Cathédrale d'Amiens

Inside the monstrosity of Notre Dame d'Amiens...

It was remarkably tall. It was hard to get perspective, but the ceiling was very far away. There were three tiers to the construction, and they all fit perfectly together to vault the roof.

It was also super cold in the church. Much colder than outside! You could see your breath and my feet numbed up right away.

Being a Unesco site means they get a lot of funding to maintain. It showed.

The rose windows were gorgeous, but so far away that all the detail was lost.

There was some lovely stained glass at the Nave.

It was a good place to bring a tripod to shoot if you had one. There were tons of windows up high letting in light, but basically nothing at ground level. Plus, I was shivering like crazy despite wearing layers and layers.

I am known to have a fascination with the morbid. They keep what is purported to be the head of St John the Baptist here, but they parade it around only once a year on a platter. The rest of the year, you have have but a bone fragment to sate your morbid curiosity from the noted saint.

It's about the size of a splinter or a bee stinger that you tweezed out, and probably just about as holy. Really now.

There was a labyrinth under the rose stone...

Originally, you were meant to crawl your way along it on your knees to show your devotion.

Like Notre Dame in Paris, you can climb up the ancient, narrow, steep staircases to get a view.

The view is perhaps not quite as striking as that of Paris, but to see the facade up close was a real treat.

You had to cross a very narrow ledge in front of the rose window to continue the climb.

No one moves to Northern France for the weather unless you are a glutton for monochromatic skies and rain and fits of melancholy.

The spire was incredibly intricate. It was carved wood, covered in lead. You could only really appreciate it from the roof as it was practically invisible at ground level.

Of course, I loved the gargoyles.

Right outside the cathedral square, we found the most amazing clock.

You would not be blamed if you did not actually notice the clock. Leave it to the French to create functional art sexier than anyone else could conjure up.

The rest of the town had a shopping district and lots of pedestrian streets and markets.

The only thing we didn't get to see (aside from the Picardie Museum under renovation) was the former residence of Jules Vernes, who lived and wrote here for a spell. Despite the fact I missed some sunshine in the more southerly climes of Paris, it was a totally relaxed and fun trip out of the city.