CHARTRES

Leaving Paris is always difficult for me, but the French countryside offers its own beauty and charm. The town of Chartres is about an hour Southwest of Paris and is known mostly for its fine Gothic cathedral.





While I'm a fan of Gothic cathedrals, this one intimidates me a bit so I spent more time exploring the town itself. They've done a great job of blending the very old (Chartres dates back to the 900s)...the narrow streets and walkways...with the more contemporary and even very current looks in houses and shops.






As the most important market town in the region, Chartres has shops selling many tempting goodies and, whether a new or an old facade, the treats are just as good!