We walked up the Chemin de Croix (path of the stations of the cross) in Rocamadour in a downpour last night, but even that was amusing as Liam told stories and the rest of us laughed.
What a village this is! Built before the 13th century in the Midi-Pyrenees, it has been a place of pilgrimage for people traveling through the Pyrenees to Spain on their pilgrimages . Regional wars damaged the village in the 16th century, but it is well preserved and inhabited today.

I try to write blogs with a theme, but we've been filling our days so completely that I haven't had time to think about writing. I'm going to post photos and provide a brief explanation of the main places we've visited in this blog post.

Starting at the beginning, we picked up the RV I rented in a Paris suburb. We headed west to Chartres, getting completely lost along the way and wandering through narrow valleys with a farm or two that time has forgotten. Liam and Andy loved this experience! We persuaded Chris to drive roads he wouldn't have chosen, and finally we found the road to Chartres.

The cathedral is in the middle of an interior restoration that is completely changing my view of European cathedrals. The cathedrals I visited always had a dim interior with dark brown or gray walls . The stained glass windows were the only light, but their impact was dimmed because the interior was so dark. This renovation is returning the cathedral to its original state, with white columns, walls, and vaulted ceilings. The effect is amazing! The light illuminates all the interior and makes the windows even brighter. Brilliant!

Our next main stop was Chinon Chateau. I wanted the boys to see a cathedral and a chateau in France, and I knew that each had to be impressive. Chartres ticked that box. The chateau had to be a war-like one, more like a citadel than a Versailles. Chinon it was! Joan of Arc persuaded Charles VII (who wasn't yet a king) to assert his claim to the throne and kick the English army out of France at Chinon. Chinon overlooks a slate-roofed medieval town, and wandering the streets below the chateau brought Andy joy. He had loved architecture before, when we spend the summer in Oxford, but had grown bored with it in the interim.

Finally, we visited Rocamadour yesterday. We walked down the cliff to the village at the bottom, found a restaurant where Liam would actually eat the food he ordered, had a lovely meal, and then listened to the rain. It didn't stop, so we set off up the 'Grand Escalier' in the rain. The rain, the setting sun, the low clouds, and the company made the climb enjoyable.

The photos are jumbled because I took photos with both my camera and my phone.