Saint Louis Chateaudun

... a ltr bottle of Vin rouge and a bottle of water. Not only excellent value but terrific quality and service. The atmosphere was friendly and relaxed and it was difficult to tell we were foreigners abroad.

Well fed and watered we got tucked for the night ready for an early morning START!!....

... 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 ...

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 ...

... changing designs and sculptures. It's an incredible feat of Gothic architecture, and I'm glad I went even though I was all by myself. I hadn't even realized that Chartres is part of the Pilgrimage of St. James of Compostela, which ends in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. There are indications for the trail all around the town, though I can't say I saw any actual pilgrims. Outside the Cathedral, there is a beautiful park from which you can descend down into the historic ...

... Audemer, stopping for fuel on the way. The diesel is still a bit cheaper here, even with the current exchange rate. Our next goal was fuel for us. We love food shopping in France - it's the best. There are markets in every town, and loads of butchers, greengrocers and delicatessens in every high street. We don't usually shop in a supermarket, even though French ones are so much better than ours. We stocked up on meat, cheese and salad stuff. When I asked for 2 ...

... where to find Jude IF he got lost). We did see some more Japanese tourists taking pictures of all of the high end designer stores, which we got a kick out of. Our pictures: "Ooh, flying buttresses on Notre Dame", there's: "Ooh, Louis Vitton!" Now, I shouldn't make fun though, as I did consider blessing myself and saying a small novena in front of the Chanel store (And Dior, Bvulgari, and Cartier.... Haven't found Hermes yet). Window ...

... to be the finest example of Gothic architecture in France. It was built to house a fragment of Mary's veil (or tunic). This cathedral is also known for its amazing stained glass which has miraculously (mostly) survived the centuries, with some excellent examples from the 12th and 13th century. One of the most famous windows is The Blue Virgin, 12th century glass set in a 13th century ...

Hi everybody! We took a weekend trip to Chartres, France, for Melanie to see the famous Chartres Cathedral. At the moment, this entry only contains pictures from that trip. Story to come later. Melanie and Chris