France 2.0: Wednesday, April 13

It's goodby to Nogent today. Everyone meets the tour bus at the high school at 8:00 AM. Most students, both French and American, have tears in their eyes as we prepare to leave. Danielle and I have to almost drag the students onto the bus. The French students form a long cheering line as the bus pulls out. I will miss my stay with Patricia and Dan, along with my visits of the the other teachers at Nogent.

The first stop of the day is the city of Chartres. Miles before we arrive, the spires of the cathedral show up in the distance.


Our tour leader is Malcolm Miller. He is considered one of the world's leading experts on the Cathedral at Chartres. The present structure was constructed mostly between 1193 and 1250. There were at least four previous buildings on the site going back nearly 2,000 years. It is considered to be one of the best preserved medieval structures in Europe.


The collection of stained glass windows is unequaled. Mr. Miller pointed out that stained glass windows were used for telling stories and recording events before the invention of paper and writing. The cathedral contains some 176 stained glass windows. The majority of these windows were made and installed between 1205 and 1240.


When the German Army was advancing into France during World War Two, all the windows were removed, created, and put on a train to Southern France. I can't imagine the work involved. The cathedral is also the site of many pilgrimages because the cathedral allegedly contains a remnant of the tunic worn by the Virgin Mary at the birth of Jesus. Outside, the thousands of sculptures incorporated into the stonework also reveal historical times. In early times, the Cathedral at Chartres was considered the academic center of France.


After the tour, there was free time for lunch and walking around the city.

At 1:00 we boarded the bus and headed to the Chateau of Chambord. The young King Francis I was 25 years old in 1519 when he initiated the building of the chateau.


The building was intended to be a hunting lodge, with 282 fireplaces and 426 rooms you might consider that a bit over the top. The architecture is a blend of medieval and influences of Renaissance Italy. The "hunting club" contained 13,000 acres and was completely surrounded by
a high stone wall.

After Chambord, we head to the city of Tours and check into the hotel. After dinner, Danielle takes us on a walking tour of Tours. The city is located in central France and is on the River Loire. It has a long history going back 2,000 years. This evening we took a long walk and saw the Cathedral of Tours and walked along the River Loire.





We need to expend some the students energy so they would sleep. :-)

More about Tours tomorrow.



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