May 17, 2019: Chartres and Return to Paris

June 2, 2019 cjbishop@yahoo.com

We return to Paris today but will be stopping to see the famous cathedral in Chartres (pronounced “shart”), commonly called the Chartres Cathedral but is officially named the Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres. It was mostly constructed between 1194 and 1220, and stands at the site of at least five cathedrals that have occupied the site since the 4th century. It is a remarkable structure because its design allowed the windows to be larger than those in earlier churches. Even more remarkable is that of the 176 stained glass windows in the church, 152 are original from the 13th century. They managed to survive the many wars and fires over the centuries. A fascinating fact: when WWII started the stained glass windows were completely removed and hidden until after the war, thus preserving them for us to admire.

We have seen quite a few windmills as we traveled through the region.

French rest stops have great amenities and food!

Carrying on the tradition of having a Magnum ice cream sometime during a tour, even if it is at 10 AM.

Sue is famous for buying localtreast, which she is always willing to share. These were quite good.

Another “flourish”n given to us by Chantal. It is a cake like pastry.

Local mural near the Chartres Cathedral.

The Chartres Cathedral from the side, showing the different spires, built in different centuries.

Carvings on the exterior of the church entrance.

Carvings at the front entrance of the cathedral.

One of the rose windows in the cathedral.

View of upper and lower stained glass windows in the cathedral.

One of the 152 original stained glass windows in the cathedral.

More stained glass, depicting the life of Jesus and the saints. People could not read back then so pictures were prominent in churches.

The modern main altar in an ancient church.

The stained glass windows with a special blue color.

Preserved painting on one of the columns in the church.

Elaborate carvings everywhere in the church.

More elaborate carvings, depicting saints and stories from the Bible.

Another famous feature of the church is that it contains a labyrinth mosaic on the floor in the center of the nave. Labyrinths were found in almost all Gothic Cathedrals, though most were later removed, since they distracted from the religious services in the nave. The labyrinth is supposed to symbolize the long winding path towards salvation. Unlike mazes, there was only a single path that could be followed. While we were in the church there were some devote people with their heads bowed, working their way through the maze.

The labyrinth in the floor of the church.

The Chartres cathedral has always been a popular pilgrimage site as it is rumored that the veil (which was acquired in 876 AD) worn by Mary when Jesus was born is a relic stored here.

The relics of Mary’s veil she supposedly wore when Jesus was born.

Between our guided tour in the cathedral to see the many features, picture taking and souvenir shopping there was little time to grab lunch before leaving the area. Luckily we found a Boulangerie (bakery) nearby that sold baguette sandwiches and we sat on a wall near the cathedral, quickly eating our lunch before boarding the bus.

The neighborhood around the church in Chartres.

We were back in Paris by 3 PM, beating the expected evening rush. Local sites were pointed out as we worked our way to Les Invalides, where we posed for a customary group picture in front of Dome les Invalides, Napoleon’s burial site.

Houseboat homes on a side channel of the Seine.

Another example of typical Paris residences.

Arch de Triomphe. Well at least what I could get from a bus window.

Driving along the Champs Elysees, where the high end shops are located.

Eiffel Tower in the background as we drove to our hotel.

Notre Dame after the fire. Note the barricades keeping people from getting anywhere close to the church.

The Dome church of Les Invalides, where Napoleon is buried.

Group Photo of our tour group. Chantal, the tour director, is on the left and our driver, Agostinho is in front.

Arrival at the hotel thus ended our collective journey except for the 14 of us who chose to go to the last optional event offered on the trip, an evening at one of the famous Paris can can theaters. Our group went to “La Nouvelle Eve”, smaller and not as famous as the Moulin Rouge or the Lido but considered to be more authenic. We had been to the Moulin Rouge years ago and were glad to be able to see something different. Chantal must have known the owner as he greeted us at the door and after a group picture with two of the dancers, took us to front row seats in the theater. A steak dinner, wine and champagne was included with the show and we all agreed it was one of the better meals we have had, much better than we had expected for such a venue. The show was also excellent. There were the requisite dancers; feathers from their skimpy costumes fluttered down at our table (we were that close). There was a singer, a great comedian and pantomime act as part of the show. And to top it off, Gerry was coerced into coming onto the stage and participating in a dance contest with several other men! We called it “karma” as once on a cruise he caused Yvonne to be taken on stage during a ventriloquist’s act. It was a truly fun evening.