We left St.-Malo about 8:15 this morning and headed back to the Paris area. It was drizzling and by the time we got to Chartres, a steady rain.
We had about an hour for lunch and so took Rick Steves' advice and headed to la Picoterie for a quick bite to eat. All of us opted for a bowl of onion soup, that really hit the spot.
Then about a half block walk to the cathedral where we were to meet at 2:00. OMG, Miss Harris (my incredible art history professor from Wilson) was right! If you only see one cathedral in the world. see Chartres. Not only is the outside impressive, but the stained glass windows inside are just breathtaking. Each portal is adorned with massive sculptures, but because of the rain, we really didn’t have an opportunity to study them.
Christina met us and we began our guided tour. She was such a good guide and passionate about the cathedral, actually the 5th cathedral in this spot.
The long knave brought ones eyes to the high altar and the Assumption group of the 18th century.
The labyrinth in the floor provides a place of meditation as modern day pilgrims trace its 276 steps. Christina informed us that is the number of days of a pregnancy, a birth or rebirth allusion.
She also demonstrated the purpose of flying buttresses by using humans. Yay, Barbara for volunteering.
As we walked around the choir, it was evident that much of the knave had been cleaned. What a difference in the brightness of the stone. The arrival of the 3 Kings is one of the scenes depicted.
And then there is stained glass - 176 windows, almost 90% original. You just can’t describe the vibrancy of the blues. The Blue Virgin is the most famous, with the rose windows coming in close behind.
Reluctant to leave before we took photos of every window, we headed back to the coach and headed off to the Novotel in Roissy en France. What was supposed to take and hour and half really ended up taking 3 and a half hours due to Paris traffic.
We checked in and talked about where we wanted to go for dinner. We took Christophe’s advice and headed just down the street to the La Brasserie du Terroir. I had some excellent escargots and okay duck.
As we were leaving, the heavens opened and we hustled back up the hill to the hotel, arriving absolutely drenched. A quick change of clothes and back down to the lobby to print boarding passes.
Will have some negotiating to do at the airport since both Barbara’s and my seat were changed.
Time for rearranging the suitcases to keep under the weight. At least we have until 11:30 in the morning to get it done.
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