St. Etienne's Cathedral- Bourges

Hi again, everyone!  This past weekend I got a really awesome opportunity to travel to Bourges, a very old city right in the center of France, and visit one of the most beautiful cathedrals in the world.





The city of Bourges is absolutely ancient, and was written about in records of the Gallo-Roman Wars (Julius Caesar's time!).  Even today, an astonishing amount of medieval architecture remains- everything from the cathedral to a nearby palace to everyday "peasant" houses that are still inhabited today.


The construction of the cathedral itself began in the 1100's, and was consecrated in 1324. Throughout its existence, the cathedral has been home to a serious of bishops and archbishops, and is today the religious center of the region.  Like many elaborate French cathedrals, St Etienne of Bourges took a beating in the Wars of Religion, though unlike many other cathedrals, St Etienne's Cathedral was able to preserve a decent amount of partially destroyed statues.  Today, these statues and other original decorations are housed in a crypt beneath the cathedral, open to tourists.  It was absolutely amazing to see all of these ancient pieces, many dating back to the 12th, 13th, or 14th centuries (left in their original state, never touched-up or altered), and some which have even maintained their original paints and varnishes (contrary to popular belief, these medieval cathedrals were originally quite colorful- white statues and uncolored religious decoration is quite a modern trend).  Anyway, most of these semi-destroyed pieces of art are decapitated saints, who lost their heads to some angry protestants (and some other people who got involved purely for political reasons) during the French Wars of Religion in the 16th century.


^^^ Remarkably well preserved tableau/statues representing the crucifixion.  This piece dates back to about 1230-1240, and has not been altered or revarnished since it was moved to the crypt for protection during the Wars of Religion.  Our tour guide mentioned that the Roman soldier's head and helmet look incredibly modern, but were indeed a part of the original tableau.


The depths of Hell (I think?  Either that, or a bunch of people being cooked in a cauldron for some reason...) from approximately the same time period.

Overall, this place is historically and artistically awesome, and a must-see for anyone who ever finds themselves in France!

La Galette des Rois

Happy New Year, everyone!  It's hard to believe it's 2014 already... so much has changed in the past year, the past months... and I'm hoping that the coming year will bring just as many surprises, challenges, and success stories! :)

Anyway, I'm posting today to share another French holiday tradition, the Galette des Rois (Cake of the Kings).  This tradition is typically carried out the Sunday following Christmas.  French families bake or buy a sort of cake (I say cake because there's no true English translation for "galette."  It's kind of closer to a pie, with a custard-y, cake batter-y almond filling.  And it's tasty.  Very tasty.), with a little porcelain bean baked inside.  The cake is cut into pieces and distributed by the youngest member of the family.  Then, everyone eats, and the person who finds the bean in their slice is crowned king or queen for the day.


The tradition of the Galette des Rois was originally celebrated at the Epiphany to commemorate the visit of the magi (hence the crowning of a king/queen), and is known to have existed since at least the 14th century.  Fun fact: During the French Revolution (and approximately the half-century of... interesting politics that followed), the Galette des Rois was renamed the "Gateau d'Egalite" (Equality Cake) since the whole concept of kings had become a bit unpopular (sort of the same idea as Americans renaming sauerkraut "liberty cabbage" and things like that during World War II).  The Galette earned back it's original name in the mid-1800s.

Anyway, this is my tradition to share this week.  Hoping that everyone at home is enjoying their own holiday traditions!  Joyeuses Fetes!