Breathtaking.
It’s a word Lumby’s Gen Acton used three times, in a 10-minute interview with a reporter, talking about her and her husband Kevin’s visit to the world-renowned, 850-year-old Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, devastated in parts Monday by a massive blaze.
The Actons visited the world-famous cathedral on a European vacation in February.
See: VIDEO: Massive fire engulfs beloved Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris
“It is so larger than life,” said Gen of Notre-Dame. “We did a bus tour and we walked around the entire cathedral inside. We were in there for a couple of hours.”
Calling the architecture of the centuries-old church “fabulous,” Gen’s breath was taken away by the attention to detail as the story of Christ from birth to crucifixion is depicted inside the cathedral.
“The way the church has been maintained, how beautifully it’s been taken care of is amazing,” said Gen, a Lumby representative on the Vernon School District’s board of trustees. “I have a picture of Kevin (Lumby mayor) outside the cathedral beside one of the massive statues. You are struck by the sheer size of everything.”
Speaking of pictures, Gen said she didn’t realize until later how many photos she took at the landmark.
“I’ve never taken that many pictures inside a church before,” she said. “I was snapping everything.”
Gen called Notre-Dame “a living church.”
“People were there lighting candles, going there to pray, going there to connect,” she said.
Gen was at work Monday when she got word of the fire.
See: ‘800 years of history crumble before my eyes’ B.C. woman recounts Notre Dame fire
“It was tragic news,” she said. “Notre-Dame doesn’t have the same global appeal as the Eiffel Tower, but it’s truly one of the great wonders of the world. It was very grounding. It was just such a wonderful piece of architecture, and people still find comfort there.”
French President Emmanuel Macron, in an address to the country, promised to rebuild the cathedral.
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