Chartres, France

"Not another church!" They saying is true, wherever to travel in Europe you're bound to visit more than a handful of churches. They're everywhere! In every city, town or hamlet there is a church to be visited. And you do get a little tired of them too. It becomes increasingly difficult to remember and distinguish which one was which - in the end they all turn into one mental collage of stained glass windows, vaults, buttresses, spires and altars.

Although, being an art history student studying in Paris (who loves architecture - from Ming China to Romanesque to Baroque to Le Corbusier), I could not miss the opportunity of being so close to Notre Dame de Chartres and not visit one of the most amazing high Gothic cathedrals in the world. So one Saturday morning I jumped onto the train and headed towards the small town of Chartres.

The town of Chartres is located south-west of Paris - the easiest way to get there is to take a SNCF train from Le Gare de Montparnasse to Chartres station - it takes about 1 hour to get there. Being a small town, it's difficult to get lost between the train station and the cathedral, especially once you spot those tall Gothic spires framed against the sky.

The cathedral is breathtaking - the grand proportions of the stone columns and archways, the intricately colourful stained glass windows, the impressive and tactile sculptural work... Just walking down the nave, one is awestruck by the shear size and magnitude of the structure - the space is enormous. I once wrote an essay on Gothic and Romanesque religious architecture at university, arguing that one of the original purposes of these buildings was to subdue the populous by highlighting the power and might of the church. Being within the building, you surely get a feeling of the power and influence that the church once had over society. 
To think that work on the present cathedral began in 1020 and after a number of additions and setbacks, it was finally consecrated in 1260. How amazing it is that such buildings were designed and constructed over 800 years ago! We think of the middle ages as being a period of simplicity, but we can see from buildings such as Chartres Cathedral, that they were quite technically advanced in some aspects. The building even impresses present day visitors.

The town of Chartres is also a lovely place to visit. Being set on the banks of the Eure River, parts of the town are connected by little bridges. It's a typical French rural town - with interesting little side streets, cobbled stone footpaths, beautifully designed and quaint houses and has a serene atmosphere. Chartres also has a great shopping precinct with an array of shops, cafes and fresh produce markets (if you want fresh produce however, be sure to be there before midday)!

Fontainbleu

Although it may not be as grand and well-known as Le Chateau de Versailles (which I visited in 2005 and wasn't too keen to see on this trip, especially after writing a 10,000 word university essay on the chateau and its gardens - how Louis XIV, the sun king, commissioned sculptures and paintings for the chateau complex which presented him in the guise of Apollo - the Greek and Roman god of the Sun, etc, etc, - the essay 'did my head in', I over-analysed every piece of sculpture in the gardens, looking at them again, wasn't high on my agenda), Le Chateau de Fontainbleu has its own charm. And I think I like it more for its somewhat humble simplicity and elegance, as well as its lack of tourist hoards - which allows you to see the chateau without dodging people's cameras. It's proportions, its rooms and its ground are not as awe-inspiring and impressive as that of much more regal Versailles, but it is an impressive piece of architecture and example of interior and landscape design of the middle-ages, Renaissance and up until the 19th century all the same.

The town of Fontainbleu is located about 60km south-east of Paris. The easiest way to get there is by train - it's a directed 40 minute trip. Take the SNCF train from the Gare de Lyon to the Gare de Fontainbleu Avon. From the station at Fontainbleu, there are many signs directing you to the tourist office and the chateau, or simply take the bus.
Fontainbleu is a quaint little town of about 16,000 inhabitant surrounded by the forest of Fontainbleu. In contrast to the incessant noise of Paris - masses cars, buses, the metro, people, demonstrations, etc - the town of Fontainbleu is almost serene - I only saw a handful of people and a few cars & buses as I made my way from the station to the chateau - although, I think this was greatly due to the weather. It was a drizzly and overcast February day. But there was a charm to seeing the old stone buildings and cobbled paths under these weather conditions - it gave the place a somewhat interesting and perhaps even an eerie and foreboding atmosphere.

When you walk through the chateau and it's grounds, it's difficult to comprehend how much money was lavishly spent on the place, when the vast majority of the French population were either starving or dying from common illnesses and lack of sanitary living conditions. The chateau and it's decorative elements are excessive, to say the least - gold leaf detailing, fine embroidered tapestry, crystal chandeliers, velvet upholstery, parquetry, masses of french glass windows, paintings, sculptures - not to mention the shear size of the chateau - the myriad rooms and hallways never seem to end - and the entire chateau complex itself with all its courtyards and landscaped gardens.
The first reference of the chateau was made in 1137 and from that date it was the principle residence of a number of French monarchs and was visited by many foreign dignitaries. Like many other royal residences, the chateau was not originally built to completion of its present state - it is the result of a number of different building works, under a number of different patronages, with a number of different architects and artist being employed, working within a number of different aesthetic tastes.
Only a small section of the chateau complex is open to the public - including some of the royal apartments, the chapel of the Holy Trinity, the library, and the very impressive ballroom, who's proportions are overwhelming and walls are decorated with an impressive collection of paintings.

I visited Fontainbleu in the winter, so the gardens were bleak and lifeless - I can imaging that in the spring and summer they would be green, inviting and full of birds and flowers. However, there is also a beauty in seeing the bear trees, the still ponds and lush green lawns. There were a few people, who seemed to be Fontainbleu locals, all rugged-up in their jackets, beanies and boots, braving the cold and taking their dogs for a walk through the grounds, or leisurely pushing a pram along the lakes to get some fresh air from their stifling, centrally-heated homes.

Photographs from my personal collection

The French version of Wikipedia has a fantastic run-down of the history and design of the chateau, with accompanying images: http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Château_de_Fontainebleau
Also, the official website of the chateau, in both French & English : http://www.musee-chateau-fontainebleau.fr/