Chartres and Dior

Day 6 was a day trip to Chartres, and all went smoothly getting to the right train station and on the correct train. Success! It’s actually not that difficult. There are 6 major train stations in Paris and one minor one. They all have trains going in a specific direction so depending where you’re headed you need to get to the correct station. The train to Chartres leaves from Gare Montparnasse so that’s where I went on the metro. Then you need to find the right train. This picture is just a tiny piece of the station. There are usually 2 or 3 floors so HUGE!

Chartres is about 50 miles southwest of Paris so just a little over an hour ride from Paris usually. The trains are clean and very pleasant. Chartres is a fairly small town but quite famous because of their cathedral dating back to about the 1100’s. Like so many really old buildings it has had its share of trauma. Fires, wars you name it. Considered to be the best example in Europe of a Gothic cathedral. It was a gorgeous day and with how crowded much of Paris has been all week a nice break to get away for a day. You don’t need a map to get from the train station to the cathedral. You see it the minute you leave the station as it towers over the town. I headed right there hoping to get on the noon tour done in English.

The first church in this spot back in 876 received a very important relic - the actual veil (what we would now call a scarf) worn by the Blessed Mother Mary when she gave birth to Jesus. Scientifically tested and dated back to the first century. And yes I did get to see it!

I won’t even begin to tell you all I learned about this cathedral. The tour guide was excellent and turned out she actually grew up in Oak Park where I live! Small world! Her mom still lives there and she studied at the University of Chicago and now lives and teaches in the area. She does a noon tour in English Tuesday through Sat for 18 euros. Takes about an hour and 15 minutes and to say that barely allows her to scratch the surface of this amazing incredible building is an understatement. The stained glass windows predate Saint-Chapelle in Paris and some say actually inspired Saint-Chapelle. I’ll let the experts argue about that. I think both are fantastic. The windows actually tell the entire story of the Bible from start to finish. Every statue and they are everywhere are all planned with a reason and the most incredible detail. People have studied this building for decades and are still figuring it all out.

The top two pictures are the veil of Mary - encased in glass and behind the metal bars.

All that information made me work up an appetite- and luckily there are some great restaurants right around the cathedral. I picked one called Cafe Serpente and had a delicious omelette and salad gazing at the beautiful building and marveling at all the detail. The restaurant is so cute inside but on such a beautiful day why stay inside.

I took a stroll around the cute town and they have a very sweet main street with cute shops. Also walked through some of the very old neighborhoods and saw a couple of half-timbered houses which often times dates them to medieval times. I’m just guessing but they certainly looked old. The top right picture almost looks like a Monet painting to me.

On my way home I passed about 49 patisseries with beautiful desserts and when I got to number 50 I decided I deserved a treat. Also I love the sweet way they wrap the desserts - like they are a gift! So true! Lemon Meringue Tart for me s’il-vous-plaît!

Day 6 - another day - another boulangerie and croissant!

My big event for today was the Dior Museum. I had purchased a ticket and reserved a time before I left on my trip and was very glad I did. I got in as soon as they opened at 11 AM and didn’t have to wait in a long line of people purchasing tickets and running the risk of not getting in. I would love to tell you this is me heading in to make a dress purchase but that is definitely not the case. Although after seeing all of these gorgeous dresses I might put it on my list.

I don’t know anyone that has been to it as it just opened in spring of 2022, so I didn’t really know what to expect. I’m not super into designer clothing but I do know a bit about a few of the old guard and think it really is a form of art. I expected to see really beautiful dresses and I wasn’t disappointed in the least.

They have different rooms set up by theme, and lots of history about his life, family and career. It is all exquisitely presented. Top right is Christian Dior’s actual office. They take you through the 70 years of designs and even now who has taken over for him since his death in 1957.

Pretty gardens outside of the Louvre! Always something gorgeous to see. Well I’m off to Strasbourg for a few days tomorrow. Check back to see how Germany looks when it’s in France! I’m excited to see it🤗