Troyes' Ruelle Des Chats

As if on cue...

1,2,Troyes

We drove on to the contemporary market town (French designer outlet store malls; which we never saw) of Troyes, mainly to see the place and four of its notable churches. We thought we had seen some beautiful old towns and buildings in Europe, but Troyes (pronounced like trois) takes the prize in that regard. How so many of the oldest buildings survived all the many centuries of turmoil must be a good story.

We spent the night before Troyes at an aire in Piney, which
had the largest wood fence/pile ever, so far; above is only
one of the two sides; seems like we stayed in a Piney, Wyoming,
once, but maybe that was Pinedale

So you think your contractor did a lousy job? The above was
remodeled in 2004; actually it is famous, the Maison du Dauphin,
1472, one of the oldest in Troyes

Another, next to the cathedral

The home of Chretien de Troyes, noted Medieval poet,
whose works inspired, among others, Wagner

One of many beautiful squares

High Street; we had lunch, galettes and
omelette, and cidre, at the purple-striped
restaurant

Turreted half-timbered building

Interior of another restaurant

Interesting combination of Coquille St. Jacques
and the talking snake episode

Block after block of these in the old town

Property taxes in the Middle Ages were based
only on first floor square footage; seriously;
so the upper floors expanded as much as you
dared...

Sometimes too much...to pass the test of time,
anyway

Hobbit house

A beautiful old town; well cared-for; ample historical signage

With much great outdoor sculpture too

Thus

Reims Cathedral, Roof

Reims Cathedral sustained some serious damage in WWI, including the burning of its roof. After the war, John D. Rockefeller, Jr., financed its rebuilding, this time not with timber but with concrete framing (and lead on top). There is thus far less a danger of fire now, and tours climb up the 250 steps of the south tower, into a terrace, then on catwalks between the ceiling and roof, then outside all the way around the transepts, back inside, and then back down the tower. An amazing, not-to-be-missed experience.

Reims Cathedral, Sculpture

It was difficult for us to tell what was replaced versus what was just cleaned, but there was plenty of sculpture to look at at Reims.

West facade; no tympanum but many jamb sculptures; and all the wonderful glass

Reims has a couple of famous "smiling angels"; here is the
main one

He/she seems to be saying "YES!" to something...maybe the fact that he/she
still has a head

The other is left here, one wing missing, Gabriel announcing to Mary "Hail Mary,
have I got a deal for you..."

Thus

But compare with the adjoining pair, the Visitation, the
detail on the robes...

One bit of the massive sculpture on the inside of the west
facade

Last Judgment on the tympanum of the main door, north facade

Resurrection detail

"Welcome to Hell!"

A king and a bishop, not least

Elsewhere, baptism of Clovis