Chartres

Today started a little crazy. We had to take the train from Rouen back to Paris and then transfer to another train for Chartres. Everything was going smoothly. We checked the schedule board and headed to track 24. We boarded, but I kept wondering where all the passengers were. After 30 minutes sitting alone, we discovered that the track had been changed, so we had to wait for the next one. Anyway, today ended up being a whirlwind visit of Chartres since we’re only here one day.

I don’t think any cathedrals can compete with Rouen’s…on the exterior. But I was in complete awe of the interior of Cathédrale Nôtre Dame of Chartres which dates to 1260. The legendary stained glass windows are around 700 years old, and the colors are unbelievably bright and colorful especially all the blues. I was completely speechless…no words to describe the beauty. The windows, many statues and the architecture are like a picture book that tell the whole Christian story from birth to the end of time, and they were used to tell the stories to the illiterate. Pilgrims started coming here in 876 because the town acquired the torn veil (birthing gown) which was supposedly worn by Mary at the birth of Christ. The relic is still there but not currently for public view. There was also a labyrinth inside that provides a 900 foot “journey” to Jerusalem where one hopes to meet God in the middle.

We did a short walk in the old city which was very charming and ate at a great place called The Serpent. What a treat, and the French onion soup was superb! For the evening we watched “Chartres en Lumières” which was an interactive laser light show with a kaleidoscope of brilliant colors on the cathedral, many with told stories. Then, we hopped on a mini train around town to see this spectacle continued on about 20 different sites throughout the old town. Amazing and mesmerizing!Read more