Groove is in the Heart: The France Epic: Arrival and Chartres

Okay I have finally collated the 300+ photos we took on the trip into functional, organized blocks (thank you Picasa...). Trust that I have not included most of the photos of the art we saw. Between the couple of hours we spent at the Rodin and the nearly 6 hours I/we spent at the Musée d'Orsay I have more than enough material to reflect upon. Both of those museums were, for those interested, absolute must-see exhibits.

I also saw the small but meticulously maintained Delacroix museum; and we also spent an afternoon out at Chartres. Chartres blows Notre Dame in Paris right out of the water on the basis of it's glass alone. Take the time and check it out if you are ever in Paris for more than a few days... the photos here just don't do it justice. Additionally, we did visit Notre Dame (Paris) the day after Chartres, just for comparison, and we both agree that even though the structure in Paris is gorgeous - especially since the cleaning - Chartres still is more magnificent as a whole.

I will expand a little more on the previous post I wrote in Paris only to say that there is more to the town than just the cathedral. Chartres boasts a lovely old town with many half-timbered houses that have been well maintained. There is another church in the town that is fairly intact and dates to somewhere around 1000 AD (more than a century earlier than Chartres. The Crypt of the cathedral is the largest in Europe, and some of the foundations of the original Roman temple upon which the Cathedral rests are still accessible on the crypt tour. The interior shots were taken with my cell cam, hence the crappy quality. Just go see it, it'll knock your socks off.