Someone once told me that the French do not make such a big deal out of Christmas, shopping, and gift-giving as we Americans do. But this person could not have been more incorrect as shopping amongst Parisians is akin to being a part of an all-out stampede.

Every day since we’ve been here, any shopping we’ve done has been done in the company of a throng French shoppers. Whether we’ve been to les grand magasins in the 9th Arr. or the chic boutiques along Rue Faubourg-St. Honore in the 8th and 1st Arrs., or in the many small streets that comprise Le Marais, we’ve certainly been part of huge crowds of people filtering in and out of shops, and spilling onto crowded sidewalks and streets.

But it hasn’t just been a shop-a-rama. On Saturday we took a train to Chartres so we could take in the Chartres Cathedral and its amazing stained glass windows. As a person who is highly influenced by colors, looking at the vast collection of stained glass windows provided a dose of inspiration. It’s amazing that this church, which originally was destroyed, was rebuilt to such splendor in a relatively short period of time. And it’s fascinating to see what could be constructed in medieval times like the late 1100s and early 1200s. Photos from Chartres will be posted in the next day or so.

By the way – if you’re reading this blog and want to see larger photos that are in the slide show, just click on the slide show and you can view each photo one.