Chartres - the Grand (Notre) Dame of Them All

The best thing to do in Chartres Cathedral is to walk the labyrinth, an inlaid stone path that follows a precise geometric circular pattern. Only one problem. You can't! The church keeps chairs lined up over the labyrinth design and if you try to move the chairs, church tour guide Malcolm Miller could very well call the police and you'd find yourself getting to tour the Chartres jail. The labyrinth is cleared and opened for walking on rare occasions, notably the summer solstice when (I've been told) the sun's rays shine through the famous rose-stained glass and hits the center of the labryinth. So, OK, after sulking over not being able to walk the mystical path of the labyrinth, one can still easily spend two or three hours drinking in all the awesome details of this architectural masterpiece.

Quick Tips:

For beginners, pay the small fee of francs, and take the steps up the North Tower. By the time I reached the top, I was as white as a ghost because I'm afraid of heights ... but I wasn't about to let my teen-age daughter show me up! Gargoyles and statues abound around every turn. You will feel, if not closer to God, at least up there with the angels. Make sure you have plenty of film in your camera.

Also, Malcolm Miller, a British Francophile, has a reputation as a stupendous guide who can knock the dust off the stone walls and perform his own miracle of making the church's history come alive. The cost for a tour is about . There are two different tours daily except Sunday and off-season, usually at noon and at 2:45. Personally, I was too miffed at him to take his tour after he acted like my wanting to walk the labyrinth was such a ludicrous request. But perhaps for my next visit, I'll practice a little forgiveness and take the tour.

Best Way To Get Around:

The charm of Chartres is that it is so walkable. No need to fuss with a subway system (not that Chartres is large enough to have one) or rack up costs hailing a taxi. Just walk and walk. Follow the cobblestone streets to wherever they lead and enjoy being 'lost' in this small town with Europe's greatest cathedral. There's a New Age bookstore right outside the church. Just keep walking and you'll find the busy square with boutiques and restaurants.

My favorite pasttime, true in most any French town, is watching people dash about with their loaves of fresh bread - excusez-moi, une baguette! - in hand.

The Hotel de L''Ouest has character and a friendly, accommodating staff. We forgot to check out by 11 a.m. and didn''t get back to the hotel until after 2. However, they didn''t charge us for an extra day, but cordially let us gather up our belongings and then, at no charge, stow our suitcases under the counter until we caught the train. The hotel is the first one you come to outside the train station. That''s why my daughter selected it!

Being new to Chartres we didn''t realize that the town was so small and several other hotels are just ahead. The interior of the hotel is nothing fancy. The bathroom was clean and we had a wonderful view of a garden from our room. Also, the price, at about $30 for two, was a bargain.

There are two things I found most intriguing about Chartres Cathedral other than the trip up the North Tower. One: the signs of the zodiac adorn the church in many places. While some Christians frown upon astrology, Chartres is a testament in stone and stained-glass that, at one time, studying the stars and planets was most acceptable by the Church. The zodiac symbols line up in rows on the front portal above the main entrance. One entire stained glass window is devoted to the signs and a clock encased in a statue has the signs on its face. For example, Scorpio is at 10 o'clock. What's your sign? Be sure and get a postcard with a close of your sign from the stained glass window.

The other mystery about Chartes I was pleased to unravel on my own - a visitor will see that many of the statues have chips here and there, a broken nose, a missing finger or hand. I thought it was simply the years. The church dates back to the 12th century. However, from a display in French, I was able to decipher that much of the damage was done during the French Revolution. The starving peasants rose up in anger against the wealthy Church and the nobleman and ransacked the cathedral in their outrage.

Eyeing the trinkets lined up on the tables and going through the racks of clothes...there's not any difference in a French flea market than one in America. Yes, you can even haggle over the price. It's a fun way to get an inexpensive souvenir.

Chartres is an easy hour's train ride from Paris. A train leaves from Gare Montparnasse every hour. It costs about $20 for a one-way ticket. Even if you buy a France Rail Pass, good for any three days of travel in the country in a month, you will come out ahead if you buy a separate point-to-point ticket to get to Chartres. Save that Rail Pass for longer treks.

While Chartres is an easy day trip from Paris, I suggest buying a one-way ticket and spending the night in Chartres. Not only will you find a fine hotel for half the price of one in Paris, but you'll have the benefit of seeing the Cathedral's stained glass windows in all sorts of light, and you'll have time to really soak in the ambiance of Chartres. Check out the flea market or the city center boutiques, or, rest your feet, and take in a movie. Who needs English subtitles?!