Jack starts a long weekend so we ventured outside the city after his class. We went to Chartres, a little longer than an hour train ride. The kids were very excited to ride the train. It was very nice to get away from all of the hustle and bustle. Chartres is a beautiful city and high on the top of the hill sits one of the most famous cathedrals, Notre-Dame, in France if not Europe. It is remarkable on so many standards. The original cathedral was destroyed by a fire in 1194. The building was rebuilt by 1220. This is amazing since a similar structure Notre-Dame in Paris took over 200 years to build. It is a great example of Gothic architecture with the high vaulted ceilings and flying buttresses. The place is just huge. Inside is a labyrinth inlaid in the floor (apparently a feature in most medieval cathedrals). People would follow the path on their knees for a mystical experience. Unfortunately, we weren't able to do such a pilgrimage because there were chairs in the way. Jackson did walk around as much as he could. He was fascinated by it. The most remarkable feature is the stain glass windows. They are inspiring. Each window is more beautiful than the next with some dating back to the 12th century. Apparently, in the World Wars they were individually removed. In 1970 they started to restored the windows and the project is almost completed. It was very much worth the trip. Gracie liked yesterday because she got "to play with Hannah and it was a long train ride." Jackson liked yesterday because "it was a long train ride."
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