There are no adjustments on this tablet, and the windows are difficult to photograph at best, so this doesn't do this justice by a long shot. My camera seems to do well, we'll have to see when we actually print them. I sure hope I got some good ones.
This tablet doesn't do justice to the inside of the cathedral. I pray i'll have some good pictures with my camera. But maybe here's a sense of what I'm seeing. Just fabulous!
First thing I had to do today was find out about the holiday tomorrow. Not even this hotel is open on May 1. Bad news, the trains are only running on a very limited schedule, I wouldn't be able to get out of here until late afternoon, so I'll enjoy what I can this morning and early afternoon, and take off at 4.
The first thing I did was climb the north tower of the cathedral! 300 steps! But what a view from up there! It was, of course, interesting to see some of the construction up close also and a view of the roof.
From the top I went to the bottom - the crypt. That was interesting seeing how the floor is supported. It's actually quite extensive down there, and used, and almost immediately after the tour, I went down again to the crypt chapel for Mass.
I then headed over to the other Gothic church in town - St Pierre. It was a Benedictine abbey church. It's a straight church (without a transept) with another collection of magnificent XIII century stained glass. Chartres had been a real center for stained glass in the middle ages. I read there that all that glass (and the cathedral's) had been removed from the windows in 1939 and stored in the crypt until after WWII.
Chartres has an old quarter of narrow winding cobblestoned streets, and quaint old houses, that is really quite interesting. I enjoyed just exploring.
The 'train' is actually a bus, but I'm on my way to Tours.
I arrived by 11:30 this morning, walked around a bit looking for a place to stay, finally had to settle on a nice hotel, and amazingly it was cheaper than the budget places because they only had double rooms and insisted on charging for two people even if I was only one. This place had singles, and Notre Dame de Chartres is only a block away!
This cathedral is considered the creme-de-la-creme of gothic cathedrals, and it's hard to argue with them. It is especially renowned for the stained glass windows. Somehow the majority of the medieval glass has survived the centuries. They are spectacular! They even wanted a vibrant new blue in honor of Our Lady, and made chartreuse blue (from Chartres, duh) for the glass, but then lost the recipe/process and it can't be duplicated. There are three great rose windows, and some 40 smaller round rosettes, and many many large tall windows throughout the church. It is also known for its carvings. Actually, most of the cathedral is rather plain, certainly nothing like Amiens, but the carvings around the doors are wonderful, they are high quality work of medieval craftsmen, in a consistent style throughout.
Mass was at the main altar (at the crossing) at 6:15, and I'm back at the hotel.
By 9 o'clock tonight I decide to go out again, as the old town had a nighttime walking tour laid out with multimedia light shows on a bunch of the building, including several churches. You've never seen Notre Dame de Chartres like this before! Sometime projecting artsy stuff, stars and flowers, at other times outlining the structure and such things. I particularly like what they would do with the rose window. They seem to understand that the rose window represents the Eye of God, and they would have it radiate with the might of God. On the north portal, which is highly carved, they made each statue glow with brilliant colors, as if each status was painted, the lights precisely coloring faces, hands, garments, borders etc, it was truly amazing. And all this in a light but steady drizzle.
Until tomorrow - God bless you, you are in my prayers.
This morning I had a choice to make (like every day).I had kept open the possibility of visiting Beauvais, but that would have involved backtracking toward Amiens, making a connection in 9 minutes, visiting the cathedral (it was never completed, but only the apse and transepts ever got done so I really didn't want to spend a whole day there), finding the train schedule back to Paris, get the subway to another train station, and then find a train to Chartres, my real destination. Or I could just catch a train back to Paris directly, find the metro to the other station and get a train to Chartres. As I stood in the Rouen station the train to Beauvais was leaving at 7:17, and the one directly back to Paris at 7:24. Which should I take? Having the train pass made this possible, as I could get on any train I wanted. As the clock ticked past 7:10 and no platform number was appearing (it should be up 20 minutes before departure) I worried about finding my connection platform, if the train was late, an so I opted for the simpler, less stressful day and headed for Paris. I made it there, through the metro, found the right train station and am already sitting on a train to Chartres at 11 o'clock am.
