Don't expect the soaring gothic arches of Amiens or Chartres. Don't hope for the massive strength…read moreof York. Don't count on the grace of Salisbury. But look for the right things, and this cathedral will not disappoint. So what are they? Two main things. First the fantastic wood carvings in the choir. And second, the glorious stained glass windows. Begun in 1489, and 200 years in the making, this is one of the most recent cathedrals in France. It's also one of the biggest, at 100 metres long and 40 metres wide. Its two towers reach 44 metres into the sky, and frame a magnificent Renaissance facade. The choir has 113 stalls, incorporating over 1500 figures carved in oak. There are 18 magnificent stained glass windows, the work of Arnaud de Moles. They are masterpieces of light, shared between 10 different chapels within the cathedral. They offer a vision of the world, from the Creation to the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and illustrate very often the parallels between the Old and New Testaments. They were created between 1500 and 1513, and are probably the best examples of Renaissance windows to have survived. The organ, too, made by Jean de Joyeuse, is a masterpiece of its time, and was the largest ever built when it was installed in the 17th century. Admire the exterior in the sun, then cool off inside and marvel at the glassmaker's art.

We went to Auch and it was shut. Well the cathedral was anyway. Unfortunately they close for lunch…read more- how very, very, French. If only I had the kind of mobile phone that can surf the net I could have looked here and seen the opening times, but then I never think of opening times when it comes to cathedrals and churches. Sigh. What with that and the workmen, who were having their lunch on what looked like a building site. Why is it that whenever I visit churches etc. they're always covered in scaffolding? It was all a bit of a disappointment close up. It is very impressive from a distance though.