In Notre-Dame's shadow, a 'village' faces uncertain future

The owners of restaurants and souvenir stores, flower stalls and gourmet food markets in an area known to residents simply as the "village", they have all been forced to close since Monday's devastating fire at the UNESCO World Heritage landmark. Few at the gathering Thursday morning in the Quasimodo cafe -- named after the hunchback in Victor Hugo's celebrated novel set at the cathedral -- seemed optimistic about the chances of re-opening in the near future. Police are letting only residents and business owners onto the River Seine island known as the Ile de la Cite where the cathedral stands, choking off the tourist traffic that is their lifeblood.

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