In a striking silhouette against the winter sky, the gaping spaces are visible here where enormous stained glass windows once reigned and the centuries-old beamed roof of Notre Dame soared high in view with its legendary gothic-styled pinnacle designed by the great Viollet le Duc. I remember watching the fire with numbing helplessness as the spire fell.
The vantage point where this picture was shot is just steps from where I live. The Hôtel de Ville (City Hall) is on the left. This is the only spot and only time of day I know where one can literally see through the shell of the cathedral, itself quite jarring.
The priceless windows are safely stored elsewhere, a temporary cover has been installed to resist the cold and rain, while the immense work of dismantling scaffolding and reassuring the solidity of the structure proceeds day and night, before rebuilding can officially begin.
