Follow the Trail
As soon as the television stations broke the news that the Notre Dame Cathedral was burning, my immediate thought was of my oldest daughter once telling me that, "It is the most beautiful building I've ever seen" as she spent four months in a Study Abroad program in France a few years ago.
As the flames began to destroy the magnificent spire and most of the roof of this centuries-old church just before 7 p.m. (CST) on April 15, TV cameras captured onlookers with tears streaming down their faces. It was reminiscent of 9/11 with people crying as they watched the Twin Towers burn and crumble.
Nadine Kor of Hometown Kitchen and Bath, and her husband Dennis, were among the many people who have visited this French Gothic architectural wonder as they vacationed there while also visiting a relative in the Netherlands in 2015.
"It really is a beautiful place," she remarked. "It was so sad to see it burning." Kor's initial thoughts, as with many others, was that she hoped it wasn't caused by an act of terrorism. But reports later indicated that it was likely caused by an ongoing renovation project.
The fire was extinguished in this medieval Roman Catholic Cathedral after firefighters battled flames for 15 hours. The upper walls were severely damaged, but extensive damage to the interior was prevented mainly because of its stone vaulted ceiling, which contained the burning roof as it collapsed.
"The stained glass windows in there are unbelievable; so pretty," Kor told. "It's like nothing I've ever seen. It is one of the most beautiful buildings I can ever remember seeing." The 13th-century rose windows suffered little or no damage, although some of the lead holding the pieces together melted.
And the cathedral's two mammoth pipe organs also were not damaged. Several of the pews were destroyed, although the church's altar and main statue of Jesus survived. Fortunately, most of the works of art and other valuable artifacts were removed by firefighters as the fire first began; a few were damaged or destroyed.
Statues of the 12 Apostles that stood at the base of spire had been removed two weeks prior to the fire for cleaning and restoration. "I was glad to hear that they were able to save (the Crown of Thorns) that Jesus wore (prior to his crucifixion)," Kor said.
The Crown of Thorns was placed in the cathedral in 1231 by King Louis IX. It was also said that a purported piece of the cross on which Jesus was crucified was also saved.
No one was killed in the fire, but three people were injured. It was estimated that it could take up to 20 years to completely restore the cathedral. French President Emmanuel Macron promised that it would be restored sooner than that and a fundraising campaign enticed $1 billion over the first 24 hours.
"It just won't ever be the same," Kor said.
"It was built so long ago and the historical value of the part that burned is gone forever, even if they do rebuild it. That's the sad part for me."
Construction of the cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris, which means "Our Lady of Paris", began in 1163 and was not entirely completed until 1345.
It now boasts 12 million visitors from around the word annually. The walls and interior are made of stone, while the frame and the spire were made of oak. The spire was rebuilt several time; most recently in the 19th century.
The cathedral was the site of Napoleon Bonaparte's marriage to Marie-Louise of Austria in 1810. And in 1831, Victor Hugo's novel "The Hunchback of Notre-Dame" brought new attention to the cathedral.
The renovation project that was going on at the time of the fire was to repair the cathedral's stonework that had decayed mainly from environmental pollution. At the time of the fire, the spire was undergoing renovations and scaffolding had been stationed around most of the exterior. Kor pondered for a moment of how fortunate it was that the entire cathedral didn't burn.
"Can you imagine that?" she asked rhetorically. "How could you ever replace something like that?"
Salad anyone?
Ever since I was informed about the Salad Luncheon co-hosted by the Senior Center and the Minneota American Legion Auxiliary, I have had a craving for salad. And we’re not just talking about the traditional lettuce salad with Ranch or French dressing drizzled over the top, although there is nothing wrong with that. For $10, you can devour as many kinds and as much salad as you can hold from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. today (Thursday, April 25) at the Senior Center.
The types of salads vary from year to year, and have included chicken, ham, potato, fruit, vegetable, taco, and deviled eggs. “It is buffet-style, and I don’t think people go home hungry,” said Sandy Josephson of the Legion Auxiliary.
Members of the Senior Center and Legion Auxiliary make the salads, or some will donate money or crackers.
The Salad Luncheon has been a popular event each April and has been well attended. Initially, the Salad Luncheon was started several years ago and was solely the Legion Auxiliary project, Josephson noted. But with the number of members declining, they hooked up with the Senior Center and split the expenses and profits with them.