As Notre-Dame burns, so does a millennium of symbolism with it

Notre Dame Cathedral may now also become an unpleasant symbol of current events - of popular frustration, the politics of anger and a gaping lack of trust in the establishment

The 850-year-old Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, which took over 200 years to complete, was such a constant in so many lives, including my own. Now the unthinkable has happened: A fire has reduced the icon to ashes and blackened walls. And with that go many of its treasures, historical firsts and deep associations.

Notre Dame featured in so many ways in my life as a teenager in Paris. It was a destination many, many times when I accompanied visiting friends and family. I would also ride my moped by it on my way to see my best friend from