This French Life would have been very different if I had visited Chantilly earlier on in my discovery of France. Approaching the ville by car, we had explored Senlis for the first part of the day. Chantilly's forest was dense, dark, and seemingly endless with no horizon. Over 6,000 hectares, large trees began to break away to pastures with horses, stately homes that became more exquisite and mansion in size as we arrived in Chantilly.

Suddenly, to the left, the grounds of the Chateau came into view, and my heart soared as I saw glimpses of thoroughbreds grazing in the shadows of the castle.

Eric and Patrick of Atelier Tours invited us to Chantilly for the weekend and were our guides. At their expert recommendation, we chose to stay at the Auberge du Jeu de Paume hotel, an exquisite five-star property that sits on the grounds of the Chateau Chantilly. Be sure to watch my video on the hotel. It's a stunning place and the perfect location for a stay in Chantilly as you are within walking distance of everything. And directly across the street? The famous Museum of the Horse. I was in heaven.

Looking back on this experience now, and being a horse rider and lover since the age of seven, I feel that if I had landed here in my early days in France, I probably would have stayed. There is a comfortable luxury and stateliness of this town.

I was falling hard with a fantastic array of boutiques, beautiful architecture, lovely parks, and restaurants all boasting chantilly cream on their menus.

This is the capital of the horse in France. Riding along the canals and on the castle grounds connects you to a rich history. The Pavillon de Manse and the complex network of canals in the heart of the city bear witness to the hydraulic prowess achieved in Chantilly in the 17th century by the famous gardener Le Nôtre and the engineer Jacques de Manse.

Chantilly is, first of all, a medieval fortress cantoned with seven towers and surrounded by a moat of water, built on the marshy ground in the valley of the Nonette, which controls the road from Paris to Senlis. The estate has an extensive and somewhat complicated background.

I am providing a link to the Chateau's history here.

On our first day, my husband and I woke feeling so comfortable and refreshed from a great night's sleep. We enjoyed breakfast at the hotel, which serves a vast buffet, including some favorites that are hard to find on a French menu - scrambled eggs, bacon, and pancakes! Of course, there were local yogurts, viennoiseries, and all sorts of treats to choose from. The fresh drip coffee was excellent.

We met up with Patrick, Eric (pictured to the right), and Olivier of Atelier Tours in the hotel's lobby. After sharing hugs and kisses, we walked out the front door where the tour began, in the shadows of the Grand Stables.

The "Versailles" of the horse, the "Grandes Ecuries" (Grand Stables) is a majestic building built from 1719 to accommodate the many horses of the rich and powerful Louis-Henri de Bourbon, seventh Prince of Condé (1692-1740). A great lover of hunting, the building commissioned by the prince from the architect Jean Aubert accommodated 240 horses and more than 500 dogs.

Open to the public for horse shows and tours, this is an architectural masterpiece, a veritable palace for horses, and the largest princely stable in Europe. With its boxes lined up in the main wing of 186 meters long, you have the opportunity to greet and coo at the horses featured in the shows, each box bearing the name and

extensive information about each cheval. The exhibition looks back at the history of the Great Stables and their uses over the centuries. We walked past the hippodrome and entered the Chateau grounds through the main gate. At the end of this article, I share a video experience of the tour and give you glimpses of the majesty of the castle.

After the tour, we separated ways to refresh and were invited over to Eric and Patrick's house for an apéro. We were greeted with a massive spread of local cheese, charcuterie, breads, and fresh fruit, along with a champagne toast.

It all had to come to an end too soon, as our dinner reservations at the highly recommended Le Vertugadin were fast approaching. Known for their extensive wine list and pepper steak, Jeff and I were treated to the best customer service and meal. It was the perfect end to our first full day in Chantilly.

On our second day, I woke and ran out the door first thing in the morning. An easy ten-minute walk away is the ecuries of Henson. I was desperate for a ride - the last time I had been on horseback was in the Camargue during our summer road trip through Provence.

The "Henson horse" is a breed unique to the company - a cross of a draft, Arabian, and a European line that creates a uniquely gentle horse in both temperament and ride.

Henson has exclusive access and rights to the Chateau grounds, and I had the rare opportunity to go on a ride solo with Henson teammate Marion. We started the ride along the canal, cut through town, and up past the hippodrome. Marion entered a secret code, and the back gates of the Chateau swung wide open. We spent the morning galloping through the park without a single soul in sight.

If my heart wasn't already full enough after that experience, I waved goodbye to Marion and my horse and hurried over to the Grand Ecuries. It was time to see the famous horse show in Chantilly! You'll find a video on this experience at the end of the article. Even if you are not a fan of the horse, visitors of any age will find this spectacle mesmerizing.