Jehan De Beauce Chartres

Tres bien...

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.

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.

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.

... relaxed and laid back. The Cathedral is definitely worth the visit, and gives a wonderful insight into the life of the people there in the Middle Ages. Whether you are religious or not, to stand in the centre of the church and to look around at all the sculpture and stained glass windows around you, you can’t help but marvel at the skill of the craftsmen who built it, and at the way that the building captures you attention.

After Chartres we drove slowly down to ...

... Personally I don't trust the garage at all so I'm waiting to hear from Diamond to see if they'll send out an independent inspector, but even so it's more than likely the car is going to be written off - it's ******* oil & the airbag went off on the drivers side which is usually bad news. We've got a hire car at the mo - AA cover paid for that as well - so we're gonna carry ...

Once again I was away by 07:30 in a heavy fog that caused me to be grateful for the excellent lights on my bicycle. I shunned the scenic route - nothing to see! - and took a direct route that left the GPS totally confused as it tracked my progress across a completely blank screen: a new road had opened recently so was unknown to the software. But I trusted my map and guidance from a young man waiting at a bus stop and pushed on, with a brand new motorway to my right. (Drivers of ...

... to blend modern with old town centre architecture, most notably its impressive clock tower. My hotel for the night was equally unremarkable yet provided an amazingly comfortable bed. That evening I strolled through a very quiet town centre and ate in the trendy 'Market Pub' (While the UK long ago borrowed the terms 'bistro' and 'brasserie' the term 'pub' seems to be a recent trend in France). DISTANCE FOR THE DAY: 100 km TOTAL SO FAR: 376 km

... in towns today The cathedral has three large rose windows: one on the west front with a theme of The Last Judgment, one on the north transept with a theme of the Glorification of the Virgin, and one on the south transept with a theme of the Glorification of Christ. Statistics length: 130 m width: 32/46 m nave: height 37 meters; width 16.4 m Ground ...

Another gorgeous day yesterday, and our rain chance for tomorrow has been cut from 80% to 40%. The gods of Europe appreciate the time we put in through snow and sleet and ice over our holiday trip and are rewarding us with mostly clear skies but a few puffy clouds. We'll take the 55 degree weather too, even though it is still cold with the breeze, but almost hot enough to take your coat off in the sun! Yesterday we got up for the rush ...

... who can see any of that? All one can see is the beloved glass. During both World Wars, each and every piece of glass was removed, wrapped, labeled and put away for protection. Beloved glass. Chartres Blue is coined color from the glass. I took 173 pictures. Don't worry. I won't post but a few. The interior glass ones didn't turn out well. I needed a tripod. (Note to family, take your tripod when you visit ...

... At first they were really nice and helpful, but by the time we got to the kings rooms, they were just too long per room. My favorite part of Versailles was the gardens. They're huge with a new fountain or statue behind every corner, and I didn't even see half of the gardens. For lunch Nessa and I sat at the bottom of the stairs and just relaxed and enjoyed the sun and breeze. Oh the statues, I absolutely loved the statues. They were so detailed and each one so ...