Arrival, delays, and finally Chartres

Day 1: Delays galore and, finally, Chartres

Excited to be on our way

After all the pre-trip drama, we were excited to get on the plane and be on our way.  We were also starving and looking forward (yes, really) to airplane food!  You know we were starving.  So imagine our dismay when ours was one of three rows that wasn't served.  Yup.  We got passed by and forgotten despite repeatedly asking the flight attendants for food.  It was really weird.  They were cleaning up the other sections when we finally got our meals.  And then they didn't serve the guy one row up on the aisle.  Very strange.  The chicken dinner was not worth the wait but at least we weren't starving anymore.


The flight was uneventful otherwise and we landed 45 minutes early (730am).  We taxi'd for awhile, got into the ubiquitous buses to the terminal, and made it through customs by time our plane should have arrived, around 815am.  We were feeling good!


We walked to baggage claim and saw masses of people hanging around.  We figured several international flights had landed, no biggie.  Grabbed a cart and headed to our carousel.  And started waiting.  No bags were coming out.


We listened to an announcement over the PA and, resigned, found a spot out of the main crowd.  The bad news was that there was a problem with the baggage system and they were working to solve it.  No ETA provided.  There was no good news.

Masses waiting on baggage claim

Going nowhere any time soon

Our bags finally arrived at 1045am.  We were relieved that both bags made it.  We looked for an ATM but the only one we saw was out of order.


We routed ourselves to the Hertz counter to pick up our rental car.  There were three clerks.  There were tons of people.  They didn't have cars for those of us with vouchers (from AAA, Travel Agents, or Auto Europe) but speedily served those with direct Hertz reservations.  It took forever and an aggravating day.  We didn't actually get our car, a very beat up, old Opal, until 1215pm.


We pulled out of Hertz around 1230pm.  It had taken 5 hours to go from landing at CDG to leaving CDG.  That has to be some kind of (sad) record. 


We were tired, frustrated, dirty, and hungry.  We didn't have any cash: the only ATM we'd seen was broken. It took awhile for the GPS to boot up.  We didn't have a map.  We still had a 2 hour drive to Chartres.  We had already missed Malcolm Miller's tour and would also miss the 230pm tour. This was a most inauspicious beginning to our trip.


Traffic was heavy and the route was confusing.  We got turned around a couple of times.  Finally on the outskirts of Paris, we stopped at a rest station, had lunch, bought a map, and snacks. 


As we neared Chartres, we were treated to the awesome sight of the Cathedral.  We both hoped it was worth the effort.  This was the second time we'd tried to visit the Cathedral.  In 2015, a major traffic jam delayed us for two hours and we missed it altogether. 

View of the cathedral from road to Chartres

Chartres was really busy.  There was some kind of fair going on right across from the Mercure Chartres Cathedral Centre hotel.  Husband was able to stop in front for a minute to unload the car but a big stupid tour bus started honking.  I flipped them off.  I dragged our bags inside and husband went to park the car in a nearby garage.


Check-in was smooth.  They had a beautiful room for us, overlooking the busy street, which I rejected as too noisy.  We were moved to a less nice room on the first floor that was really quiet and looked out at the roof and a courtyard.  Perfect for jet lagged sleeping.


We cleaned up and headed out to see THE reason we worked so hard to get to this town: Chartres Cathedral.


And yes, it was worth the effort.  It is the most magnificent cathedral we've ever seen.  We want to return and take a guided tour.  It's stupendous.


What follows are my iphone pics of the cathedral.  They do not show how awesome it is.



The entrance doors

 

The labyrinth covered by chairs

Beautifully carved choir of the life of Mary

We exited and went around the side to see the structure from all angles.  The left side of the Cathedral was probably my favorite with the intricately carved figures of Jesus and the Disciples. There was a colorfully dressed wedding party taking pictures nearby which added to the atmosphere.

Left side

 We made our way into the Bishop's Garden and the weather started to get ugly.

Back of the cathedral

 Had it been a nicer afternoon, and if I hadn't been bone tired, I would have walked the labyrinth.

Labyrinth in the Cathedral Garden

We left the garden just before the rains started. 


I loved this building, which is right across from the cathedral. Maybe it's the rectory or something.

There are lots of beautiful blue doors in France!

On the right side of the Cathedral it looks like the restoration is not complete but it's still spectacular.

Right side of the Cathedral

Spires from the right side of the Cathedral

The rain started in earnest so we popped into the little restaurant across from the Cathedral for a break. 

Our first beers in France in 2017! :)

 The rain didn't last long.  We meandered back toward the hotel.

The lovely garden in front of the Cathedral

After the brief rain, the day once again became beautiful and lots of people were out enjoying the festival.  We planted ourselves at a Tabac, with more beer, to people watch before dinner.  This is one of my favorite pastimes in France!

Lots of people out on this pretty day

We had dinner reservations at Les Feullantines at 730pm.  The sun was setting beautifully and we took our time getting there.  What we saw of Chartres left a very positive impression; it was very cute.

We didn't get to go into this church

Memorial to war victims

Long shadows

Cathedral looking gorgeous at sunset

Dinner at Les Feullantines was very good.  It's a tiny place and was completely booked.  They turned away several people while we were there.  The food was fresh and well presented and the staff were generally attentive and helpful.  We would return.

Husband's pork belly appetizer

My fish appetizer

Husband's beef steak

My fish with ratatouille

This was our first meal in France 2017 and my first fish with ratatouille.  Practically every fish I ordered this year came with the ratatouille, which I do not enjoy.  We asked a Le Bacchus and were told this is the traditional way of serving fish.  To me it overwhelms the light, flaky fish but it's apparently very popular.


After our dinner, we walked back to the Cathedral for the Lumiere (light show).  All I can say is WOW!!!  We've never seen anything like it and were just blown away! 

Right side of the Cathedral

Right side of the Cathedral

On the Left side of the Cathedral, the lights filled in the faces, clothes, and details of the statues and stone.  The tableau came to life.  Amazing!  It was incredible to see. I loved it!

Left side of the Cathedral

Left side of the Cathedral

Left side of the Cathedral

Then we got to the Front of the Cathedral. This part of the light show was set to music and ran for 10-12 minutes.  It was so cool, interesting, and complex.  Just incredible.

Front of the Cathedral

Front of the Cathedral

By now it was past midnight and we were done--crossed eyed from exhaustion.  We walked back to the hotel, noticed a few more lit up buildings, and crashed.


Takeaways:
1.  There will always be a reason to cancel a vacation. Try not to. 
2.  No more picking up rental cars at CDG.  And never present to Hertz with a voucher from Auto Europe (or AAA or a Travel Agent).  They treated people with direct Hertz reservations markedly differently than those of us with vouchers. 
3.  Driving to Chartres with the GPS was easy.  Would have been very difficult for us without it.
4.  The Chartres Cathedral was worth every effort we made to visit it.
5.  If you have a chance to see Chartres en Lumiere, do not hesitate!
6.  I love France.


Next: To Amboise, with detours.