3 August ’05, Wednesday.
The weather has been very nice the last few days and the outlook is for the same. Louise mentioned this morning that the mornings are more like early Fall than those we think of in August. The sun is shining, and the temp is rising, but there is something cool and refreshing in the morn. One thing for sure, it makes for a great driving day. We left Troyes and headed west, passing just under Paris. Our first stop today was the Palace of Fontainebleau. This was one of the favorite palaces of the kings of the 16th through the 19th centuries. Now after having a chance to visit Versailles and now Fontainebleau, (2 palaces that are close to each other and to Paris), I don’t understand the favoritism of those kings to Fontainebleau. I didn’t think it held a candle to Versailles. It may have been much bigger, but the architecture and the gardens at Versailles were much superior (even if it poured the afternoon we were there). My thinking of Fontainebleau may have been influenced by the extravagance of the palace…the overall size being what is was. Even being a king, with all the extravagance that would be expected, still makes this excessive and in my opinion “over-done” (I’m sure your happy to hear my opinion, aren’t you ?). Continuing our westward route, we arrived in Chartres just before 4. We are again camping in a “municipal” campground. The grounds are nice and reasonable, as before, and are within a 20 minute walk into the town. As we were about 3 miles outside of Chartres and traveling through the rolling farmlands, were the wheat is being harvested, we could see in the distance the tall steeples from the cathedral. For over the centuries, those making a pilgrimage to the Cathedral of Notre Dame, Chartres, have had this same site to enjoy and lead the way. Tomorrow….Cathedral of Notre Dame and the town of Chartres
The weather has been very nice the last few days and the outlook is for the same. Louise mentioned this morning that the mornings are more like early Fall than those we think of in August. The sun is shining, and the temp is rising, but there is something cool and refreshing in the morn. One thing for sure, it makes for a great driving day. We left Troyes and headed west, passing just under Paris. Our first stop today was the Palace of Fontainebleau. This was one of the favorite palaces of the kings of the 16th through the 19th centuries. Now after having a chance to visit Versailles and now Fontainebleau, (2 palaces that are close to each other and to Paris), I don’t understand the favoritism of those kings to Fontainebleau. I didn’t think it held a candle to Versailles. It may have been much bigger, but the architecture and the gardens at Versailles were much superior (even if it poured the afternoon we were there). My thinking of Fontainebleau may have been influenced by the extravagance of the palace…the overall size being what is was. Even being a king, with all the extravagance that would be expected, still makes this excessive and in my opinion “over-done” (I’m sure your happy to hear my opinion, aren’t you ?). Continuing our westward route, we arrived in Chartres just before 4. We are again camping in a “municipal” campground. The grounds are nice and reasonable, as before, and are within a 20 minute walk into the town. As we were about 3 miles outside of Chartres and traveling through the rolling farmlands, were the wheat is being harvested, we could see in the distance the tall steeples from the cathedral. For over the centuries, those making a pilgrimage to the Cathedral of Notre Dame, Chartres, have had this same site to enjoy and lead the way. Tomorrow….Cathedral of Notre Dame and the town of Chartres