Versailles, Mont Saint-Michel, Chateaux – driving from Paris to Normandy
In this video, Duke and I continue our French road trip, driving from Paris to Normandy, and we visit Versailles and Mount Sanm Michelle. We spend our nights in the King’s Stables and in two marvelous chateau. It’s Sunday morning and we’re in Paris. Uh, today we’re going just 10 miles to Versailles, which I think is considered a suburb of Paris, but I’ve never been to Versailles before and I’m looking forward to it. Oops. We wanted the Line to Versail Ree Dais, but unfortunately we got the one going to there, right? We started here and we’re up to here. We should have gone here. Changed trains. Oh, right. Yeah. So, now we’re going back to S Cloud. One, two, three stops. It’s a beautiful day. And we figured it out. So, you know, say loveie. And it’s a pretty station, too. All right. Now, we’re got on the right train and we’re in Versailles. Just have 10-minute walk to the hotel. [Music] So, our room wasn’t ready, so we decided to just wander through the market a bit. [Music] So, we have 4:00 tickets for Versailles, and that’s where we’re headed now. [Music] This is [Music] [Music] amazing. [Music] I wish I knew that. [Music] [Music] All sorts of historical French battles here. It’s enormous room. And of course, there’s the Battle of Yorktown. 1781, end of the American Revolution. [Music] So, this is our hotel in uh in Versailles, Hotel Dio Rouge. It’s former stables. Although, and I read some place that it was formally, it does say king stables up there. It’s awful small to be just maybe just had some of the king’s horses or something. We’re 103, right? 104. That’s right. Where the hallway goes up a bit. Thank you. Yes. [Music] [Music] It’s Monday morning in Versailles. We know that the palace and at least some of the grounds are closed today. maybe all of the grounds, but uh I think the park when you get away from the gardens is probably open and we can walk there. So, we’re just going for a walk. Yep. No fountains today, but wonderful place for a walk. And that’s the palace just up there. [Music] [Applause] [Music] I think that’s the hall of mirrors up there where we were yesterday. It’s a beautiful day today. A bit windy and only about what’s the temperature? About 48 or something. Kind of amazing when you think a couple days ago in Paris it was 80. It was 80. Yeah. [Music] [Music] Should we walk down here? Just come out. [Music] So, this woman that’s walking this way just stopped and explained all sorts of things to us. Very very nice and interesting. [Music] So, we’re on the Grand Canal. It’s built in the shape of a cross. And we’re down at the point where the two arms or the two where the cross crosses. [Music] What impresses me about Versailles, these gardens, is how enormous it is. Even though that’s everything the guide books say and you read it, you just until you’re here, it’s hard to have any concept. [Music] So, we came from down there and we’re black back to the end of the Grand Canal. We’re going to sit and rest a bit. Yeah, let’s do it. It’s about three and a half miles. So, we have to walk that much back. Oh, it’s a beautiful place to walk. Okay, I’ll sit with you for a while. [Music] Out for a bit of a stroll. Are you? Yeah. I just thought I’d check out Versailles. So, the lady who stopped and talked to us said that the stadium for the equestrian events and the well, we looked up what was here, but she said the Olympics were down here. And we looked it up and it said the equestrian events and the pentathlon were here and that the cross country events were around the Grand Canal. [Music] So, this is where we came into the gardens. We walked all the way around the Grand Canal. Absolutely perfect take place to take a wonderful walk. And now we’re going out the way we came in. [Music] [Music] We’re on our way to pick up another rental car and leave Versailles. There’s the hotel. Hotel Deville. And uh I guess the bus just honked at me. We left our bags at the hotel and we’ll drive back and pick them up. Today we’re going about 2 hours to Fers. It’s pretty cool right now, about 45 or something, but uh it looks like it’s going to be a nice enough day. [Music] Very nice market that we’ve walked to P through a few times. Lots of good vegetables and fruit and cheese. And we have the rental car. So far so good. So far so good. Yeah. And we’re on our way out of Versailles. [Music] And we turn right at the light just after this. And this is the uh Reeve Goch uh train station. It’s not the one we came into. We’re uh in how is it? Noan Cers. Uh we came into the grocery store to get some things to have a picnic dinner. So, Chateau Vage where we are staying is right down here. That’s the birdhouse. Yeah, that must be the gate house. [Music] There’s the chateau. That’s wonderful. Our room is right over the front door, I think. Or right next to the front door. We’re the only ones. We have the chateau to ourselves tonight. Little chapel here, right? [Music] Looks like it. Oh, yeah. [Music] So last night we were in the chatau de vaj. We’re going to walk around a little bit. uh where this is the where we parked the car kind of the backside here. Today we’re going to the chateau de laaloo in Bazou La Peros and u I think it’s about a 2hour drive. It’s also very near Mosama Shell which we’ll probably go to tomorrow I would think. Um yeah, we’re just going to do a little bit of exploring here now. Oh, it’s so lovely here. I say I feel like I could have wrote stayed here for three or four days. It’s so relaxing. So hard to know which places are going to be like that. Oh, look at the garden. Talk about picturesque. Got a nice little moat here. Now I’m going to go up and look at the chapel here. She told us that this was like the family’s chapel. And then there’s a small one that we saw out by the main road that is the pilgrim’s