Transcription
C O P Y No. 15 Paris, April 23, 1951
Dear Family:
THE TRIP was really officially over when we watched Daddy climb aboard the TWA Constellation, but I waited until now to catch any last bits of excitement. This was rather silly because I already had more than I could write about in one letter.
Thursday afternoon we saw Mont St. Michel which wasn’t quite as awe-inspiring as we had hoped, but still it was a fascinating experience. The tiny souvenir shops which line both sides of the narrow cobbled street leading up to the abbey detract considerably from the spiritual atmosphere, and what is left quickly disappears as you follow around the guided tour which turns the abbey into a secular museum. Also the tide was out which left grey sand stretching as far as the eye could see. But in spite of the obstacles, we really were glad that we’d gone. The place has an amazing history of catastrophe and rebuilding, and in the various church crypts underneath the present abbey you can see many different styles from the earliest Romanesque through to late Gothic. And whether the tide is in or out, seeing the “Mont” looming up in the distance with its cluster of roofs crowned by the church spire is a real thrill.
The view that really put Mont St. Michel in the shadow was the one of Chartres Cathedral when we were still about fifteen miles away. We saw it first in the afterglow of the sunset rising up from the plain. It looked absolutely solitary. Even when we were just a few miles out of town the city seemed to be invisible. It was a wonderful introduction to Chartres, and only the beginning of the awe we were to feel. We had read that Chartres had the most beautiful stained glass windows in France, but nothing could have prepared us for them and it would take a poet to describe them. We spent almost an hour walking around the cathedral looking at the windows and the carved screen around the choir. We had noticed that all the chairs were numbered, and much bustling preparation was going on and we found out that there was to be a special celebration with 4000 school children, all members of choirs from all over Paris and Normandy, taking part. While busload after busload of children filed into the cathedral, we visited the crypt beneath. Part of this crypt is an old cave where the druids worshipped before Christianity. When the cathedral had filled and the service had begun, we returned and stood at the back. Chartres Cathedral was thrilling when we first entered it. Now filled with singing, it was still more inspiring. It’s an experience that we’ll never forget.
Coming into Paris was twice as exciting for us this time because so many things were familiar. It’s a wonderful feeling. We spent the next morning at the Louvre, John and I concentrating on the medieval and Reniassance [sic] sculpture which we had missed before, and Daddy covering about everything else. That night while Daddy insisted on staying home to get caught up on his correspondence, we went to see and hear Rigoletto. It was new to both of us, and we were amazed at how much of the music was familiar. We loved it from start to finish.
Daddy had checked in with TWA that afternoon, and when he found he could change his reservation so that he could spend all day Sunday with Bill, he jumped at the chance. We were sorry to see him go early, but it was the right thing to do and now that our journey’s ended, we’re impatient to get home ourselves.
Love,
JudyTranscriber
Cindi RokeLanguage
English