Chartres en Lumières

Most people treat Chartres as a day trip or stop-over on the way to or from Paris. It’s star attraction, the Chartres Cathedral, can be toured in an hour (allow more time to really explore it thoroughly). There are a few other sites to see for those who want to extend their time in town. But beyond that, why did I choose to stay overnight (especially when I have housing in Paris)?

I couldn't pass up seeing the city lit up at night for Chartres en Lumières.

Between April and October, the town puts on a show at night. I first heard of this event from a post on Out and About in Paris and it stayed in the back of my mind, only to resurface when Michael mentioned he wanted to visit Chartres again. 29 historical buildings participate, and the highlight of the nightly event is the projected light show on the main facade of the Cathedral.

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Day Trip from Paris: Chartres, France, Part I

If you’ve heard of Chartres, you’ve most likely heard about it in the context of one famous building that lies in the center of town. The town of Chartres is a popular day trip from Paris because it is close (about an hour drive or via train) and it has one magnificent star-attraction that towers over the town: the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres, or commonly referred to in English as the Chartres Cathedral.

You also must know if you've spent any amount of time in Europe that cathedrals and grand churches exist all throughout France and the rest of Europe. I’m at a point in my European travels that I have a bit of “cathedral fatigue.” I know, the three-years-ago-me would have rolled her eyes and be tempted to slap the present-me at even the thought of how that could be possible. Just think what she would do knowing that I admitted it. But the point is, after a while, one huge old church seems similar to the next and the novelty starts to wear off.

So hear me when I say that despite my church fatigue, Chartres Cathedral is something very special. Special enough to plan a weekend trip around it, even considering that we had seen this very cathedral three years ago.

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This Week: Chartres, France

Bon lundi!

If you've been following my adventures, you know that on the last weekend of August Michael and I went on a surprise trip. I am really bad at giving surprises because I’m that person who is just bursting with excitement. My Grammy is the same way, pulling me aside before my birthday to show me the gift that I would be open months later. We just can’t help but share the joy of gift giving. But this year for Michael’s birthday I held it together. I managed to surprise him with a weekend trip to a town nearby that he’s been wanting to return to: Chartres.

To be honest, as I was concocting my plan only a few days prior to the weekend I had a moment of panic. Most people do Chartres as a day-trip from Paris, seeing the famous Cathedral, stopping for lunch, and heading back out. Was it a mistake to go for a weekend? Would we run out of things to do?

Nope, not at all. This week is all about Chartres, how I fell in love with the magnificent cathedral all over again, and what lies beyond the town’s star sight. Oh, and there was a light show too. See, so much to share this week, I can barely hold it in!

Find out where to find a house decorated entirely in mosaics this week!  

Have you ever been to Chartres, France?

A Birthday Celebration Meets Famous Cathedral

Bon lundi!

You know how I was all “let’s have a staycation and stick it out while everyone else abandons Paris?” Well, I almost made it through the month staying put. But then I realized that Michael’s birthday was coming up. He has been wanting to go back to Chartres ever since our first trip there in 2011. They had recently started restoration work on the famous Chartres Cathedral and we've been interested to see the progress made. That was the inspiration behind my spur-of-the-moment, last minute decision to book a surprise weekend trip.

Besides, this little getaway would make me feel more "French." Let me explain. 

There’s a term in French for this time of year called la rentrée. It literally means “the return” in English, and the closest expression that I can think of that we would use is “back-to-school.” But la rentrée is more than just the start of a new school year. It’s a time of everything starting back up again. The shops and restaurants that were closed for a good month or so open their doors again, locals return from their month-long vacations, and everyone is rejuvenated to get back into the normal swing of things. It feels similar to New Year’s to me - a time to look forward to the year ahead and connect to friends who you haven’t seen for a while due to all the vacation disruptions. 

So, even though I stayed within an hour of Paris, our little trip to Chartres this past weekend makes me feel like I can rentrée with the best of them. Looking forward to a fabulous fall!

The front of the Chartres Cathedral, or its official French name, the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres 

Anyone else coming back from summer vacation? Where did you go?