chapel for pilgrims that are on their way to Monsa Michelle. Duke’s driving up to pick up our bags so we wouldn’t have to pull them over all the gravel. Yes. Aren’t you pretty? [Music] And I think the dogs are interested in the cheese in the food bag in the trunk. Some of these flowers were in our room last night. So pretty. Let’s check out the chapel now. [Music] Oh, very nice. [Music] Our hostess at Chateau Valerie said that this is also a chapel out by the main road here. And it was for pilgrims who were going to Mona Michelle. [Music] Okay, now I’m going to try the door. See if I can stick my head in. [Music] Doesn’t look like anybody has tried it recently. No, it looks locked. So, this is Chateau Dabaloo where we will be the next two nights. Gorgeous gardens here, too. Looking forward to exploring them. where we’re parked. I’ll just take you up to our room. Garden just look gorgeous on both sides here and out there. Just awesome. And the living room and breakfast room are down that way. [Music] There’s our room. Very, very nice. [Music] So, it’s uh Thursday morning. We’re at Ma Michelle. You can see it way out there. The parking lot is enormous, but it’s early. It’s just after 9, so it’s not too bad right now. There’s the line for the shuttle bus. The sign says it’s a 35minut walk to the bottom of the island from here and a 20 minute ride on the shuttle bus. [Music] The guide book says that the tide here is 50 ft. upward. Yeah. [Music] I think I read in the guide book that the this was part of the part of the abbey, but the crypt under it collapsed. And so it became a terrace. And they said uh all these numbers on the stones would not normally have been visible, but that’s how the rock cutters they were or the stonemasons were paid by the rock and that’s how they counted them. Oh, and that’s reclaimed land out there. They said the cattle raised on the salt marshes are considered extra special. [Music] So, we just got our headphones for the guided tour in English. It starts out on the terrace out here. [Music] There’s the exit there. And this is the Abby Gardens. There’s lots of people out walking through the mud flats there. According to the tide table we just looked at. High tides at, sorry, low tide is at noon and it’s 11:30 right now. [Music] These people must have just finished the mudflap walk. Oh yeah, they’re washing their feet. Just up there’s the shuttle bus stop, but I think we’re going to walk back. [Music] We’re on the dam now, which is open because it’s low tide. We’re taking a walk in the gardens of Chateau de Labaloo. [Music] We’re in the labyrinth. [Music] [Music] It’s all very pretty. Although [Music] we just had a fantastic dinner. Seems to be at leot pizzeria grill there. Duke just paid. Oh my goodness, it’s good. And boy, am I full. But oh, yummy. So, now we’re back to the chatau. [Music] Coming back from dinner. This is a totally different entrance to the chateau than we’ve seen before. How do we get here? I bet it goes through the parking lot that we saw. It’s Google. We’re following Google. Yeah. Well, it always is a m not a mistake, but it often is not a real road on Google. More than you would want. Oh, yeah. I see the entrance up there. [Applause] It’s a beautiful sunny morning and we’re get getting ready to leave Chateau de Lab Baloo. Uh first we’re going to walk through the gardens. Today we go to the D-Day beaches. Uh, we’re staying actually overlooking Omaha Beach, I believe. [Music] [Music] So, Duke, you’ve got the guide there. What does it say about about the gardens here? Well, what this is in front of us now is the quote regular unquote garden of Francois Albert Stevens enhances and harmonizes with the architecture. The southern facade of the Louis VI shak. [Music] So this is the hen house. See all the chicken shaped topiary? How fun. Octagonal pond with fragrant water li. These are there are other fragrant potted plants. Climbing jasmine, honeysuckle, and boxwood. [Music] Visitors may stand on the slab, okay, facing the garden to appreciate the double perspective of the alleys with the thuhas to the right and the limbs to the left leading back to the chatau. Lovely. It’s cool, isn’t it? Very cool. [Music]
We visit Versailles and Mont Saint-Michel, eat fabulous food and stay in wonderful Chateaux as we road trip from Paris to Normandy.
In this video, we:
– Take the metro from Paris to Versailles and explore the Palace and its vast gardens 🌿
– Stay at Hôtel du Cheval Rouge, once the King’s stables
– Spend a magical night at Château de Vaulogé, a 15th-century hidden gem in the Sarthe region
– Spend two nights and wander the award-winning gardens of Château de la Ballue, built in 1620
– Visit the iconic Mont Saint-Michel, one of France’s most stunning landmarks
– Enjoy delicious dinners at local favorites like Au Petit Marquis, Le Relais Gascon, and L’Hypothèse
This leg of our 9-week European adventure is all about history, charm, and those only-in-France experiences you dream about.
Chapters:
00:00 – Intro: Central Paris to Versailles
01:08 – Versailles Palace
04:52 – Hiking in Versailles Gardens
09:40 – Drive to Château de Vaulogé
11:40 – Château de Vaulogé
15:37 – Château de la Ballue
16:44 – Mont Saint-Michel
21:15 – Gardens of Château de la Ballue
👉 Subscribe and join us for more cultural travel and off-the-beaten-path adventures around Europe!
#NormandyTravel #FrenchRoadTrip #BoomersWithoutBorders
Details of our current and previous travel and our itineraries are on my blog at: https://marionvermazen.com/our-trips/ While we are travelling I post updates every day.
If you would like to see the videos from this trip the playlist is here:
✈️ Ready for more travel adventures?
Check out our South America 2023 videos: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOMPqRweqnMJVkH9JYO4MXxl9cOtdxNy2&si=Z5YV0oTnxH2c8d4o
Thanks for being part of our journey! 🌍✨