Aidan and I were excited to get out of Paris and explore the French province of Normandy. With 15 million people walking the streets with you every day, sometimes you just need a little quiet and space to breathe. Originally we planned to visit the D-Day Beaches and then return home, but we were really excited to find an incredible deal on a hotel search engine for a night's stay in a Chateau. Who wouldn't want to spend a night in a French Chateau in the middle of the countryside? My inner 7 year old princess could barely contain her excitement, so we booked it.
Following our visit the D-Day Beaches (more about this in an upcoming, much more serious, and thought-provoking post), we arrived at the Chateau Canisy in the late afternoon. We drove through the iron gate, up the winding driveway, and arrived in front of the 1,000 old Chateau with me producing squeals of excitement the entire way. Check this place out for yourself. I think you might squeal too!
Squealing aside, we were very fortunate to meet, Jennifer, the manager of Canisy, who ushered us out of the rain and next to the fire for coffee while she gave us the history of the house. A brief recap: The Chateau Canisy was built in 1090 when a soldier in William the Conqueror's Army was given the land as a reward for his brave service. Since its creation, the Chateau has welcomed various dignitaries and special guests of noble blood, but in modern history during World War II, it was also home to the Nazis who took it over for a command post. Luckily following the war, it was returned to its owners who eventually passed it down to the current owner: Count Dennis Kergoraly who, because of his ancestors, is still a prominent member of French society and an aristocrat.
The tour of the house lead us through rooms that were individually decorated to reflect various periods of French history. To be honest, my French history is a little (okay, very) rusty, so I found myself a little more excited about the huge four poster beds, the sweeping drapes, the floor to ceiling windows, the large bathtubs, the ancient tapestries, and the numerous parlors with warm crackling fires (I know this is hard to imagine because everyone reading this is in 90+ temperatures, but it is COLD here). With every new room and every new find, I kept thinking two things: 1- I wonder what this (bed, wall, window, painting) has seen while it has been here and 2- Where is Belle, the Beast, Lumiere, Cogsworth, and Mrs. Potts? Seriously! I was in the middle of a scene from Beauty and the Beast!
In case the house was not enough to explore, there were extensive grounds and gardens that included lakes, swans, fountains, gardens, and even a small farm. Even in the pouring rain, with Aidan and I in galoshes and puddle stomping our way across the grounds, we had the time of our lives wandering.
The fairy tale continued at dinner. We changed and joined the only other guests for a happy hour in the parlor. Unfortunately we were very under dressed, and Aidan and I kept joking that we had forgotten to throw our tuxedo and ballgown into our backpacks! Silly us! We were really excited about meeting people, but the other guests spoke only French, so we were seated in separate dining rooms. Aidan and I ate dinner in the main dining room, across from one another at a very large and intimidating wooden table that had silver candlesticks, 15 pieces of silverware, and 3 crystal glasses for each of us. We enjoyed a beautiful 4 course meal and were served by a delightful woman named Evelyn who spoke no English. Even with the language barrier, she and I spent the majority of the meal giggling at one another as we attempted to communicate with our hands and facial expressions. Turns out that when you leave Paris, the people are so friendly and fun!! Evelyn even took our picture...
Unfortunately just like every story, our evening and our stay at Chateau Canisy had to come to an end. We headed back to Paris with a brief stop at Mt. St. Michel, and you know what they say... We lived happily ever after (at least so far)!
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