Chartres Lights at Night

Vivid Colors of the light show.

I have to spend a little more time in Chartres. Mentioned in my last post, Chartres is the home of luminieres but is also regarded as the perfume capital of the world. The Cosmetic Valley, as it is referred to,  consists of 800 companies like Paco Rabanne, Guerlain and Nina Ricci, to name a few.  

Art Nouveau covered market

One of the few “touristy” things we did while in France was to pay to ride on a Choo-Choo Tour train, to see the lights. At the end of our French adventure, our dogs were almost dead and the tour began way after our bedtime. So our thought was to sit back and let the Choo-Choo do the walking. We were on the train a full hour before starting. Smashed into a row of 4, our male seat companion was a nice French Malaysian gentleman who spoke great English. He had made a pilgrimage to the Cathedral when he was younger and this was his first trip back.

On the Choo-Choo

The absolute best part of the tour was another car coming up the wrong way toward the Choo-Choo, on a small medieval street. The conductor and the driver getting out of their vehicles, yelling at each other on who had the right of way. Guess who won? 

They even allowed dogs on the Choo-Choo

Next morning was travel day. Yet again, we successful traversed the Perimeter of Paris and found our way to Charles de Gaulle, the car drop off and the line for XL Airway. Harvey saved 8 passengers, who were in the wrong and profoundly long line (to Cancun) by scouting out the correct service counter. We all scurried along, finding ourselves amongst the first 20 to board.  XL is like Southwest – first come, first served.

Yep, this is France

 Not wanting to be in a row of 3 for our 9 hour fight, we asked for the 2 to a row seats, which are in short supply. Even though they were in the back of the plane, where the engines are louder, we figured that our earplugs would take care of the noise factor. We had not counted on the French Farting Filles.  Our flight was a young flight. Average age, I would guess, early 30’s. How exciting to go to Miami! I get it. So these young Filles must have loaded up on beans, prior to the flight. It started before takeoff and became progressively worse for the next 5 hours. Instead of any embarrassment, these girls cackled like hens, each time a “bomb” was dropped. At one point, a gentleman on the other side of the plane, jumped up and started screaming at them in French, holding his noise, waving his arms about him. It only reduced these girls to hysterical and louder giggling. Even my years of wiping butts in the ED had not prepared me for the horror of this flight. Eventually a flight attendant spoke to them. Not being able to insert a cork in them, at least the shrieking stopped. 

Best bathroom prize, Amboise.

Next time, put me in a middle seat!