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Christmas had arrived, however our plans to go away over the break had been thwarted and pushed back until the New Year, so it was holiday time and we were in Paris. To make the most of the time, we organised a set of day trips which had been on my itinerary for a while. Two excursions were within the city, whilst the other three were a bit further afield.

Opéra Garnier

One of the most iconic landmarks in Paris had managed to avoid my attendance. Many times I had intended to visit what would have to be one of, if not the most, famous opera houses in the world, but things never fell into place. Constructed during the Second French Empire, during which it was the most expensive building to be built and was plagued by many construction hiccups (most notably the Franco-Prussian war), it was finished in 1875.

The architecture of the palace is the main event; with its intricate façade and highly decorated marble friezes, columns and statuary, it is in a league of its own. A fee of 10€ is required to enter, which is absolutely worth it. If for some reason you cannot enter the theatre itself, if you ask for your tickets to be stamped, you can return at any point in the future to take a look. If nothing else, it is worth seeing the incredible seven tonne crystal chandelier.

Other highlights for me included the grand staircase, particularly in the lower enclaves with some of the most impressive sculpting I have ever seen, as well as le salon du soleil, an amazing room which has to be seen to be believed. Finally, the le grand foyer, which was modelled on the hall of mirrors in le château de Versailles, is just something else. The attention to detail in the room boggles the mind, along with the sheer volume of gold! It should be noted also that the audio-guide is worth the money!

Musée Rodin

With a little bit of winter sun, we headed again to somewhere I had been meaning to go but just never did: le musée Rodin. A ticket for 6€ gives you full access to the museum, comprised of the gardens and l'hôtel Biron, where the collection is housed. For me, the highlight was the garden, housing bronze casts of many of his most famous pieces. I can only imagine how nice the place must be in either spring or summer, but it is certainly a pleasant spot during any other period.

Rouen

Notre-Dame and la tour de beurre — Notre-Dame and *la tour de beurre*

Seated downstream the river Siene, the once mighty capital of Normandy, and now capital of the administrative region of Haute-Normandie, is only an hour and twenty minute train ride away (12€ each way), making it an ideal day trip. Admittedly prior to going, my knowledge of the town was limited to (obviously) the Norman Empire, the burning of Joan of Arc and the massive cathedral with its “butter tower”.

Our visit was to be an authentic Norman visit as the weather was absolutely terrible, typical of the region. Dark clouds were looming with a light fog covering the entire area and patches of extremely heavy rain; heavy enough that being outside was not an option. We arrived early in the morning, and walked the 10 minutes to the town centre from the station. We headed straight for the cathedral, which is always the first port of call. What can be said of La cathédrale primatiale Notre-Dame de l'Assomption de Rouen is that it is absolutely enormous. So much so that it is almost not possible to appreciate its size, as at no point can you really see it all due to the surrounding buildings. Also, with the lingering fog, it made it challenging to see the upper reaches of the steeple and la tour de beurre, which due to a combination of scaffolding and moisture looked a lot more green and black than its namesake. We visited the nearby Église Saint-Maclou, which possesses a highly elaborate façade, however we could not go inside. The surrounding area was quite nice as the buildings were the typical Norman style. Not far from there is la Rue des Chanoines, which is a remnant of the town’s medieval past and is comically narrow. At this point the rain became so heavy that we were forced to seek shelter and wait it out.

Once the precipitation had subsided, we visited some of the town’s other attractions, namely le gros horloge and le tribunal de grande instance and then on to the Église Sainte-Jeanne D'arc, which is a modern church with only a small plaque commemorating the spot where she was burned. We sat down for some lunch nearby, which is definitely the shady area. We had a very odd interaction with a woman wanting to use my phone, and I let her, but it just did not feel quite right. But as I ensured that my presence was felt, there were no issues.

Heading across town, we visited the old cemetery L'aître Saint-Maclou, which now houses the école Supérieure d'Art et Design. The place has an almost burnt-out appearance, which was really interesting, certainly one of the more interesting spots in town. We then headed to the Abbatiale Saint-Ouen, which is again absolutely enormous, but one can appreciate the size a bit better given its surroundings. Unfortunately the monastery is closed on Wednesdays, which just happened to be the day we were there.

The courtyard of le Palais de Justice — The courtyard of le Palais de Justice

We visited the close-by musée secq des tournelles, a blacksmithing museum which was a really interesting little museum and well worth a look, even if the thought is not immediately appealing. But after this, it was time to head back to Paris. Due to train strikes the journey was a little disrupted, but in the end we only lost 10 or 15 minutes.

Initially we had planned to spend the night and give ourselves two days to see the town, but in retrospect, I am happy we did not, as we would have simply had too much time; a day was more than enough to see the sights.

Chantilly

Situated about forty kilometres north-west of Paris is the commune of Chantilly, known best for the cream and lesser so for the lace, both of which bear its name. In addition to these delicacies, Chantilly is also home to the château de Chantilly, which was to be another daytrip destination. A 20 minute train ride (4.20€ each way) connects Gare du Nord to Chantilly Gouvieux, which is about another 20 minute walk from the chateau. Note that both TER trains and the RER D trains service the station, however the RER will be much longer and probably more expensive.

