About 70 miles from Paris lies the small village of Chartres. After spending the early morning in Versailles, the real treat awaited me in Chartres. A weekend in a storybook location gave my spirit great peace. On Sunday, the great Chartres Cathedral rang its tower bells and the town effectively shut down.

Shops closed their doors and the rest of the day, the small parks filled with families. After a wonderful early dinner at Le Pichet, I found a small pocket in a park, tucked my bag behind my head and closed my eyes with a gentle breeze effortlessly teasing my skin. No worries. I can understand now how the great poets, artist and writers of centuries past could be so inspired.