Well thankfully the overnight trip back from Paris was rather uneventful. Our little compartment of 4 beds was a little stinky with foot odor but we all managed to sleep through the night. My neighbors were a bit intrigued by my reading material. The man above me said it looked like I would stay up all night reading my book which is the autobiography of Casanova by the looks of its cover. The cover is of a reclining nude from a painting called Resting Venus by Dirk de Quade van Ravesteyn. Casanova wrote a 10 book, 5 volume history of himself and the life surrounding him with which I have become thoroughly engrossed. and I am only on Book #4.
I also have to apologize for my gullibility, in my last email I mentioned that there was a circus to perform in Chartres, well it turns out this was a little joke played on me by Olivier. Now it is true that there was a net set up above the entrance and upon viewing it one would assume it was for protection during renovation or from possible falling glass from the stained glass windows, and maybe I was taken in by the joke due to remembering how the Cathedral of St. John the Divine is always host a wide variety of events such as the blessing of the animals and the Paul Winter Consort, but Olivier mentioned how it really marked a cultural difference between us because he grew up knowing that such a thing could never happen in a Cathedral. I am just too gullible and serious sometimes for my own good.
Also it was noted by an outside source that I misread some of the literature I picked up and that in fact Chartres was not the first Gothic Cathedral, this is held by St. Denis, but that is was the most influential in the Gothic Style.
Well back again to the gray wet and cold gloom of Munich, I hear that it was hot and sunny here last week. Alas more incentive to stay in and work and I feel ready to do just that.
All my best out there, and enjoy the last week of spring.
Michele
