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Day Trips From Paris, Part I: Chantilly

June 25, 2013 by WendyB

When I travel to a big city, I usually get the updated Fodor’s guidebook to bring along. (Out of all the guidebooks I’ve tried, I like that series the best.) I forgot to get the 2013 book for my visit to Paris last week and wound up trying the app as well as the website. Those were okay.  However, I am sure the books have suggestions for day trips outside of Paris and when I tried looking those up online, I kept winding up on message boards instead of official Fodor’s commentary. On the message boards, I saw people browbeating innocent first-time visitors to Paris for having the couilles to even think about wresting themselves away from the City of Light for a day to go to somewhere as unimportant as, say, Versailles. It wasn’t quite as bad as the great Bastille Day/quatorze juillet rant of 2009, but it still made me think of something I’ve quoted before from TV/movie writer Aaron Sorkin: “While everyone deserves a voice, not everyone deserves a microphone.”

I personally wouldn’t discourage someone new to Paris from taking a little trip outside the heart of the city. It’s not like someone visiting New York and deciding to visit Mahwah, N.J., for a day. I would certainly discourage that kind of foolywang travel plan. Unless, that is, you’re a completely obsessed Bruce Springsteen fan who has to visit the town that inspired “Johnny 99.” For anyone who isn’t stanning for Bruce, there’s nothing to see in Mahwah. Outside of Paris is different. There are lots of historically and artistically important places to see. This time I decided on Chantilly, which is about an hour’s drive from Paris. There’s a magnificent chateau; a park designed by André Le Nôtre, who also designed the landscape of Versailles; an art museum that contains the biggest collection of pre-1850 paintings in France after the Louvre; and a fascinating series of stained glass windows telling the tale of Psyche and Cupid.

chantilly1

A view of the chateau.

The Great Stables at the chateau were built in 1719 at the request of Louis Henri, duke of Bourbon, Prince of Condé. Legend says the prince believed he would be reincarnated as a horse, so he instructed architect Jean Aubert to design stables that would be suitable for a horse of the prince’s rank. The stables still house horses, ponies (I liked the tiny Shetland ostentatiously named Ramses le Grand), at least one donkey and some chickens. I don’t know if any of the animals are reincarnated royalty.

chickens

The writing on the coop made me laugh.

There are dressage demonstrations and an interesting horse museum at the stables.

Another peculiar Chantilly story is that of Francois Vatel, the majordomo for Prince Louis II de Bourbon-Condé, who was responsible for organizing a banquet for 2,000 people held in honor of Louis XIV in 1671. According to a letter written by Madame de Sévigné (who was a great letter writer), Vatel was so upset by the lateness of a seafood delivery that he stabbed himself to death … just as the fish was being delivered. Merde!

But I think my favorite fact about Chantilly might be that it’s the place where Chantilly cream — aka whipped cream — was invented. Having Chantilly cream in Chantilly is like drinking Guinness in Dublin. Sublime!

chantilly2

Best whipped cream ever!

The only important Chantilly thing that I missed seeing was Chantilly lace. I’ve got the song by the Big Bopper stuck in my head anyway.

MrB and I had a great time in Chantilly — even on a cold, windy and wet day — and got back to Paris in time to browse the stores on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré and pick up some macarons from Ladurée.

macarons

We got 12, I ate 10.

My advice: don’t pay too much attention to pedantic peeps on travel message boards. Go where you want to go, do what you want to do and see what you want to see!

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE CHATEAU AT CHANTILLY.

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Filed Under: pictures of me, travel

Previous Post: « What Wendy Wore: New Castelbajac Dress in Paris
Next Post: Day Trips From Paris, Part II: Chartres »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. déjà pseu says

    June 25, 2013 at 9:46 pm

    Ooh, may have to add Chantilly to our France trip next year. And not just for the whipped cream. Really.

  2. stacy says

    June 25, 2013 at 10:37 pm

    Looks like a beautiful time was had! OMG, the chickens live in a mansion (that’s what I always think when I see the word, Maison). LOL. Hmmm, I’ve never even been to Mahwah… day trip in the future? Perhaps. Stop taunting me with those macarons!!

  3. Patti @ NotDeadYet Style says

    June 26, 2013 at 7:25 am

    yummy! looks like a fabulous day trip. I will buy your travel guide any day : >

  4. K-Line says

    June 26, 2013 at 4:05 pm

    Apparently you’re trying to torment me with a) discussions of France b) berries with cream and c) Laudree macarons. So mean!

    • WendyB says

      June 26, 2013 at 6:25 pm

      I’m evil!

  5. Lynn says

    June 26, 2013 at 9:20 pm

    Thanks for the link to “stanning,” which I had to look up. So then I read the story about Eminem’s song. And then I read the story about Francois Vatel. OMG! Full circle! Eminem must have been reading Madame de Sévigné. There’s no other explanation possible.

    • WendyB says

      June 27, 2013 at 5:58 am

      LOL!

  6. Jet aka Punk Glam Queen says

    June 27, 2013 at 3:35 pm

    Ooo looks beautiful! And yeah the cream would make me go! Is it sweet? Or is it more like Devonshire cream? (Don’t fancy sweets much but yes I love creams & custards.) And the macarons! Ha was just watching Master Chef & the pressure test was making them… I was drooling for “real” ones by the end of the episode, now you’ve got me drooling again! Drives me nuts when people are so close-minded about getting out of a big city, there is always so much to see anywhere you go. I always try to get somewhere outside of a city or if its a huge tourist area, to the area where the locals live. Makes for a much more interesting holiday! Too bad you missed the lace, it is *so* divine! XXX

    • WendyB says

      June 27, 2013 at 6:38 pm

      Sweet cream but not cloying!

      • Jet aka Punk Glam Queen says

        June 27, 2013 at 6:43 pm

        Sounds decadent! Now I have a new one to try some day! XXX

      • WendyB says

        June 27, 2013 at 6:43 pm

        Do it!

  7. Susan Partlan says

    June 28, 2013 at 6:47 pm

    The cream and strawberries look yummy. The Maison for chickens is very funny.

    • WendyB says

      June 28, 2013 at 6:48 pm

      That just cracked me up for some reason!

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MEET WENDY BRANDES

Award-winning designer of fine jewelry inspired by women's history and pop culture. A former journalist who writes about jewelry, fashion, medieval history, news, feminism, dogs, cats and whatever else is on her mind. Blogging since 2007.
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