After breakfast, we met in the lobby and had a short walk to board our bus for the first time. It was pleasingly spacious and light, with large picture windows.
When we arrived at Guédelon, our local guide showed us around the 13th century style castle that is currently being built using 13th century methods and tools. The guys especially enjoyed this!
After our tour, we had a picnic lunch together. It was one of a couple lunches that were unexpectedly included in the tour.
We boarded the bus again and drove to Bourges. We checked into our hotel, then met again for a walking tour of the village of Bourges and its grand cathedral.
Following our tour, we played a quick name game, then went to dinner together for our second group dinner. After dinner was a surprising light show throughout the village.
Miles Walked: 3.54 Steps Walked: 8,088
Guédelon Castle
During our tour of Guédelon, we saw how a team of 50 master-builders are using only medieval techniques and materials to build this unique castle. Our guide showed us around inside and out, as we saw what has already been done and what is currently being worked on. The guys were intrigued by the engineering. The pictures above show some of what was occuring the day we visited.
Hotel d'Angleterre
Our second hotel of the trip was Hotel d'Angleterre. It was very nice and in a great central location in the town of Bourges.
Walking Tour of Bourges
Our Bourges walking tour was given by local guide, Barbara. This small town has a rather large cathedral, St. Etiennes Cathedral, built 1137 - 1195. It is one of France's three best high Gothic style churches, inspired by Notre-Dame in Paris and built during the same time period as Chartes' Cathedral. The nave is one of the longest naves in France at 300 feet, and there is no transept. Surviving the Revolution and the two world wars, it is well preserved, including the many 13th century stained glass windows. See pictures above for more details.
The Village of Bourges
Bourges is a beautiful, medieval town with half-timbered houses and many other historic buildings. It's small town feel and lack of crowds was a nice contrast to Paris. After the visiting the cathedral, our walking tour continued down the lanes of this small town. Alex happend to sit on "John Calvin's Rock" - the place where, as a young man, John Calvin was said to sit and be inspired by God.
Group Dinner
After our walking tour, we had our second group dinner at Au Senat. A beef stew dish was one of the delicious choices for the main course, and a dessert assortment plate was a wonderful option to end the meal (pictured above).
Bourges Sound & Light Show
In the evening was a surprising delight -- the Sound and Light Show (Bourges' Nuits Lumiere). We enjoyed very much traipsing around town after dark and, like a treasure hunt, searching for and finding these beautiful projections on various facades, courtyards, and buildings. Each one was accompanied by music, Medieval or Renaissance. The cathedral looked stunning!
Don't miss the Sound and Light Show. Follow the blue lights around town to find all the projections.