Chartres, the medieval town

For John and I the most evocative part of the town of Chartres was the medieval section at the bottom of the hill behind the Cathedral along the Rue du Massacre along the Eure river.

The tree-lined river seems far from the tourist and pilgrim crowds of the Cathedral and the postcard shops above.

The locks and ancient wash-houses along its banks evoke a quieter, slower-paced time that is no less meditative.

If anything, even more so for us.

There's even a solid, handsome Romanesque church, St-André, on the Eure's banks. It's now used for concerts and art exhibitions.

Come to relax, to sense another age

before climbing back up the hill to the main town and returning to bustling, modern Paris. That's what we did.