Chantilly

To celebrate Valentine's Day we headed north, just out of Paris to the town of Chantilly. It is known for its beautiful chateau, home to the Ducs of Bourbon and the Prince of Paris, their marvelous stables and the whipped confection known as Chantilly cream. The town also gained prominence through their production of exquisite black lace known as--what else, Chantilly lace.

The chateau hosts the Musee Conde, considered the second most significant museum in France and the stables an amazing museum dedicated to the history of the horse as well as equestrian exhibits and shows. It is also home to the Chantilly racetrack (kind of like France's Kentucky Derby). Unfortunately, the stables and their museum were closed for reconstruction and we will have to come back after the beginning of April to visit. (We have two horse lovers in our family so this wasn't to be missed--just poor planning on our part.)

We loved the art galleries, enormous spiral staircase, AMAZING library, private chapel and elaborate gardens. However, we couldn't leave without lunching and trying some of that famous Chantilly cream. A fun trip for all and we look forward to going back.