I had made a quick tour of the three churches I want to see, and found out that the nearest one - St Ouen - was having a special multimedia presentation at 9 PM. They would be projecting the sights and sounds of the forest onto the columns and vault roof of the nave so that you felt you were in a forest. So instead of sleeping, I went outto see it. It was impressive. It must of been part of a save the forests movement. What French I understood talked of the forest being a temple of God. Of course I believe that, but at the same time felt them being a little contradictory there in a temple of God made by man. A temple quite capable of lifting ones spirit to the heights of God. A temple necessary for them to make such an impressive presentation.
Again until tomorrow.
It's Monday morning and still overcast and cool. I remembered to take my rain jacket with me and indeed we had a little shower, then the sun came out, but still lots of clouds. I went over to St Ouen, and it is closed on Mondays! Don't they know there are pilgrims in town. Well luckily there were workers there packing up the projection equipment from last night, and I was able to sneak in and take some photos anyway. One thing I found unique and thought really neat was that on the really large arcade pillars going down the nave of the church, there were two shelves for two very large statues. I imagine a large solemn procession, with bishops and abbots and maybe even the king, coming through the huge front doors and proceeding down that aisle of Saints. What a spectacle that must have been. Alas, the church has seen better days. The abbey is no more, the church needs a little TLC, and except for the first two columns, the other nitches are empty. Someone said that the great organ is desired for concerts, and there are three beautiful great rose windows in the flamboyant Gothic style, but the abbey church is not used for worship (though it is part of the local parish).
I got lots of pictures of the exterior, mostly sooty and black from age and pollution, but in some ways the sculptures are remarkably fine.
The third Gothic church - St Maclou - is only open on weekends! So will have to be happy with the exterior shots. It has a great central tower rising high over the cityscape. I had ducked in last night for a peek, but as Mass was about to start I left, but in that short time one of the stone gargoyles had fallen down right outside the entry shattering on the cobblestones. Luckily no one was hit.
The cathedral - Notre Dame de Rouen - opened at two and I spent a lot of the afternoon there. Of course I took pictures, but mostly just spent time there in another holy place. Again this place was huge! The aisles were impressive in themselves, so the nave and apse even more so. There are ten bays in the nave alone! There is a great central tower that is open on the inside, and topped with a great spire outside. The interior decorations changed with the builders. Most of the nave is four tiered, the apse and transept is three tiered while multiple columns give way to great round columns. Yet the overall impression is harmonious. The west facade has scaffolding, so no nice photo, carvings were typically nice and impressive, two unidentical towers complete the scene.
It was a great treat to have a whole afternoon to enjoy there.
As it was a Sunday morning, the first train to Amiens was at 8:40, putting me there at 10. I guess Amiens is the farthest north I'll be, and it was rather cold and windy when I got there, so I dug out my insulation layer and put it on. However, I probably wouldn't have needed it as the cathedral is just a few blocks from the train station.
Wow what a place! ! I'm running out of adjectives, magnificent and spectacular just don't seem to do it justice. The carvings and decorations on the outside are exceptionally nice, words just can't describe it. Mass had just started as I arrived, so I sat down for that. They did the Mass parts in Latin, so I could join in a little with that. The people sat in the choir area so we got a good look at the carved wooden stalls - exceptional! Though they are probably more recent, only XV century. The backs of the stalls, facing the aisles also have scene carvings - the life of John the Baptist (whose skull they have), and the life of St Fermin.
I should be used to large cathedrals by now, but this one struck me as really large! The arcade level is really tall, normal triforium, and rather large clerestory, however the windows are rather plain, most of the stained glass having been destroyed, but that does make it rather bright inside. This cathedral really drew my eyes heavenward - I was constantly looking upwards.
