Formule 1 Chartres

Tres bien...<br><br>Drove down from Dover and pulled in at the Relais Beaucoeron Hotel and restaurant which is actually an upmarket truck stop. 10E for the nigh unless you dine in and then camping is free.<br><br>What value...for the grand total of 13E pp we were treated to a three course meal ...

... Adrienne and Jerry haven't changed" They took Linda and Rachel to Versailles and we were on our way to Rocamadour. It was sad to part from L and R, but we're very grateful for our vacation together.<br><br>It was amazing how gracious Sylvie and Jean Mi were. We are so glad we were able to hook up with them, it was certainly a highlight of the trip so far and maybe we'll be able to visit them again in the future.<br><br>

... as there seemed a plentiful supply of wine in their restaurant. We had a lovely meal, the whole shebang, which was not only expensive but delicious -Andre informs me we will be having a cheaper meal tomorrow :P. The mango vodka cocktail for starters and a bottle of 2005 Red Wine (Cabernet Franc) certainly didn&#8217;t go astray either. That may explain why Andre is fast asleep next to me at the moment. After a lovely day I think I may do the same until tomorrow&#8217;s adventures.

... for a bit (got 2 weeks left on it, but might be able to get more) but once that's up we're gonna have to come back home :- ( Didn't say anything before cos we still didn't know what was going on, but obviously I'll let you know as soon as we get more info.<br><br>I'll fill you in on the actual places we've been later - Jack'll be wondering where his croissants have got too!<br>xx

... incredulously at the human wasp pushing up what must be a 20 percent slope (with me trying desperately to look cool - dressed as a wasp? - and equally desperately trying not to fall over). But the view was worth the effort (Oh really?!) and I sat in the cathedral gardens checking that my heart and lungs were still in my chest and not back on that dreadful hill! After a quick snack and singing happy birthday to me, I set off for my next big stop: Orléans on the superb River Loire.

... day the wind was kindly behind me. As the scenery constantly unfolded, my eyes feasted on chateau after chateau and petit village after petit village; all picture postcard perfect. With almost no traffic I made good progress, snacking along the way. But it was a long haul and so with aching back, knees and shoulders I was pleased to pass the sign announcing my arrival in Dreux. An unremarkable town, in spite of its long history; it has worked ...

Drove 2 hours South To the Loire valley to visit a small town of Chartres. Which has the greatest Gothic cathedral in Europe. It was built in 1020 The cathedral was the most important building in the town of Chartres. It was the centre of the economy, the most famous landmark and the focal point of almost every activity that is provided by civic ...

... full of immaculate half timbered houses and this year the roses are amazing (gardening's another hobby). The village is home to an enormous abbey and this time we were able to get inside the grounds for a look around. We're not religious, but the history and craftsmanship are always fascinating. I was surprised at the simplicity of the church, probably because we've seen inside too many super-ornate Spanish ones recently. The church was not a ...

... couple of hours after not sleeping for 26, it would have been even better. In the end though, everything turned out okay. We had a romantic dinner and we saw the Chartres cathedral the next day: bliss for an architecture enthusiast and a history buff respectively...

... cathedral and its stained glass windows a great deal in one of my art history courses. Yesterday, I went to the Pompidou art museum and saw great art work by Matisse, Miro, my favorite Dali, and Picasso. I loved it! After that we went to Sainte-Chappelle, which is also a very famous Gothic cathedral. The upper chapel is almost entirely covered in stained glass that tell stories from the Bible. It was gorgeous! Tomorrow we are off to Amsterdam. ;)