President Macron has already committed to rebuilding the cathedral, even if his five-year estimate seems a bit ambitious. Money has been pouring in for the efforts, not without criticism, and preliminary looks at the damage reveal a lot of work to do, but the cathedral is far from devastated.

It will return not to its former glory, but to a better version of itself, for tourists and locals alike.

The stunning facade of Notre Dame before the fire. Photo: Bryan Pirolli

A lot of media has been focusing on the wooden roof that was lost, and yes, it was old. But Notre Dame is, and always has been, so much more than its roof. I never walked in and thought, “Gee, the wooden support system overhead that I can’t see must be really groovy!”

My heart sank when I thought of the rose windows shattering or the bell towers crumbling, but they’re safe for the moment. Instead of focusing on what’s lost, let’s focus on what we have and how it will benefit. A silver lining is that the cathedral will likely get a holistic revamping, instead of periodic smaller renovations that seem to only patch up holes that keep appearing. Notre Dame will be better than ever, healthier than any of us ever imagined.

A cathedral in motion

Those who mourn its loss too reverently need to study up on the thought experiment about the Ship of Theseus:

The experiment proposes that an ancient Greek ship is stored in a museum, but pieces of rotting wood are replaced over time by metal pieces. Eventually, the entire ship is made of metal. Philosophers ask, “is it still the same ship? Or is it something else?”

Soaking in Notre Dame along the Seine. Photo: Bryan Pirolli

Notre Dame poses the same question. The church has seen renovations and changes over the years — though perhaps less drastic than an entirely brand new roof — but she has always been in motion.

Don’t forget that the church you visited was upgraded in the 19th century, and the spire that fell was new, relatively speaking. What makes the church is not just the arrangement of wood and stone that builds it, but the space that it occupies, what it symbolizes, and what people take away from it.

Let’s get excited about what lies ahead because, let’s face it, our tears and emotions can’t fix anything. Imagine what architects will discover in the rubble, or what they’ll learn about Gothic architectural building methods. Imagine what new techniques will develop to reconstruct the roof, and what sorts of new features we might have to look forward to in the future.

In the meantime, she still sits on Ile de la Cite, like a beached whale that we need to keep wet with buckets of water until we figure out what to do next. She’s helpless. Pitiful, even. But she’s still there, she’s not going anywhere, and hopefully, within a few years, Notre Dame’s bells will ring again, the doors open wide, waiting for millions of tourists to pay her the respect that she has commanded for 856 years already.

A typical scene before the fire: People visiting Notre Dame. Photo: Byran Pirolli

As media attention turns to the rebuilding and the money involved, it’s easy to focus on criticism and lose sight of the bigger picture. Channeling my years of Catholic school, I am tempted to wonder if this wasn’t all some biblical lesson, a Tower of Babel or a Great Flood of sorts, a wake-up call to bigger issues. This shared human experience galvanized so many so quickly, with a billion dollars pouring in within days. Look what we’re capable of when we care, when we’re on the same page, and when we can see the hurt and share the pain.

Maybe we, as a society, can approach all aspects of life this way, whether it’s the environment, migrant families, or human rights issues. Maybe one day we can galvanize as quickly to fix these problems that, if left unaddressed, will leave us with much bigger problems than a collapsed roof.

Your thoughts about Notre Dame

Share your thoughts, concerns, or favorite memories about Notre Dame with us in the comments section below.

The post Notre Dame fire: Finding hope amid the damage appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

This is in line with several museums across Europe and New York that have also upped their schedules in recent years to help keep up with growing demand as they try to increase revenue for their institution. This new policy by the Ministry of Culture could result in big changes in how tourists experience Paris. Let’s take a look at some of the potential impacts.

Current opening times

The Louvre
Monday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday: 9 AM to 6 PM
Wednesday, Friday: 9 AM to 9:45 PM
Closed on Tuesdays

Related: 7 Tips for surviving the Louvre

Musée d’Orsay
Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 9:30 AM to 6 PM
Thursdays: 9:30 AM to 9:45 PM
Closed on Mondays

Related: Tips for visiting Musée d’Orsay

Palace of Versaille
Tuesday through Sunday: 9 am to 5:30 PM (6:30 PM in high season)
Closed on Mondays

Related: 5 Tips for making the most of your visit to Palace of Versaille

Will the Louvre lines grow shorter or longer with the new daily schedule? Photo: Eric Chan

Less crowded museums?

As the schedules stand now, other museums gain visitors when their counterparts are closed. This can lead to even longer waits than usual, and for anyone who has been to Paris recently, the last thing you want to do is spend even more time in line. For example, tourists will flock to the Louvre on Mondays, because Palace of Versailles and Musée d’Orsay are both closed on that day. Consequently, the same goes for Tuesdays, when visitors are turned away from the Louvre.

Maybe this will decrease congestion and help improve the flow? Right now visitors have to carefully plan their strategy if they want explore these iconic French landmarks. The crowds and lines can be difficult to navigate, and you need to know when each of the museums is not open. You can easily waste valuable time, especially if you’re only in the city for a few days. More options for visitors can never hurt, and being able to create a more flexible schedule for a visit is a good thing.

Impact on budget travelers

For the budget traveler to Paris this new policy could have significant benefits.  The city’s museum pass is already a good deal for those who want to focus on cultural highlights on a Paris vacation. It might become an even better deal once theses museums open everyday, as card holders will have more opportunities to get into the big ones like the Louvre. For those planning a weekend trip with a Monday or Tuesday tacked on, it will be a lot easier to squeeze in a few extra visits and get your money’s worth out of a museum card.

Related: 50 ways to save time and money in Paris

Final thoughts

MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) in New York switched to a daily schedule in 2013, and I could immediately feel the impact. It’s still usually packed, but having an extra day to visit has seemed to thin out the crowds over all seven days. As a member, it’s also nice to have an added day during the week to catch that blockbuster show before it closes.

In the end, more is always better than less when it comes to access to local attractions, and being open that extra day can only lead to positive impacts for visitors and locals alike. We’ll wait to see the final results, but we’ll stay hopeful that once these changes are made, we’ll have more time to explore Paris and less time standing in a queue.

What do you think? Are you excited for these new changes coming to Paris? Let us know!

The post The Louvre, Versailles and Musée d’Orsay to expand opening times in 2015 appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Recognizing that the public might not be immediately inclined to follow the rules, the government has added some muscular penalties—anyone caught smoking in a public space will be fined €68. Failure to pay this fine within 45 days will raise the fine to €180. The law makes a one year exception for restaurants and nightclubs.

Ireland was the first country in Europe to introduce strict anti-smoking laws, passing a measure in 2004. Sweden, Italy, Malta, Belgium, Norway, and Spain have all followed suit. For a look at European smoking laws in comparison, see this BBC overview.

According to a European Union public health statement reported in today’s Libération, 80% of Europeans surveyed are in favor of banning smoking in all public places. Regarding smoking in bars and cafes, however, attitudes in France at least are less clear-cut. Among French smokers, a majority (55%) are in favor of banning smoking in restaurants, while an even larger majority (63%) are opposed to prohibiting smoking in bars.

During our last trip to Paris in December, our friends expressed disbelief that the law would be effective. Wouldn’t the French simply smoke in spite of the ban? This conversation, it should be noted, occurred over a Gauloises, outside a restaurant.

“Apparently,” our friend added, “this restaurant has already imposed the ban.”

The post France Clears the Air With A New Smoking Ban appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.