Meeting Reims

We had a fantastic walk through central Reims today, beginning with the glorious Notre-Dame Cathedral. We spent a long time there, taking in the majesty of a church that has stood since the 1200s. The exterior was every bit as thrilling as the inside, and the mastery of light accomplished by craftsmen almost a thousand years ago simply cannot be overstated. It was breathtaking.  Impossible to capture it all with photographs, but it is indelibly printed to memory. 

Central Reims is wonderfully walkable, with discoveries around every corner. Pâtisseries, flower shops, lively cafés, and everywhere, people wandering about and the sound of lilting conversation filling the streets. The French are a passionate people, and we happened upon the tail end of some kind of demonstration, long since settled, but which nevertheless gave me my first taste of tear gas. Eye-stinging and brief, but another unexpected window into this culture.

After a quick pause for a beer, we continued on to find the “world’s largest and oldest Roman arches,” (that’s Dave, which will give you an idea of the scale), and just beyond them, the peaceful old walled cemetery. Spooky, reverent, sad, crumbling, resolute. It felt like a place where centuries of lives had somehow settled into the earth.

A very touching tribute to the Reims young men lost in WW1.

By late afternoon, we were spent and returned home for a glass of Chablis and more cheese. It’s time to relax, especially after this morning began with a bolus of adrenalin when we discovered that there were no train tickets available to get us back to the airport for our Friday flight. Thank you very much, Gay Pride parade and Céline Dion concert.

Once again, though, the angel on our shoulder somehow came through. Newly released train tickets appeared, and we are now assured of making it to Charles de Gaulle Airport, hopefully with enough time to catch our much-anticipated flight to YYC on Friday.

Another ineffable day in France.❤️