Reims

Up early in Strasbourg to catch the train to Reims with one important stop in Metz to see two incredible churches. The first was the magnificent Metz Cathedral nicknamed “The Lantern of God”. It is massive and holds claim to the largest expanse of stained glass in the world. Here we saw the much anticipated windows designed by Marc Chagall and Jacques Villon (both contemporaries in the 60’s).

Also in Metz, we stepped into Eglise Saint Maxime. This church is much smaller and much more modest compared to the Cathedral but the glass is truly amazing! Designed by Jean Cocteau, another contemporary of Chagall and Villon, the windows are cubist in style and possibly my favorites of all the glass I have seen on this trip.

We arrived in Reims as a gentle afternoon rain started to fall and quickly found our hotel. Ignoring the rain, we set out on foot to see some sights. First we visited the Franklin Roosevelt Comprehensive School which, during WWII, was the operating headquarters for General Eisenhower and the allied forces. Here is where the official documents of the German surrender were signed in 1945. There is a comprehensive and really well done museum in the school. Ryan especially enjoyed the history and we enjoyed sharing it with him.

We continued on through the streets admiring the French baroque architecture until arriving at Our Lady of Reims Cathedral. There was a funeral in session so we sat and listened to the music. The acoustics are phenomenal. Then we marvelled at the stunning glass all around the church, especially the double rose windows in the west. We also found more Marc Chagall glass in the east ambulatory. Happy to see so much famous glass on this day.

Raining steadily as we left the cathedral, we ducked into the first restaurant we came to for supper. Good choice… great service and excellent food. It was dusk when we finished and only a short walk back to the apartment past wonderful street fountains with their lights just coming on.

The next morning, we arrived at Veuve Clicquot Champagne House in Reims for a guided tour and tasting. Down into the labyrinth of chalk caverns we went to learn how 27 year old newly widowed Madame Clicquot single handedly and against all odds in the early 1800s, elevated her husband’s business to world class status. The tasting at the end of the tour was bubbly good.

The final stop on this last day of our trip was into the Basilica of Saint Remi to see the windows. I’m running out of adjectives to describe how beautiful the stained glass is. Other worldly perhaps. This church was the 30th one we visited on our tour around Europe.

Just some parting refreshments and a nice lunch before we caught train back to Paris to prepare for the flight home the next day. What a tour! Many dreams came true and memories made. A final word of praise for Monica’s impeccable organizational skills. She orchestrated the entire journey flawlessly: managing all the flights, all the trains, all the ubers and taxis, all the hotels, all the museums, galleries and walking tours, all the required documents and receipts and made sure Ryan and I were healthy and happy the entire time. Respect, admiration and gratitude to you Monica. We love you! ❤️

Here are the photo highlights of our time in Reims.