should stay there.
Portions of France begin the implementation of new restrictions Saturday to try to curb the coronavirus. Paris and at least seven other cities will be under curfew from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. The curfew is scheduled to be in place for at least four weeks.