Un Château, Des Chevaux et de la Crème?

 

What do a castle, horses and whipped cream all have in common? They are all  found in Chantilly...just 25 miles northeast of Paris.



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A visit to Chantilly - with its fabulous Chateau de Chantilly, the Musee Condé filled with masterpieces second only to the Louvre, the Live Horse Museum and its incredible horse shows, the Chantilly Racecourse, and a taste of the delicious Chantilly Cream -  is an refreshing alternative to the ridiculous crowds you might encounter on a visit that other famous chateau near Paris. Don't get me wrong...I love Versailles - the history, the palace, the gardens and the fountains all make Versailles a must see at some point in your life.  However,  if you have already seen it once or twice and you don't want to deal with the swarms of tourists that descend upon Versailles every summer, consider Chantilly instead.

 

Although it is only a short half hour trip on either the Paris Metro RER-D or a regional train from Gare du Nord, there is a lot to see and do at Chantilly, so plan for a full day and get an early start. Upon arrival at the station, you an either take a free bus or a taxi (for around 8 euro) to the Chateau.



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The estate has a rich history dating back to the 14th century owned by the Condé branch of the House of Bourbon - it was passed down through inheritance from 1386 to 1897. The original chateau was burned to the ground during the French Revolution. The Chateau de Chantilly that is currently standing was built by Henri d'Orléans, duc d'Aumale in the 1870's. When he died in 1897, he bequeathed the property and its contents to the Institut de France, with the condition that the collections remain intact on the property.

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Inside the Chateau you will want to visit the apartments  -  the ceremonial Grand Apartments on the first floor, which are decorated with white and gold rocaille woodworks and valuable eighteenth century furniture, and the Small Apartments or private apartment of the Duke and Duchess of Aumale on the ground floor, which are decorated and furnished according to the tastes of the nineteenth century.

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Make sure you visit The Musee Condé - the collection is considered to be the second most valuable in France, after the Louvre. The painting gallery contains no less than three Raphaels, three Fra Angelicos, four Watteaus, five Nicolas Poussins, five Ingres, and three Delacroix, all of excellent quality. The Library  contains over 1300 manuscripts and 12,500 printed volumes.

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After your visit inside the Chateau, stroll through the lush formal gardens  featuring extensive grand parterres and water features, designed by André Le Nôtre (of Versaille fame) for the Grand Condé. The park also contains a French landscape garden with a cascade, pavilions, and a rustic village, the Hameau de Chantilly, which inspired the Marie Antoinette's Hameau at Versailles.

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Adjacent to the Chateau are the imposing Great Stables built in 1719 and considered to be the grandest and most beautiful stables in the world. Luckily they were spared during the Revolution.

(if you are not able to view this on your device, click here.)

The Live Horse Musuem puts on various demonstrations and spectacular equestrian shows demonstrating the art of Haut-Ecole training such as the amazing one in the video above (definitely watch it - it is only one minute long). Additionally, on June 15, 2013, the brand new Museum of the Horse will open with 6500 square feet of equine related exhibits.
 


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(those are The Great Stables behind the race track)

Just behind the Grand Stables is the famed Chantilly Racecourse, where the prestigious Prix du Jockey Club (called the French Derby) has been run since 1836. This year it will be run on June 15th.

 


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All of these sights will certainly make for a full day at Chantilly - at some point you will need to take a break! On the estate of the Chateau de Chantilly, you will find two restaurants - La Capitainerie, under the vaults of the former kitchen of the chateau or on the terrace, serving lunch and tea;  and Le Hameau, near the former dairy which is the birthplace of the famous Chantilly Cream, which serves lunch, desserts and snacks. You can definitely taste your share of Chantilly Cream in either place.

 

If you decide you would rather spend the night in Chantilly, particularly on evenings when they have their renowned fireworks show, a brand new Relais & Chateaux hotel, Auberge du Jeu de Paume Chantilly has recently opened on the property of the Chantilly estate.

Things to Remember:

The Chateau de Chantilly is open daily from March 30 - September 29, 2013. It is closed on Tuesdays the rest of the year. During January, it is usually closed for part of the month. Be sure to check the days and hours of opening before planning your trip here.

For more information on getting to and from Chantilly, go here.

For more information on ticket prices and events, go here.

For more information on the Equestrian Shows, go here.

For more information on Chantilly Racecourse, go here.

For more information on the town of Chantilly, go here.

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I want to thank Anita for organizing this amazing link party!! I have enjoyed reading everyone's posts and have found many lovely new blogs to follow.



Castles Crowns and Cottages

Tomorrow I will be continuing our petits voyages
de Paris...to Giverny.

And, in case you missed it, last Friday, we visited Chartres.

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'Voyage de Jour' ~ Chartres

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Chartres, France is a small town about 80 km (50 miles) southwest of Paris best known for the Chartres Cathedral, a stunning Gothic cathedral built between 1193 and 1250. It is a pleasant and easy day trip from Paris and the cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is something everyone should see in their lifetime.

 

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Until you actually visit Chartres Cathedral, you can't really appreciate the majesty and the history of this magnificent architectural feat. The best way to learn more about the cathedral - its history as an important stop on pilgrimage routes since the middle ages,  the significance of its architectural elements, and the grandeur of its stained glass windows - is to take a tour by resident expert, Malcolm Miller.  He has been studying Chartres Cathedral and guiding tours for over fifty years (and as of this writing he is still going strong at 79!).  Every day except Sunday from April to October, he leads two tours a day. Make sure you arrive early to secure your place - this is a tour that is not to be missed!

