A rest day in Chartres

August 4, 2017

My legs wouldnt carry me up the hill to the Cathedral last night but Ken went up to work out our exploration for this morning.

Dinner was very nice pasta in the hotel and a beer which sent me straight to sleep, I think we probably still have some degree of jet lag or perhaps it is just the unaccustomed excercise

Of course we were awake and off early and after breakfast we were trudging up the hill arriving at the Cathedral just as it was opening. The first Cathedral on this site was in the 4th Century. Various calamities followed culminating with a fire in 1194 after which the present Cathedral was built and was opened about1230. We visited Chartres Cathedral about 6 years ago and at that time it seemed a very dark place. Then restoration was being started and now the impression is quite different. On the inside it is restored to its original light colours of the 13th Century and all the stained glass has been painstakingly cleaned. We were lucky enough that a service was starting as we arrived and we were able to hear the magnificence of the acoustics and even hear one of the organs. When we visited Chartres those years ago we were remembering our friend John Hayward who had so liked it so once again we sat in the cool calm and though of John.

The little town on the hill top around the cathedral is a delight. French shops always seem to be beautiful even though they are closed most of the time you want them. We stopped for a very elegant coffee then wandered down to the L'Eure following it along to a little park for our customary picnic lunch. Ken has continued on to the agricultural museum but I have nipped back to our room

Ken writes: This afternoon I walked the .75 Km to the Agricultural Mueseum has a great collection of plows, seeding and harvesting machines and of course tractors. There are 4 massive early tractors built like traction engines but with 2 and 4 cylinder engines. I took lots of photos but I bet Tricia won't put many on.

A disappointing photo of the interior the stained glass just doesnt show up. It is the blue that is special in the stained glass in Chartres

I think the reason I like French food so much is that I largely eat with my eyes

The view of the Cathedral as we come down the hill

The first Fordson and a Schneider made in.Becanson

An Allgaier 1948 German single cylinder the first I have seen though I have seen them on the internet

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