A day in Chartres
Trip Start
Nov 23, 2005
1
5
7
Trip End
Nov 29, 2005
Chartres,
France
Saturday, November 26, 2005
We found our way to Gare Montparnasse which was very overwhelming: several stories high and signs everywhere. As was the case for all of Paris, though, all we had to do was take a deep breath and follow the signs and our instincts to a ticket window posted as english speaking and purchased our round-trip train tickets to Chartres.
We settled comfortably into our seats and the train pulled out of the station... there was now an inch of snow on the ground and more falling! Began to wonder if we'd get back to Paris that afternoon...
1 Snow in Paris!
.It was bitter cold in Chartres when we left the train station, and we were hungry and in need of a ladies' room, so we stopped at the first cafe we saw, directly across from the train station. After a good lunch and hot coffee, we headed out to find Cathedral Notre Dame de Chartres. A short walk brought us to this magnificent example of Gothic and Romanesque architecture. Though Chartres displays many of the same and similar elements as Notre Dame Paris, the feel inside is completely different. Where Notre Dame Paris utilizes show lighting to display every inch to its best advantage, Chartres feels very much as one would think it did 700 years ago. All is dark, save for the filtered light coming through the stained glass, bringing the pilgrim's eye directly to the messages contained within the windows. The choir screen surrounding the apse chronicles the lives of Mary and Jesus in intricate Gothic detail. The ornate exterior sculpture continue to spread the message of the Church to those contemplating entering. The cathedral, however, is not heated and may possibly have been colder than the air outside! After about an hour, we retreated to a little shop next to the church labeled "Toilettes" - an interesting little enterprise, it's primary purpose seems to be pay toilets (40 euro cents per person), with a secondary souvenir shop attached! After thawing in front of the heater, taking care of business and buying a few mementos, we strolled behind the church to a pretty little park in which teenagers were having a snowball fight and we were able to look down over the medieval town dusted with snow. Beautiful! OK, we were cold again and had another hour before our return train, so we stopped in a cute little shop for hot chocolates and a yummy chocolate tart... mmmmm! (http://www.ville-chartres.fr/site/index.php)
After the train back, we stopped by Boulangerie de Papa down the street from the hotel for quiche and went back to the hotel to eat. Once again the combination of cold and exercise wiped us out and we settled in for some reading before saying good night.
