Last week, I saw a group of workers putting this up around the Notre Dame Cathedral. Today, I saw that they’re done with the Cong Xa Paris side.

Definitely an eyesore. And it wasn’t until I talked to chi looking after the entrance on Mondays that it became clear that the cathedral will be closed to tourists for its much needed renovation.

While I was there, an engineer was doing reconnaissance work.

Chi was turning away tourists and the tourists were all incredulous when they hear chi explain that the church will be closed till 2020. Well, that’s what she said to me. She said like May 2020. But this article says it will be till 2019. Still a long wait.

But parishioners are still allowed to enter for the daily masses and the Sunday masses. They still allowed those who came in to pray. But if you’re a tourist (read: looks like a tourist), they will not let you in. You can still have photos taken from the outside.