Rest day Tuesday 14 Oct: Reims

We opted for a rest day to explore Reims today, hopping on a bus and heading to the Notre Dame Cathedral first, a bit of shopping, a nice lunch, some dedicated champagne tasting, and a challenging walk home.

PS I updated yesterday’s post earlier today with a number of new photos

Off to town…

Our guide book provides the following information:

“The Reims Cathedral is widely recognized as one of the finest in the world, which was undoubtedly the vision of its creators who laid its first stone in the year 1211. On the north portal, look for the famous Ange au Sourie (Smiling Angel) de Reims. Once inside the main doors, turn around to see the statues of the kings’ gallery beneath the brilliant rose window. In fact, over 2300 statues adorn the building. A large portion of the church’s 13th-century windows sur-vive, and nearly as dear are the 1974 windows by Marc Chagall.

The cathedral was subjected to a devastating artillery barrage in WWl, when it was hit by a total of 288 shells. The 15th-century roof, supported by oak beams, was a total loss, and a complete rebuilding took place after the war when wooden roof supports were replaced by a non-flammable structure.

On May 7, 1942 General Dwight Eisenhower of the Allies accepted the surrender of German forces at his headquarters here – a surrender which took effect the following day in what would become known as ‘VE Day, which ended WWII in Europe.

On July 8, 1962 Charles de Gaulle of France and Konrad Adenauer of Germany celebrated ‘mass of reconciliation’ in the cathedral – a ceremony that was repeated here 50 years later by François Hollande and Angela Merkel. The combined effect of its momentous history in war and peace, its stunning architecture, and its humbling scale make this one of the highlights of the Via Francigena.”

Information provided on statue:

This monumental statue, measuring 4.5m by 2.5m, represents these small birds that brighten up our towns and villages.

According to the French Office for Biodiversity, their population has declined by 75% in 10 years. Sparrows can no longer find the seeds and fruits that feed them; as for their chicks, they are mainly fed on insects and worms that they can no longer find. Two white-painted arms invite us to cuddle them and take care of them to preserve biodiversity.

It is made of recycled plywood.

Created by Vincent Rahir as part of Summer Will Be a Show 2024

From Reims Tourisme website: This ancient monument is one of the longest in the Roman world: it is approximately 32 meters long and 12 meters high!

Built towards the end of the 2nd century, the Mars Gate is the only one of the four monumental arches providing access to the city of Durocortorum that has survived.

The Carnegie Library of Reims is a public library built with money donated by businessman and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie to the city of Reims after World War I. Reims was one of three “front-line” cities to be given a Carnegie library, the other two being Leuven and Belgrade. Opened in 1927. (Thanks Google)