A Dream of Mine

Ever since I discovered the Labyrinth some ten plus years ago, I have yearned to come to Chartres.  When I found out it was only an hour out of Paris, I was so disappointed that I did not know this when I visited Paris with Ron years ago while he was on a business trip.  I honestly thought I would never have the opportunity to return.  Fate or destiny, has a way of bringing us where we are meant to be.
So, here I am, realizing I was but a dream away from this place all along.

After a very long trip of car to the airport, plane one to Dallas and then plane two to Paris and then n hour taxi to Gare Montparnasse for another hour to Chartres by train, we arrived very tired.  We quickly showered to refresh ourselves and off we went to get our first view of Chartres.  It was all I had imagined.  We searched for the Labyrinth, knowing it was at the center of the Nave.  It is covered with chairs, but on Fridays between 10 am and 5 pm, the chairs are cleared for walking it. Hence, our reason for being here at this time.  I hope we can walk it in the morning and then again later in the day.  The lighting at the Cathedral changes by the minute, season and weather.  This labrinth dates to sometime around 1200 and is made up of flagstones from the quarries in Bercheres, enclosed by bands of black marble.  It has never been restored and it amazing to see how beautiful it is.

Chartres Cathedral, in and of itself, is something worth seeing.  It is one of the UNESCO Heritage sites, if this is something that attracts you.  Being Catholic, Ron and I are drawn to Cathedrals and churches around the world, UNESCO Heritage or not.  Even if one is not Catholic, you cannot deny the beauty of it, nor the historical value of it.  It is the most complete and well-preserved example of Gothic Cathedrals.  The rose window dates back to the 13th century.  There are 172 stained glass windows, covering 2600 square meters.  They are of the finest collection in Europe, considering their age and beauty.  They are famous for the color blue used.This radiant blue used cobalt oxide.  One of the windows is called the "blue Virgin".  Later on, a less expensive pigment replaced the 12th century blue, known as "Chartres blue".  

We walked up 300 steps to the bell tower.  It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be and well worth the trip.  The view was breathtaking of the Cathedral from the angles seen from there, as well as the view of the village.  The narrow, spiraling staircase was beautiful as it led our way.  

After a walk through "old town", we had a lunch of crepes.  One with ham and cheese, the other with caramel  Oh my, were they both good.