There were lots of Renaissance additions, chapels and memorials and the like, many probably like that stuff, but I would have preferred it more simple. Just another reminder that even though these buildings are over 800 years old, they really aren't like they were 800 years ago, but that they have been around, being used, being remodeled, being added on to for 800 years. They all have their own unique history.
So as this is my travel day, I only spent 4 hours at the cathedral including Mass. One could walk around a cathedral, even take photos, all in an hour, or you could take a week and still discover something new all the time. Such it is, I think I was starting to take the same photos over again, so I got back on the train. I'm now in Rouen, and found a room in hotel Bonaparte. They must like Napoleon here, there's a statue at the corner. There are three Gothic churches here to explore tomorrow. A quick walk around the old town shows that they will be great, plus much of the area is late Miedieval style with narrow cobblestone streets, and old French style buildings, with vertical beams. Quite interesting!
Until tomorrow.
Got up rather early this morning and climbed the mountain again to the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Laon. Again I practically had this entire Gothic Cathedral all to myself! I prayed m morning cprayers, took lots of photos, even tried out the acoustics by singing 'How Great Thou Art' (long reverberation time, as one would expect).
I then began to explore the old town. Lots of interesting things here as you might expect for a town that has been lived in for over a thousand years. The views to the north and the South are spectacular. At lunchtime I headed back to the hotel (I recharged my camera) and dressed more warmly as there was a cold wind blowing, then headed back up the hill. The sky had been overcast all day, but no really dark clouds, so I figured it wouldn't rain. Of course a light but consistent rain began falling... ok I gave up and headed back to the hotel for my rain gear.
I headed to the old abbey church - St Martin. Here was another Gothic structure, like all the others and yet unique. Sunday Mass was at 6, so I made sure I was there for that. I even asked the priest if I could concelebrate with him, which he happily allowed. Thankfully Abbe Mathais spoke a little English. The crowd filled the choir, and there was baptism for two children. So that's always a good sign for the church.
St Martin: abbey church, apse with square end and beautiful lancet window, then transept, then choir with beautiful old wood stalls, then seven section nave. No triforium, small Romanesque windows in the clerestory. More beautiful wood paneling in the apse, probably a later addition.
Notre-Dame de Laon: has a box end apse with a beautiful rose window, there are four tiers on all walls, the transepts meet at a unique tower. The west facade is famous for its beautiful towers, plus there are another two towers on the north and south transepts. The west towers are also famous for the statues of the oxen atop them! Supposedly in recognition for their work in hauling the stones up the mountain to the construction site.
Raining this morning in Paris, thankfully I'm sitting on a train to Reims.
Made it to the cathedral, impressive! In fact I like the west facade of Notre Dame de Reims better than Notre Dame in Paris. Perhaps it's that Paris is too straight and square, Reims is more fancy perhaps, or more ornate. Unfortunately, she shows her age, and happily she has restoration going on, so I don't have a photo of that magnificent facade without the scaffolding. Unfortunately she also lost many of her stained glass in the bombing of WWI. The floor plan seems strange, but it works; one aisle on each side of the nave, double aisles in the apse, but those are really chapels. Walls are typically three tiered - archade, triforium, and clerestory. Great rose window in the west end, but also stained glass over the doors where one would expect a carved tympanum.
In Reims there is also the basilica of St Remi, a medieval abbey church. There are different styles in the nave (3 tiers, the clerestory has small Romanesque style windows with a small round window able it) and the apse (it has 4 tiers, quite unique and beautiful). I was awed! This was once an important Benedictine abbey, and they built an abbey church to reflect that importance.
I had always planned in only spending the morning and early afternoon there in Reims, as I bought a rail pass that is only good for nine days. As I have over a dozen cathedrals I hope to visit, I need to get two train rides in on some days. So I traveled on to Laon and will spend two nights here. Now since I wasn't staying in Reims, I had no place to leave my backpack, so, of course I carried it all day. It wasn't too bad, as the cathedral was only about a mile from the train station, and St Remi another mile further. But all flat. I get to Laon, and the cathedral and old town are up on top of a mountain! I didn't spend much time looking for a hotel, but just took a room in the first place I came to, next to the train station (not particularly cheap at 49 euros). But then I didn't have to carry my pack up the mountain (of course I wouldn't take the tram, I'm in training!).
