Chartres

After a suggestion from my dad, and a public holiday in Paris, my friend Brit and

I caught the train to Chartres. About an hour away from Paris, and only 14 euros

return for a youth ticket, it was the perfect day trip. It is just a teeny town, but

has what is supposed to be the most beautiful cathedral in France.

Lovely Brit.

Despite being slightly underwhelmed upon first sighting due to huge scaffolding

on the entrance, once we got inside and had a little walk around, it really was

breathtaking.

This particular stained glass window is "very famous" according to the little map

that guided us around the church. It is called Notre Dame de la Belle Verriere.

Thought to be created around 1137, it has survived many wars, a devastating

fire, and various other threats to remain one of the most significant stained glass

windows in the world. Alchemists throughout the 20th century tried to recreate

the very same shade of blue, and found it impossible. She is beautiful in real life

too.

Equally as important to the Cathedral is their claim to have Mary's Veil, which is

housed in this big gold case behind a scary black fence. Looks pretty cool, and

whilst I am sure it's integrity is questionable (is that offensive to publish?) it is

still incredibly interesting to look at and ponder.

The ground of the Cathedral also has this awesome tiled labyrinth that is

unfortunately covered by chairs, but recreated in garden form outside. The

labyrinth represents the journey on earth of finding God.

We walked through the old parts of the town, found a little river with cute

houses, and a lovely restaurant where we treated ourselves to a (comparatively)

expensive lunch of 23 euros for 2 courses (which, when compared to a 4 euro

baguette is eating like queens.)

All in all, a lovely day, with lovely company and lots of cultural and historical fun had.