Cycling from Vierzon, France to Bourges, France
A short 33 km ride to Bourges along the Yèvre and the
Aincienne canal du Berry all the way on the
D60 through
Mehun-sur-Yèvre. Rode to the Gare to find the hostel,
located very near to the Cathédrale St-Etienne. Met a friendly bunch of
Australians here and we drank a lot of wine at a cafe just across from the Cathédrale.
Just to visit this site and enjoy the big city,
 I stayed here two days, where the hostel
is quite comfortable. Ate out with my friends both nights and heard a huge organ concert
at the church.
On my day off, I visited Diaz Bike Shop to get a new tube and get my tires up to 110
pounds. I should have known I was in trouble when I saw all the motos outside. There was
no tube the right size and I left with somewhat less air in my tires and a tube that
"might work".
A visit to the Cathédrale St-Etienne
with its gardens is a real pleasure. Construction of the cathedral began in the
12th century, converting a Romanesque structure into the widest Gothic cathedral in
France. The west façade has five doorways.The cathedral is known primarily for its
13th-century stained-glass windows, best viewed with binoculars to appreciate the deep,
rich colors. The interior is marked by towering pillars rising 20 meters (65 feet) and one
long nave with no transept. The use of flying buttresses on the exterior is an example of
classic Gothic style.
Built at the same time as the cathedrals of Chartres and Notre Dame in Paris, the Bourges
cathedral was one of three monuments that first pushed the limits of the nascent Gothic
architectural style. It has a number of unusual features, the most obvious of which is the
absence of a transept. By omitting a transept and making the side naves much lower than
the main vaulted nave, the Bourges builders may have hoped to create the illusion of
height greater than that of Paris's Notre Dame.
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Auberge de
Jeunesse
Jacques Cæur
22, rue Henri Sellier
18000 BOURGES
02 48 24 58 09
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