The chateau was originally built during the 15th century, however the revolution was harsh on the property, reducing it to rubble. It was completely rebuilt by the then Duke of Aumale, Henri d'Orléans in the late 1800s, resulting in what one sees today. The chateau’s renaissance architecture is quite pretty, but the jardin à la française is the real winner, with many parterres and water features.

We arrived at about 1000 and purchased our tickets to both the gardens and the museum (le musée Condé) housed inside the chateau (14€ for both). We passed by the control point, with the controlling officer absolutely reeking of alcohol, so it was either a really late night or a rough morning! Before heading into the chateau, we looked around the surrounding gardens/water features, which were very impressive, but to really appreciate their design, I feel you would have to view it from the air – a view that no advertising for the chateau will miss including. Being winter, all statues were “bagged”, which was also a little disappointing, but it was a product of the season.

We headed inside for a look around the chateau, which has a distinct animal theme, with many rooms and statues reflecting this. Having been to other châteaux in France, this one does not really qualify as something to write home about. The most interesting room was easily the little chapel, and the hall of honour was not too shabby. The gallery was interesting, but the layout is somewhat confusing.

We had a little picnic for lunch, so we wandered the gardens before we found a nice spot to sit and eat. We were quite lucky with the weather, a mostly sunny day with only a bit of wind; although it was still quite fresh. After lunch we looked around the landscaped garden, which includes the folly that is le Hameau de Chantilly, which was the principle inspiration for le Hameau de la reine in the Versailles Garden.

After we had seen all that we wanted, we headed to the Grandes Écuries (grand stables), which are indeed grand, and just enjoyed a leisurely stroll through the forest which leads back to the station. With a good bit of timing, we arrived on the platform to a waiting train which departed as we boarded. Looking back, I would say the visit was worth it, however as the showpiece is the park and the outer of the chateau, the garden-only ticket, which is half the price, would be the better pick.

Chartres

The now capitol of Eure-et-Loir administrative department had its foundations laid during the Roman Empire. It has changed hands more times that one could count due to its position on the Eure river as well as the lush food-producing plains which surround the town. The town is known as a pretty medieval town, but more precisely for its cathedral, La Basilique Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres, which is recognised as the finest gothic cathedral in France. Built in the 13th century, it has remained largely untouched – other than for restoration works – and possesses some of the world’s most impressive stained glass windows. In fact, the Centre international du Vitrail (International centre for stained glass windows) has its headquarters in Chartres for this reason.

The amazing wooden carvings around the choir

The cathedral was also saved from certain destruction during World War Two, as during the German occupation, an English bombing run was planned to flatten the city; in particular the cathedral was believed to be an observation post. A soldier (Colonel Welborn Barton Griffith, Jr) volunteered to go behind enemy lines and verify if it was occupied, as he did not think the cathedral should be needlessly destroyed. And sure enough, it was not occupied and the bombing run was cancelled. It is not often a building owes its continued existence to an individual, but this would be an exception.

On a rainy and overcast day, we took the train from Paris to Chartres (7.80€ each way) which is a 95 kilometre journey taking a little over an hour. The station is situated at the bottom of the town’s hill, about a 5-10 minute walk. As trains run half hourly there was no one around, so being fast walkers we were the first ones to the cathedral, which we had to ourselves for a few minutes before the others caught up. That cathedral is just gargantuan; unlike that of Rouen, this one is situated atop a hill so one can really appreciate its size. The façades are so intricately decorated, and each façade tells a story. The interior is dark, as is characteristic of old catherdrals, but also the size of the place diffuses what little light there is. I like my cathedrals and without hesitation, Chartres would be pretty close to number one. It houses many treasures, the most notable of which is the Sancta Camisa, which is apparently the tunic which worn by Mary during the birth of Christ. I thought the massive, painstakingly carved wooden screen surrounding the choir, along with the stained glass windows were probably the most impressive elements – aside from the sheer size of the place.

After we had had a good look around, we wandered around the cathedral, whose grounds are quite pretty. It also provides a good view of some of the oldest flying buttresses in existence. The weather took a turn for the worse, and we were left wandering the streets looking for lunch in the rain. The city was somewhat dead, but I can envisage what it would be like in summer – both pretty and an absolute nightmare. The narrow medieval streets make it a great place to just wander, and places such as the Église Saint-Aignan de Chartres with its beautiful vaulted roof make for great pit stops. We stopped back in at the cathedral to climb the tower, as this was closed over lunch. I imagine it would be quite a nice view, but the strong wind combined with the rain did not make it the most enjoyable experience. We descended the tower and then headed east; the area around the Collégiale Saint-André is really pleasant, and it gives you a great view of the cathedral from the bottom of the hill.

We passed a bit of time wandering around the canals and eventually followed the remnants of the city’s wall in the north, which led us back to the train station and to the end of another daytrip. Of all our daytrips, I would rate this one as the best. The cathedral in itself is worth the effort, let alone the bonus of a charming medieval town. And I have such positive impressions when we had garbage weather. Imagine if it were a nice day!

Adventures

Opéra Garnier

Musée Rodin

Rouen

Chantilly

Chartres