Cathedral of Notre-Dame, Chartres

While walking through the village of Chartres, we heard a voice call out "Excuse me, do you speak English?"

Four women from Thailand were involved in an argument with a local resident over a meter. They were trying to feed it. An elderly man, who spoke neither English nor Thai, was preventing the process by placing his hand over the slot.

J and I acknowledged our command of our native language and attempted to sort out the dispute. The man started speaking (rapidly, with much gesturing and facial expression) directly to me.

"What is he telling you?" one of the women asked.

"I don't know" I replied. "I don't speak a word of French".

At this announcement the entire group, including the man, burst into laughter.

Eventually it was sorted out. It was an off day for parking and the meter did not have to be fed. They agreed to put their money away for another day and we cheerfully exchanged "bonjour's!" with our new friend.

During our walk back up to the the cathedral grounds we exchanged our impressions of France. J and I were scheduled to return home Thursday of that week and the women had arrived in Paris that morning, rented a car and were embarking on a two-week driving tour of France, with Chartres as their first stop. Aside from a truly embarrassing moment when I confused the countries of Thailand and Taiwan (which provoked more laughter) it was the most natural conversation I ever experienced with absolute strangers.

On 24 December 2004, less than two months after our magical encounter, the coastline of Thailand was devastated when an earthquake in the Indian Ocean triggered a tsunami. Did those women survive? Did they lose a parent, a husband, a child? Or were the losses just things, like photographs of J and I, taken steps outside the shadows of Chartres Cathedral?