Caen via Chartres

Today is Sunday and Ray has arranged to celebrate the Eucharist in the bar complete with black and white, very French, furnishings in our hotel lounge. Most of the group make the early start, we move quickly because our first stop of the day is just down the road at the Beaune Hospice.

This turns out to be one of the great surprises of our pilgrimage so far. The flamboyant hospice, the Hotel Dieu, is a masterpiece dated from the 15th Century. More than just a decorative building this was a charitable institution that provided hospital care for all stratas of society and at the same time produced rare wine to provide funds for the hospital. People come from all over the world to look at the architecture and to appreciate its decor and magnificent rare art including the altarpiece - 'The Polyptych' by Roger van der Weyden. What a fantastic start to another big day of driving.

Our next main stop is not until after lunch at Chartres. We had taken lunch at an autogrill along the way nevertheless we are very pleased to stretch our legs and walk through this beautiful city to the Cathedral. Our guide, Pernille, has organised an audio set for each of us and she is able to take us on a guided tour around the Cathedral. Today is a busy day as it is part of a long weekend in France so there are lots of tourists. The Cathedral is undergoing major restoration work and so a good deal of the interior is under scaffold. Nevertheless we can see how the restoration is progressing and it will surely be an amazing building, soaring columns and the best stained glass in the world. Towards the end of our visit we are able to sit for a few minutes and listen to a large choir singing Bach.

Now it is getting late in the afternoon and it is time to push on to our destination the City of Caen in Normandy.  On the way the group listens to relevant stories of William the Conqueror and how his success in battle is depicted in the Bayeux tapestry. Ruth gives an address and Peter follows with some interesting relevant comments and then recites, beautifully and impressively, a poem about the Battle of Hastings. This is met with a rousing ovation in the coach. Arriving at Caen and our hotel we are met by Marcus Alexander the 23rd and final member of our group. We quickly freshen up and go down to dinner at a nearby local restaurant.