French road trip part 5: Orleans

Due to our chateau hotel being very rural, we chose to go out and about the next morning and visit Orleans.

As we arrived at an underground car park in the town, I spotted this metalwork horse perched on one of the beams. I couldn’t resist attempting to take a photo of it as we drove past!

After finding somewhere to park the car, we wandered through this little garden, complete with painted animal ornaments!

With benches dotted around, it was a tranquil little space.

Eager to explore more, we walked into the centre of town, finding more greenery and stone benches. Another perfect place to catch some shade under the hot sun.

The Place du Martroi is home to a selection of restaurants and bars, a fountain display and an imposing statue of Joan of Arc.

I took a photo of the fountains as they were at full height and looking much more impressive, but someone decided to walk in front of the camera just at the wrong time!

Wandering through a narrow street full of old timbered buildings, we emerged back onto the main street and headed towards the cathedral.

We took a slight detour to the right of the cathedral to take a closer look at a water feature.

The Orleans cathedral, Cathedrale Sainte-Croix, is a hugely impressive building.

The intrinsic detail throughout the front of the building was breathtaking.

I wasn’t sure if I was particularly interested in going inside, but I’m so glad we ventured in.

The inside was just as impressive as the outside. The sheer scale was surprising to me – it felt absolutely huge. There were so many things to look at and read about, with plaques and information boards providing historical facts. Several groups of tourists were walking around with their guides, so it was a popular place.

While we were inside, it didn’t feel right to take many photos somehow. It felt like too much of a spiritual place. I think I may have had goosebumps walking around. It really would be a perfect place to sit and reflect and to express gratitude for the amazing things we have in our lives.

It certainly gave me an unquestionable feeling of there being something bigger than us out there. Yet another amazing experience on this French road trip.