Remarkable Reims & why can't a French woman be more like an Aussie one?

We decided during dinner a couple of nights ago that we would leave visiting Paris for a day during this trip as we want to see the Louvre which was closed last time we were here. It was Christmas Day which I supposed at first was the reason, but no- the actual reason was that it was Tuesday & guess what?  The Louvre is always closed on Tuesdays!  We will visit Paris and Versailles another trip- probably the one where we also visit the very top of Scotland & also Spain.  So....


We went to Reims and fell in love with it immediately.  It has such a sense of place, it's a happy city- a city that understands its place in history and embraces the world with open areas full of cafes and bars and happy people.  We felt it was the first city we've seen in France this time that encapsulates the essence of Europe.

Reims Cathedral- the OMG moment!

The cathedral is set at the end of an avenue and provided an OMG moment when we turned into the opposite end of the street en route (good French term, there) to the parking station.  The Gothic aspect of the cathedral is dramatic & its history is, too.  The first church was built in around 500AD and since about 1060 it has been the site of the consecration of every French king bar about four.

Ancient block & tackle for raising the roof.

Bill admiring the architecture

Charles Macquet (I think) and his wife, Brigitte Simon were the window artisans during the last century. Their son is still a glass artisan in Reims but we didn't get to his work shop. Much renovation has taken place & even one of the Rockefellers was a great feller & gave much money to assist with the stability of the new roof. and the work is spectacular.   Although we have seen many churches, we always seem to learn something else about the architecture etc and this time we were very interested to learn that the Gothic era was the first time the architects had designed the position of windows to highlight and light up certain important areas of the church.  This was clearly demonstrated in the Reims Cathedral.




This is a beautiful blast from the past!  A double- decker  merry-go-round in the Venetian tradition.  I wanted to have a ride, but it was for "real"  kids- not just kids at heart.  No thought here that growing up is optional!




Now... on quite a different tack... we, in our naivete, thought that as we were coming to Europe in the northern summer it would actually be warm enough to wear summer clothes.  Not so!  Beware O Fellow Travellers.  After wearing my jeans for much longer than I would have in Aus without subjecting them to a good old Aussie wash, I decided I would buy some more.  


Bill said it's a toss up in France whether every town has more bars/cafes or women's clothing stores.  And he's right.  However, they don't have any clothes in them for women over about size 6.5.  It's true! I was so desperate, I swallowed all sense of pride & tried on something that said size 42!!!!!  How depressing is that?  Not nearly as depressing, I'm here to tell you, as finding that I couldn't even get my left-or right- leg into it!  It was enough to make any woman find the nearest boulangerie ( cake shop to the uninitiated) or bar or even both- why rein in at just one- & drown one's sorrows.  But did I? No! Even the thought of food & wine was not enough to quell the disappointment & also the rising tide of panic at the thought of maybe having to stand in the shower, fully clothed, in order to wash my outer garments.


We are moving on tomorrow & have upgraded the upcoming hotels a little, so maybe, even if they don't have any washing facilities, they may be able to provide the address of a laundry.  The language has been interesting.  I can read/understand French but can't speak it & after we leave France, between Germany & Italy- a time span of about a month- we will really be at the mercy of the language gods. Smiling & miming always seem to work, though!


We're off to sort out the red wines in Dijon tomorrow, so keep in touch.  We may end up in some Bacchanalian state- maybe like Bacchus' friend Pan, in the old poem where we remember " What was he doing, the great god, Pan, down in the reeds by the river?..." he & Bacchus were together if I remember so I imagine as long we stick together it's all good! And no, I won't tell you what we were doing down by the river!!!