Chartres

Yesterday I spent the afternoon in Chartres, home to this beautiful cathedral: Notre Dame de Chartres. It was about a one hour drive from Paris, and once there we had a few hours to wander and find lunch. I really enjoyed the change of pace. The grey skies turned Chartres into a quite, sleepy town with friendly faces and cosy nooks and crannies.

Our walk through town brought us to picturesque streets and alley ways full of character. I was very happy that we decided to circle around the cathedral, because behind it we found a gorgeous view of the surrounding area and colorful trees highlighting the ornate detailed architecture.

 We also took part in a guided walking tour of the cathedral by a man from Chartres who was hilarious and had a frighteningly impressive knowledge of the cathedral and its history. My absolute favorite part was our visit to the crypt. All the walls and ceilings have been partially restored or protected enough to still see the original paintings (the same style that would have covered the whole church). And in the crypt we learned about the fascinating history of the cathedral's location and saw a 2000 year old well that, then, would have marked the worship grounds of Celt tribes. I thought it was so cool to see the parts of the building that are normally hidden from view.

The inside of the church was equally impressive. It boasts more than 150 stained glass windows that bring beautiful colored light into the immensity of the vaulted cathedral. I definitely want to go back and spend a whole day in Chartres, examining each and every window.