No, we're not driving a VW bug

We left Paris this morning and took the Metro to pick up our rental car in a chic neighborhood at the base of the Eiffel Tower. As we towed our luggage up the stairs, we were hushed by a woman holding a clipboard. She spoke to us in a hurried French undertone and pointed to a scene being played out before us--a man and a woman and about 100 others: cameramen, technology crews, a director, and various other "cinema-looking" people. They were filming a movie in the middle of the Metro station and our rolling bags were distracting from the take. 


After a few minutes they ended the clip, and let us past. I kept looking over my shoulder, wondering if the film would ever make it the U.S.


We picked up our rental car shortly after: a small, hatchback Mercedes Benz--a version they only make in Europe. (Apparently it's too small for the U.S.) This was my first time in a Mercedes and I felt immediately richer as we pulled onto the streets of Paris. My mom and her friends drove a VW bug through Europe--but that wasn't on the list of rental choices. 


One of the best things about the Mercedes is it's navigation system. Without I'm sure we would still be in Paris now, going around round-about and veering down narrow alleys. French streets are not marked well; the signage is low and unobtrusive. It's great for the appearance of streets and roads but makes it nearly impossible for drivers. Thank goodness for our navigation system which announces every turn in a cool British accent. It seems unfazed by our constant wrong-turns and simply asks us to "take a U-turn" and "continue on the motor-way."



Mom and I in front of Chartres

Once out of Paris, driving is easy. The roads are well-maintained and although the speed limit is 130 kilometers per hour, everyone drives well under at a leisurely pace. It's a nice change from Seattle freeways, I've decided.


We drove through the heartland of Paris which looks remarkably like the heartland of America. It's flat and dry with acres and acres of fields stretching out from the road. Fields of wheat, corn, and who knows what else. I couldn't even count the number of tractors we saw. Every so often a small town emerges from the fields; a nestling of stone houses encircling an old church. If I wasn't in a car, it would seem that it was the 16th or 17th century--so little has changed.


The Chartres Cathedral was our first stop. The church is incredible. Built in the 12th century, it has two separate spires of stone curlicues and design that stretch up. They look like two stacks of blocks that a small child has stacked, trying to build the highest tower. I have no idea how they have survived so many years--it looks as if any strong wind would topple them both.

Chartres
Like Nortre Dame, Chartres is gorgeous inside and out: flying buttresses, stained glass, gargoyles and a carved scene of Jesus' life that encircles the entire interior of the church. Currently the church is being restored so part of it was fenced off but even with the scaffolding, Chartres was breath-taking. The church lies on Gallo-Roman ruins built in the fourth century. Later, in the sixth century, it was the location of a small cathedral which was later destroyed. Years later, Parisian architects built Chartres on the remains.


Not quite as long ago, my mom drove up from the South of France and stopped at Chartres. She remembers driving along fields and pastures and seeing the spires emerge suddenly between trees. They spent an afternoon there exploring, and like Sacre-Coeur, the church became one of my mom's favorite spots in Europe.


After walking around the town of Chartres, my mom and I jumped back in the car for our next destination: Onzain, France, in the heart of the Loire Valley.


The Loire Valley contains some of the oldest and most beautiful examples of Renaissance architecture in all of Europe. Every few miles, or so, gorgeous mansions and palaces, chateaux, rise above each side of the Loire River.



Le chat devant notre hotelTonight we're staying in the tiny town of Onzain in a manor built in the 19th century. It is absolutely perfect, a house that fits right in a Jane Austin book. We ate quiche and a baguette outside on the front lawn in the gathering dusk, watching hot air ballons float over the valley. The manor is home to two cats and their presence makes the hotel even more picturesque.


Tomorrow we're driving to  Chenonceau , one of the most famous of the Chateaux in the Loire. But first, a night in our small room of the manor, falling asleep to the sound of crickets and creaking floor boards.