OIDFA Trip - Day 4 & 5 Chartres and Alencon The Thalys high speed train carried me from Brussels to Paris. Breakfast was included in the reservation. It was a very pleasant ride...to be followed by Paris' Gard du Nord train station! I had to find the Metro to cross Paris to the train station Gard du Montparsee for Chartres. I'm sure the Nord train station is as large as Portland Airport, and the Metro is almost as large since most of the lines stop there. Down stairs, hall, up stairs, hall, down stairs, long hall, down again, long hall, up stairs. If a person isn't hale and heary, she won't survive the transfer. I'm sure I walked at least a mile before I got to the Metro Info to get a Metro map and ticket.
The ticket man asked if I wanted one ticket or a packet of 11. I took the packet because I knew I would be back in Paris later. More halls and stairs to get to the right platform. Remember...all of this tramping around was with a backpack and pulling a small suitcase which had to be carried up and down the stairs. No escalators here. I didn't like the London Underground when I was there, and did not really enjoy the Paris Metro but it's the only way to get around or across the city in a timely manner. Finally achieved the right train station, and the right train....and debarked in Chartres. I did not have room reservations for this night or the next, so I was trusting to luck. The first stop was the Tourist Bureau where I asked for help getting a room. For 2 Euros they made the phone calls (only two) and found a room right by the train station. I had seen the hotel sign as I passed, so knew where to go. It was a nice but tiny room with a window overlooking the street. I could see the cathedral towers and hear the chimes. The weather in France was hot and sunny. First thing was a quick shower, and then a visit to the cathedral. I know this isn't lace, but my trip had more than one goal, and one of them was to see some of the big cathedrals/churches. Besides, there's no lace I know of in Chartres. As I entered the cathedral by the tourist door, I saw a bride going to the main door. Quietly I sat down in a side pew and waited. Shortly, the wedding procession came down the aisle, led by the priest. He signaled the organist and there was music. The next half hour was spent watching a French wedding. Afterwards I did the usual tourist visit inside and outside the cathedral, visited the cash machine & post office, had some dinner, and returned to my room. Suddenly I heard music coming from the town square, a block away. Inquiry revealed that it was the First Day of Spring, which is a music holiday in France. Every town has music all evening. I walked down to the square and watched a little while but was too tired to stay. I went to sleep that night hearing the music through my window. The next day was my worst travel day. I overslept and missed the first train to LeMans where I had to transfer to get to Alencon. When I did get there, as I stepped off the train the step tipped and dumped me on the ground. I was wearing my backpack, so the weight of it made me roll on to my back instead of falling forward. Nothing hurt but the other passengers were concerned. Then in the train station, the train schedule did not have a track number for the Alencon train, but instead said 'car'. I tried to find out what that meant but few people spoke English. Finally I got to an Info window, which was closed, but a young lady was standing there who knew English. She told me that she wanted the same train and was waiting to find out what was happening. So far, she had learned that there was a train strike on that line so the train company was using a bus. She was waiting to find out where and when, so we waited together. When the agent returned, she got the information, and led me to the bus stop. We chatted the hour we waited for the bus, which finally did come. The next hour was actually one of the more interesting travel hours of my trip. The bus went through the middle of all the little villages we passed. The trains usually bypass them, or they are hidden by fences or earth berms. When we debarked in Alencon, that same young lady stayed to help me get the information I needed from the ticket agent about trains leaving Alencon, and where to find a hotel. I thanked her very much, and wished I had a token gift I could have given her. The Hotel du Normandie had a room....actually the least expensive room of my whole trip. The hotel desk is in a Sports Bar. The lady running the hotel was very helpful and called a taxi to take me to the Lace Museum. The museum was open that day but would not be the next. Surprise!!!!! The Museum was having a special exhibit of a private person's lace collection of Alencon and Argentan laces on the first floor, as well as the normal exhibit on the 3rd floor. Absolutely superb laces! And a table set up with step by step explanation on how the lace is made, with pictures of modern lace classes learning it and some of the pieces made by these people. Both of these laces are needle laces, in case you didn't know. It was difficult to keep from drooling, at least mentally. The laces were all in glass cases so were well protected. <G> Some of the cases had magnifying circles attached to the glass so fine details could be seen better. Photos were allowed, so I took lots. I hope they turn out. There was no exhibit brochure. I browsed through the special collection, then up to the regular display, then back through the special exhibit again. Finally after about 3 hours, overload of the brain, demands of the stomach since I'd had only an apple for lunch, and the lateness of the hour (the museum would be closing), required me to ask for a taxi to return to the hotel. Since it was Sunday, the restaurants were closed. The hotel owner fixed me a simple dinner in the sports bar which I ate while watching live horse racing on the large TV. Weather was warm and cloudy, but it only rained during the night. Days 5 & 6 had lace collections five and six, plus church number one. Alice in Oregon -- where a policeman is ticketing someone right outside my house. Good. They caught one of the bad drivers. He's trying to talk his way out of the ticket. Doesn't look like it worked. - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
