Orleans Cathedral

We took an early afternoon  train from Paris to Orleans (on the Loire), just over an hour, smooth and comfortable as always.  We were off to the cathedral immediately, and this was a shot on our approach; the weather was gloomy and a light rain was beginning, but the incredible delicacy of the structure comes through.  [It's late; more tomorrow, with at least one extra.]  

Here's an extra, showing a mass of bouquets in the cathedral for a funeral mass tomorrow for Xavier Beulin, a major labor union leader from Orleans who suffered a sudden heart attack on Sunday. (The bouquets in the image are only 20-25% of the total around the altar.)  Tomorrow (Friday) we won't able to get near the Cathedral; over 3,000 are expected for the service, including François Holland and Nicolas Sarkozy.