We took the train out of Paris to Chartres on Saturday to visit the cathedral. Getting to Gare Montparnasse was a feat in itself, given the closures of many Metro stations due to the Gilets Jaunes (yellow vest) protests. However, we got to the station and reached the town around noon.
Lunch was at Tomate & Piment, a restaurant halfway between the train station and the cathedral. The soundtrack was the Beatles, which is always a good sign to me. This might have been the second best meal we had in France on this trip. Julian had chicken liver pâté as an appetizer. We both had veal roast with orange sauce. For dessert, I had the creation below: Two hemispheres of chocolate held pineapple and cream. The garnishes were pomegranate seeds, a starfruit slice, and a peach or mango swirl. Very tasty.
The cathedral was amazing – and cold. One could study the stained glass windows for days. Bruce had the idea that he should rent a place in Chartres for a month and contemplate the cathedral every day. The surprise to me was this zodiac window. The Catholic Church disparaged astrology as being heretical.
The zodiac window in the Cathedral in Chartres. Note the Pisces symbol in the lower right.
We got on the train back to Paris around 3:30. About halfway back, the train stopped unexpectedly. No announcements for some time. When there was an announcement, it was in French. A bilingual person told us that there was ice on the overhead wires for the train that impeded its movement. We waited and waited some more. The smokers got restless and opened the exit doors so they could get their nicotine fixes. Despite the chaos, the atmosphere in our car was festive. The group sitting in front of us was laughing and telling jokes. A woman who didn’t make it to her potluck shared pancakes she had made.
Around 9:30, it was announced that a train would come from Paris and take us back to Chartres for the night. Julian reserved a hotel room for the three of us through booking.com. Shortly after we got on the train, it was announced that buses would take us back to Paris. We ran to the bus. We didn’t get back to the flat until 1:30.
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