France - Chantilly August 2018

Chateau de Chantilly was the home of the Duke of Aumale, son of the last king of France. The collection of antique paintings is (in France) second only to the Louvre. The chateau itself is beautiful from the outside and very interesting on the inside, not garish or opulent but with an understated feeling of wealth.

There are collections of manuscripts and works of art including two paintings by Raphael.  There are artifacts from an ancient Greece and from Pompeii. The reading room is lovely. It's an impressive collection housed in a beautiful chateau.

Outside there are gardens and fountains, but be sure to visit the Great Stables. Built in the 18th century, they are the largest stables in Europe. They have equestrian shows there, and you can go into the stables and see the horses up close. Really close, so close that one of the horses snorted his spit on me! Even with that lovely bit of slime and grass, it was still one our favorite places and a place I would definitely visit again if the opportunity presented itself.