Also I'm discovering that my little Sony camera's battery is going dead after a couple hundred photos, probably because after I take a picture and then look around for the next shot, just about then the camera decides that it's been too long without any action and shuts itself off. So I end up having to turn the darn thing on a hundred times or more and the battery's soon dead.
So back to Laon, I climbed all those hundreds of steps without a camera, and just spent time praying in the cathedral (I have all of tomorrow to take pictures and explore the old town). Laon is certainly not the tourist hot spot, I practically had the place to myself. It's a shame as I now think this one is my favorite!
After the day of travel I just slept in this morning and it was almost 9 when I woke up. I headed down toward the center of Paris and Notre Dame, stopping by a medieval church that used to be a stop for early Pilgrims on the way to Santiago - St Eustache. I was wondering why they had lots of lights on and lighting candles, as there was no Mass scheduled. Then the great organ began playing Pacabel's Canon, (what a treat!) and then they brought in a casket and began a funeral Mass. I didn't stay.
St.Eustache: very tall archade, small triforium, wide double aisles, decorated chapels. This seems like a huge Gothic church, but just a small parish church.
I headed toward Saint Chapelle, stopping by the tower of St. James, another monument marking the ancient Way of St James. Then the tourists began in earnest! There was a long line to get into Saint Chapelle, for which one paid 12 dollars to then go through security, and into the lower Chapel - which was mainly a souvenir stand. Finally to the upper Chapel and it's magnificent medieval stained glass windows. They really are something to see! Or maybe it's more the placement - the vast expanse of so much stained glass, in such tall windows. Built by our St. Louis.
I then headed a couple of blocks over to Notre Dame de Paris. It is certainly a fine example of Gothic architecture. It stands so proud and imposing, making quite an impression when one enters the square. The entry line stretched all around the plaza, but moved quickly. Just as I got inside, Mass was starting, so I say down and joined in as I could. What a blessing to be able to receive Communion. It was certainly interesting being at Mass, with all the tourists there also. It seemed to work as designed!? With the Mass participants in the nave, and the 'visitors' walking the aisles. Notre Dame has a lot of everything that makes Gothic so wonderful - beautiful stained glass windows (the north and south rose windows are both outstanding), sculpture (the west portals are the first things one sees), and a grand and stately architecture. It really draws one to lift their spirit up to the heights of God! I did pay the 6$ to see the treasury, some nice monstrances, chalices and the like, plus it was housed in what was the original chapter house. I was willing to pay the 9$ entry fee to climb the towers except that the line was too long and slow. Oh well, maybe next time.
After the crowds there I went looking for a quieter place. There are lots of smaller but great churches all around Paris. Not too far south of Notre Dame, was St Sulpice - another great church but with lots of Boroque elements. But it was peaceful.
On the way back to my hotel I happened to find a church named St Merry (or Meri), just another fine church under renovations.
A great day. I wonder how many miles I actually walked?
I thought St. Denis was great, so I'm going to try and put some impressions down before they get lost or mingled with others I'll be seeing. The abbot of St Denis abbey wanted to bring in some 'modern' design to his new Abbey church; he wanted light which would express the light of God's creation. He also wanted it to soar to the heavens lifting man's spirit.
To do this he needed to make the walls taller and with great expanses of stationed glass. Previously, Romanesque architecture needed massive walls to hold up the weight of the vaulted ceilings, but with the new style, walls would be supported by flying buttresses, allowing the walls to open up into window space. He succeeded wonderfully. Three main innovations made this work: the flying buttress, the pointed arch, and the vaulted ceiling. We see all three at St Denis.
