Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
near Barbizon, and the
Gorges de Franchard
, a few kilometres south of Gorges
d'Apremont.
Sleeping
B&B
LA GUÉRINIÈRE
06 13 50 50 37;
balestier.gerard@wanadoo.fr
; 10 rue de Montebello; d incl
breakfast €70; )
This charming B&B provides some of the best-value accommodation in town. Owner Mon-
sieur Balestier speaks English and has five rooms, each named after a different flower and
dressed in white linens and period furniture; some have wooden beams. Breakfast includes
homemade jam and zesty marmalade.
HOTEL
HÔTEL DE LONDRES
01 64 22 20 21;
www.hoteldelondres.com
; 1 place Général de Gaulle; d
€95-185; )
Classy, cosy and beautifully kept, the 16-room 'Hotel London' is furnished in warm reds
and royal blues. The priciest rooms (eg room 5) have balconies with dreamy château views.
Chartres
Explore
Step off the train in Chartres (population 40,675) and the two very different steeples - one
Gothic, the other Romanesque - of its glorious 13th-century cathedral beckon. Follow them
to check out the cathedral's dazzling blue stained-glass windows and its collection of relics
- including the Sainte Voile (Holy Veil) said to have been worn by the Virgin Mary when
she gave birth to Jesus - which have lured pilgrims since the Middle Ages.
After visiting the town's museums, don't miss a stroll around Chartres' carefully pre-
served old city. Adjacent to the cathedral, staircases called
tertres
and steep streets lined
with half-timbered medieval houses lead downhill to the narrow western channel of the Eure
River, romantically spanned by footbridges.
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