Chartres

Chartres, France, about an hour south of Paris, has a population of 40,000. It's most famous for the Chartres Cathedral. And you'll see why.

Although there are no other tourist attractions, the city itself is very quaint and pristine with many restaurants and shops.

Ross's friend Erica was visiting from the States and we were happy she could go with us to both Chartres and Paris. We enjoyed her visit and hope she will come see us again soon!

These are restaurants and shops across from the cathedral. The whole town is really picturesque.

And this is the Cathedral Notre Dame de Chartres.

It is definitely something to see. Constructed between 1193 and 1250, amazingly, today it is almost exactly like it was originally constructed.

As I'm sure you know, this cannot be said for most historic buildings which have been destroyed and rebuilt over the centuries.

I borrowed the picture above from the internet since on the day we visited it was very cloudy and difficult to take pictures inside. Check out the size of those columns compared to the people standing next to them.

The stained glass windows of the Cathedral of Chartres survive intact and the architecture has had only minor changes since the 13th century. Dating from as early as 1140, most of the total of 170 windows are from 1200-1250 and cover 21,000 sq. ft. These 170 windows have survived intact for 800 years! Through countless conflicts. I find that simply amazing.

And amazingly enough, it was neither destroyed nor looted during the French Revolution.

An outdoor labyrinth on one side of the cathedral.

There is the option to take this winding staircase and climb to the top.

And Jim, Ross, and Erica did it!

I had several good excuses for staying firmly on the ground.

But I sent my camera along and Jim snapped these pictures.

I read that on a clear day you can see the Eiffel Tower. Not so sure about that or exactly how many really clear days there are here, but I'd say this is amazing, even on a foggy day.

This is the stone inlaid Chartres Labyrinth (c. 1205) used for walking contemplation by monks and still used for meditation by pilgrims.

The Notre Dame de Pilar - The Black Madonna of Chartres.

This is a figure of Mary on a pillar, not to be confused with Virgin Mary nor Mary Magdelene. I read about this and the explanation is really still a mystery. They (black madonnas) are considered powerful healers and miracle workers standing for equality, justice and liberation.

To be clear, they were not just being politically correct back then.

In 876, the cathedral acquired the Sancta Camisa, believed to be the tunic worn by the Virgin Mary at the time of Christ's birth. Legend has it that it was a gift from Charlemagne, but in fact, the relic was a gift to the cathedral from Charles the Bald and it became an important object of pilgrimage closer to the 12th century.

Thanks again to the wonder of the internet, you can see in this picture above what a presence this place has in Chartres.

Chartres Cathedral. You just cannot imagine how beautiful (and huge) this place is, pilgrim.