After a delicious breakfast at the ‘Coin du Pain’tre’ (what’s in a name), we made a pit stop to see the old Mill in the town of Vernon. The mill is a half-timbered construction and it lies straddling 2 piers of the ancient bridge over the Seine river. The bridge itself was built in the 12th century. The mill probably around 1600. After the death of the American owner William Griffin in 1947, the city of Vernon tried to find his heirs, but did not succeed. The mill was damaged by the bombings in 1940 and was about to fall into the Seine River. But the city of Vernon then undertook its salvage. Now it’s a symbol of Vernon. It has been represented thousands of times by painters, even by Claude Monet. Seeing the old mill, just hanging on the broken bridge was beautiful. The whole area was super green and the mill stood out beautifully. This was definitively worth a small detour.
To keep in style, we chose to make a stop at the ‘Chateau de Versailles’. It was not raining and because of Covid and the ‘on-line’ ticket obligation, the lines were doable, so we enjoyed this big finale moment: The hall of mirrors, the Queen’s Hamlet, the beautiful paintings, the fountain shows and the breathtaking gardens. And if you are looking to stay overnight, the new 5-star hotel Les Airelles opened in June 2021. So, if you are looking to be pampered, driven around in a golf cart with a private guide and have a view from your bathtub over the exquisite Versailles Manoir, Les Airelles is where you want to stay.
Another memorable long weekend, this time with the experience of my first Michelin-star restaurant. I am definitively fan now! And bubbly, well I have always been fan of champagne, but thanks for the reminder girls :)!!! What is better than to be inspired by places that open your heart and mind, art that plays with your emotions, music that moves you, food that takes you on a culinary journey and friends who make you laugh, inspire you and encourage you to be fully alive…I feel blessed to be surrounded by such inspiring people.
Isabelle's travel stories 