Notre Dame, cathedral of the pigeons.

As I’ve said before, Notre Dame is one of my favorite places in Paris. Even with all the tourists, it always seems calm in the area around it. Sometimes street performers play music by the Seine, and sometimes a bride and groom are having their pictures taken behind the cathedral. It’s always a nice place to be.

Unfortunately, the pigeons also think it’s a nice place to be. I don’t remember there being so many birds last time I was here, but this time there are just hundreds of them! They gather in a large group off to the side of the square and harass the tourists.

Pigeons are definitely not my favorite bird. In fact, they are pretty far down the list; more specifically, they are at the bottom of the list. I’ve had a few unpleasant run-ins with them, including the time when one of them landed on my head while I was walking to work, and the time some pigeons pooped on my skirt three different times in one night while I was on a date. Thankfully, they pretty much left me alone this time!

One good thing about them, though: They do make for some fun pictures. Especially when there are people (not me) who want to let them sit on their arms and shoulders and heads.