 

Also look for the famous labryinth on the floor of the cathedral - it is open for walking on Fridays. The pilgrims did it on their knees.  If you are visiting other days there is another lovely labryinth in the garden behind the cathedral.

 



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In addition to visiting the famous cathedral, there are many other interesting things to do in Chartres. There are several museums in town, including: 

 

Musée des Beaux-Arts,  a fine arts museum

Le Grenier de l'Histoire Musée, a history museum specializing in military uniforms and accoutrements

Le Centre International du Vitrail, a workshop-museum and cultural center devoted to the art of stained glass

Muséum de Sciences Naturelles et de la Préhistoire, a Natural Science and Prehistory Museum

Conservatoire du Machinisme et des Pratiques Agricoles, an agricultural museum

 

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One of the more unusual sites in Chartres is La Maison Picassiette, a house decorated inside and out with mosaics of chards of broken china and pottery.

 

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Wander along the charming streets in Old Town Chartres and you will feel as though you have traveled back to the middle ages with its half-timbered houses and  sidewalks lit by lanterns suspended on chains.

 

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 Chartres is an important market town in the region - if you are visiting on a Wednesday or a Saturday, visit the market at Place Billard. On Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, there is a flower market at Place du Cygne. Additionally, there are charming small shops throughout town.

 

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Adjacent to the cathedral are two restaurants with lovely outdoor seating overlooking the cathedral, Le Serpente and Le Parvais.  You can't go wrong with either one and the view can't be beat. Or, pick up the makings for a picnic to enjoy in one of gardens or along the river.

 

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From April to September, plan to catch the last train back to Paris (or stay overnight) so you can experience Chartres en Lumière - a daily light show where the cathedral and other major buildings are illuminated each evening after dark.

 

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Things to remember:

 

Trains run daily from Gare Montparnasse. Tickets are approximately 23 euros round trip.

 

To contact Malcom Miller to arrange private tours or to confirm dates for tours, email him at millerchartres@aol.com. His tours are at 12:00 and 2:45 and are limited to twelve participants.  The price of the tour is 10 euros per person.

 

Many stores and restaurants are closed on Monday, but the cathedral is open. Admission to the cathedral is free but there is a small charge to climb the North tower if it is open.  

 

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I hope you enjoyed learning more about Chartres...Be sure to stop by again on Monday when we will be taking another interesting day trip from Paris. Have a beautiful May weekend, wherever you may be wandering!

 

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"France: Simply Irrestistible Link Party" ~ Day Trips from Paris

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The day has finally arrived...the France: Simply Irresistible Link Party sponsored by the lovely Anita, from Castles, Crowns and Cottages, begins today!  Anita's instructions were to simply share anything that inspires us about France, preferably places other than Paris, since the past two years the link party concentrated on Paris. Oh, what fun this will be! I can't wait to read everyone else's posts and look forward to meeting many new blogging friends.

 

Giverny
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I have spent the past two weeks thinking about what I want to write about for this "irresistible" week...I originally wanted to write about Provence or the Cote D'Azur since they are two places I have never been and are very high on my travel bucket list. No doubt, the photos would have been stunning, but I decided I would rather learn more about these places from my fellow bloggers who know those areas really well. 

 

Chantilly Castle
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After much consideration, I have decided to concentrate on lovely places that are easy day trips from Paris.  As this week unfolds, I may discover some new places that I want to share with all of you, so I am not going to list each place right now...I will let it unfold organically throughout the week. If you would like to share a lovely day trip with me, please do!  

 

Vaux Le Vicomte
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Chartres Cathedral
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Our first 'voyage de jour' will be to Chartres...so be sure to check back a little later to learn more about this charming town and its gorgeous cathedral.

Now I am off to check the links to the other voyagers/bloggers who are sharing in this amazing adventure courtesy of Anita!!

Bon Voyage!

 

Short Films As Luxury Brand Advertising

Photo from Martini Gold/D&G short advertising film...it reminds me of this photo.

Some of the top luxury brands have begun using short films, some of which are made by high profile movie directors, to showcase their products.  These wonderful little films are incredibly well crafted and often feature wanderlusty locations where we all love to dream of spending our days.

Each video is less than four minutes long so enjoy at your leisure, perhaps over a nice glass of Prosecco.  I think they are delightful!

 This collaboration between Dolce Gabbana and Martini Gold is directed by Jonas Akerlund and stars Monica Belluci. The Fellini-esque short film takes place on the streets of Rome and is phenomenal:

One of my favorites is this one for Prada Candy perfume, directed by Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola and starring Lea Sedoux:

Here is another from Prada, directed by Roman Polanski and starring Helena Bonham Carter and Ben Kingsley...it's very funny.

Nobody does Paris better than Louis Vuitton:

The trailer from L'Icona from Ferragamo celebrating 35 years of their iconic Vara shoe (I loved them in the 80's and I still do!)...go here for the full film:

And finally, two more great Dolce & Gabbana ones...in Italy, of course:

Aren't they fun? Which is your favorite?