from top: Reims Cathedral; woman covering her face; his head is off but he knows where it is; people getting out of their caskets; figures on top of one of the portals.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Exterior of the Cathedral
from top: Reims Cathedral; woman covering her face; his head is off but he knows where it is; people getting out of their caskets; figures on top of one of the portals.
Chagall Windows and Reflections
top two aree views of the Chagal windows; reflection of the railing in the church; two views of arches and stained glass.
Strange sights in Reims
from top: signs as we entered Reims--all taped over!!! Where to go?!?!?; interesting houses very near out hotel; pink limo in parking lot of hotel--how does he ever manage the narrow streets?.
More of Cathedrale Sts. Peter & Paul
...one of Ray looking up at the stained glass. Some of these cathedrals are so high, you really have to crane your neck to see the ceilings.
Sights on the way to Troyes November 16
Tropeziennes—my new favorite word and snack!! Oh dear, the French certainly know how to make delicious pastries. These are so absolutely amazing, they are sinful.
We drove to Troyes this morning in the thickest fog I have ever seen. Walking around Troyes, I felt as if I were in the movie, Midnight Lace, where Doris Day is walking through the pea-soup-thick fog in London, I think, and this eerie man’s voice keeps calling her name, “Missus Preston.”
The Église Ste-Madeleine, Troyes' oldest and most interesting church, has an early-Gothic nave and transept from the mid-12th century. There is a particularly beautiful stained glass window of the Life of Mary Mgadalene here, but, unfortunately, when we arrived at the church, it was closed.
So we wound our way back through the streets to the Cathédrale St-Pierre et St-Paul. Incorporating elements from every period of Champenois Gothic architecture, Cathédrale St-Pierre et St-Paul is a 114m-long architectural mixture that was begun around 1200. The Flamboyant Gothic west façade dates from the mid-16th century, whereas the choir and transepts are over 250 years older. The interior is illuminated by a spectacular series of about 180 stained-glass windows (13th to 17th centuries) that shine like jewels on a sunny day. No rain today, but the fog cut down on the light. Back in 1429, Joan of Arc and Charles VII stopped off here on their way to his coronation in Reims.
A steeple, with a height of 110 metres, once stood over the crossing, but it was ruined by a tornado in 1365, and struck by lightning in 1700, after which it was not rebuilt. The cathedral structure has suffered other natural disasters: part of the choir was destroyed in a hurricane in 1228, and the roof was set alight by lightning in 1389.
The earliest part of the cathedral is the 13th century choir. The cathedral escaped destruction during the French Revolution, but was de-Christianised and turned into a Temple of Abundance for several years.
The city of Troyes (I’ve heard it is pronounced “twah,” our GPS says “truh-wah.”) describes itself as "La cité en forme de bouchon de champagne" (translation: the city in the form of a champagne cork) although this is more noticeable from aerial views I have read. It is truly a storybook village with medieval houses and buildings that are incredible.
There are a number of streets and buildings that stand just as they were in the Middle Ages. Ruelle des Chats, or Cats Alley, is so named because the alley is so narrow that cats can jump from rooftop to rooftop.
We left Troyes and headed for Reims—and the fog was even worse! We first checked into our hotel and went for lunch. Then we found the Notre-Dame de Reims, the Roman Catholic cathedral where the kings of France were once crowned. It replaces an older church destroyed by fire in 1211, which was built on the site of the basilica where Clovis was baptized by Saint Remi in 496AD. The original structure had been erected on the site of the Roman baths.
Three portals are laden with statues and statuettes. Among European cathedrals, only Chartres has more sculpted figures. The "gallery of the kings" is incredible. The treasury still has the flask of oil that was used to anoint the kings.
The cathedral has been carefully restored after it suffered severe damage in the First World War. Several stained glass windows here are very modern looking and were done by Chagall.
It was actually VERY cold walking around in Troyes and Reims today. I think the thermometer said 4 degrees (Centigrade). Didn’t bring my winter coat, but with jacket and fleece underneath, I was fine.
Big news over here—at least on the BBC which is our best bet for having ANY understanding of what is going on in the world—Prince William and Kate Middleton have announced their engagement!
Pictures from top: Tropeziennes!; silhouette on the roadside--is it for target practice? Are we supposed to try to hit him? Strange; Tree in the fog; store sign on the streets of Troyes; rose in Troyes.
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