Some impressions: the clorestory windows (the very highest level) go completely around the basilica, except for the west end where there's a great organ. He also has the triforium (the middle) level full of stained glass! The nave aisles seem very wide, but then this is my first. The apse has double aisles. The inner columns of the pillars go from floor to ceiling, lifting ones eyes to God .
And of course, this basilica is famous as a Royal Necropolis - a burial place for Kings and their families. There are a lot of tombs there, and fancy carved monuments. Quite interesting.
6:30pm, Well, I'm on the plane to Paris! While I had been thinking of the Camino, and that it would be nice to do someday, I think it was Fr. Paul who actually said let's do it for our 60th year on earth. Well if I was going to do it, I wanted to do it, and so I asked for sabbatical time from my Bishop, and was given this opportunity. Unfortunately, Fr Paul was not able to get as much time, so I decided to stay without him, and we would meet on the trail and finish together. Now I am on the way. That was almost a year and a half ago, and I was so excited I was ready to go back then. But I realized that it was more than a year awayy, so I had better put it on the back burner for awhile. Sometimes it seemed as if today would never get here, but here it is. Thanks to everyone for your support, I know it means I'll be away for awhile, and life will go on for all of you, especially for Morrison and Chamois, but you will all be in my heart and prayers. I trust that God will take care of all of you as he will me. Next stop Paris!
12:30 am (my time; 7:30 am Paris time) the night has past and the sun is up on this first day of my adventure. Ah, jetlag! And of course as I went to pray the Office of Readings, in the first line, St Peter greets us Pilgrims (1 Peter 2; 11). An uneventful flight, we should be landing within the hour.
10:30 am, on the train to Paris, landed safely an hour ago, got through passport control, got my backpack, found the station, bought a ticket and here I am. Alleluia
2:30pm I'm sitting at an outside Cafe on the Plaza outside of the basilica of St Dennis having a Kabab. It's really happening!
I walked with MapMyWalk+! Distance: 7.68mi, time: 02:15:36, pace: 17:40min/mi, speed: 3.40mi/h.
After a funeral service this Holy Saturday morning, I figured I didn't have anything else to do, the evening liturgy was all planned and I had already packed and repacked my backpack several times, so that I could get in a walk out to mom and dad's place and back for a little training. This is more than likely my last training walk before I hit the Camino. It felt pretty good, or I made it fine with a full backpack, unfortunately, some days will probably require doing that much in the morning, and repeating it in the afternoon, and then repeating it again the next day. But I am happy that I can do that much, I hope to start off easy on the Camino, and work up to those longer days. And the first part of my adventure will be by train.
A Most blessed Easter to everyone.
Christ is risen indeed!
When I bought my plane tickets several months ago, I knew that my passport would expire at the end of the summer after my trip. I made sure to check if that would be a problem or not, and was assured that as long as the passport was good, and not expired before the end of the trip, it was fine. But that is not true. France for one demands that your passport be good for at least 6 months beyond your trip date. I realized this at the beginning of March, almost exactly 6 weeks before my departure. I knew I had to get a new passport. Onto the website, download an application, take a photo of myself, print it out (darn, my printer's out of ink, run to Hermann to have it printed) send it all off to the passport center. They promise to have your new passport in 4 to 6 weeks. I was leaving in exactly five weeks six days. Of course for an extra $60 they can process your application in three weeks. Should I not risk it and just pay the extra $60 or trust that they would have it back to me in time. Two people told me they do have it back as promised, so I decided to just send the fee for normal processing and trust The Lord to take care of me. I did send the extra $14.50 for overnight return delivery.
Well, imagine my surprise when I had a new passport in my hands in just ten days! ! Wow no worrying about whether it'll arrive or not, I'm set to go! Of course I was delighted, but even more it was a sign to me that God was watching out for me, and thus a sign that He would continue to do so. I need not fear. I could enjoy my trip and God would be with me. So I am leaving with that attitude, ready for the adventure ahead of me. Pray that I remain faithful.
