In September 2023, Dominique Lallement organized a trip to Chartres. Irène Jourd’heuil, Deputy Director of the Regional Directorate of the French Ministry of Culture, led the visit of the north transept. High up on the exterior scaffoldings the group observed restorers remove Bay 125 (employing the same techniques used by medieval artisans!). Karine Boulanger, of CNRS, gave an i_n_-_s_i_t_u_ _lecture on individual pieces of glass and explained the decay caused largely by external pollution. After climbing the 13-story internal scaffoldings, they witnessed the condition of the stone works, traces of polychromies, and changes effected during preceding restorations in the 14th and 19th centuries. From “way up there”, the view of the south transept and windows was amazing, and masterly photographed by Cora Bern-Klug. Other highlights included the tour of the crypt and cathedral led by Anne Marie Woods and Jill Geoffrion, sharing a joyous lunch with the Bishop of Chartres, discovering the collection of medieval and renaissance manuscripts at the m_éd_i_a_t_h_èq_u_e_, and spending precious time with iconic guide Malcolm Miller (to soon celebrate his 90th birthday).
