Saturday, December 20, 2008

Looking up, things are

These photos of Notre Dame de Rodez won't put a song in your heart, but they reflect a certain mood that she can get in -- a decidedly chilly one.

We've been through quite a cold snap, and Wednesday my daughter and I went into town for lunch. I was struck by the difference between the weather "up there" and "down below" on the sidewalks. It was certainly cold both places, but where we were walking, it was totally clear with no sign of fog.

But the Rodez cathedral can be in a totally different weather dimension from the city it dominates. The bell tower is 85 meters, or nearly 280 feet, high -- and this can mean a real difference in atmospheric conditions.

To give you an idea of how ethereal the cathedral can appear compared to the world below; my crystal clear Wordless Wednesday photo this week was taken only a few minutes earlier and only a few streets away.

Notre Dame de Rodez has often been described as "brooding." Perhaps these photos can help illustrate that image.

6 comments:

spacedlaw said...

That is positively ghostly.

tut-tut said...

Beautiful images, Betty. I can imagine walking there and feeling very medieval.

Daphné said...

Hey mom !I'm kinda super excited that I can leave you comments now !
I will talk to you soon !
I like these pictures and miss the "Cathedrale" !

I changed a few things on my blog but yet I have a hard time figuring out how to do a couple things.

I love you !

Randal Graves said...

These are excellent, the mood is captured perfectly.

Papadesdeux said...

...and on Saturday, soooo cold inside. Not as spooky as the morning you took those great photos, but even so, I was sure Tiny Tim was going to come hobbling around the corner, until I remembered we weren't in London. I know, I should have let you know we would be there, but I was afraid you would want to organize a huge reception with hundreds of people, the mayor, the press, and I really felt that would be a little too much just before the holidays. So we came ''incognito'', did a little family thing and scuttled back home to a still brisk but decidedly milder atmosphere.

Betty Carlson said...

Well, papa, now you know what Rodez is about! Was it so cold "inside" on Saturday or "outside." I know it was damp and unpleasant. That's why we often flee to Montepellier for some sun and city life. Maybe our paths will meet another time.