The Gargoyles of Paris' Notre-Dame

One of the more famous sights of the Notre-Dame Cathedral are its many Gargoyles. There are actually two types of these statues on cathedrals, Gargoyles and Chimeras.

The difference between the two is that chimeras are purely decorative, whereas gargoyles serve a functional purpose.

Gargoyles tend to have a spout coming out of their mouths as they protect the structure by acting as a flow channel for the rain water that comes off the rooftops.

This allows the water to come down the side of the building without touching the walls and preventing damage/corrosion.

This shot I am just throwing in because i thought it was hilarious. When you get to the top viewing platform everything is covered with a mesh, presumably to protect visitors from leaning over the edge and falling, also, you see these signs all over Paris, so despite the many people selling cheap selfie sticks on the streets, the Parisians obviously look on them with disdain.

If these gargoyles had memories, oh the stories they could tell, sitting up there for 100s of years watching Paris grow and change, that would be interesting to have seen.