Day 298, From Paris to Rennes, France
Paul picked up our brand new Citroen 7-seater, and it’s a beautiful thing. Six geared, diesel, all the bells and whistles. Whenever we come to Europe we always do the program where you technically buy a new car and sell it back to the rental company. That way it becomes a used car and EU buyers don’t have to pay the Value Added Tax(VAT) on purchase. I don’t understand all the details, but it means they get a tax break and we always get a new car of our choice. After not having our own car for so many months, it’s exciting to have our own little space on wheels again.
We drove from Paris to Rennes, stopping along the way at the Chartres Cathedral. The last time we passed it, we were in a rush and didn’t get to see it. This time, we did. After all, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s a medieval Catholic cathedral done in the style of French Gothic architecture. The first cathedral on this site was built in the 7th century. This is the fifth church on this site, built in the early 13th century, and many of the stained glass windows are original.
Here are some photos of the town.
Our trusty new car!
Here are some beautiful pedestrian alleys leading up to the church.
The square directly outside of the Cathedral.
This was the side entrance to the cathedral.
It was impossible to fit the entire church into a frame. Below are photos of the front.
On the interior the combination of the gothic arches and stained glass windows were particularly stunning.
After Chartres, we drove to Rennes, which is a beautiful city. It was like a smaller version of Paris. The buildings along the river in the city center were pristine and white. Unfortunately I didn’t have time to get a photo because I was navigating. Next time.
We stayed in an adorable hotel which was very boutiquish in feel. Young, bright, fun. On the computer table were four of Cali’s favorite French candies. Yeah, it’s the little things that get us.
