Excursions:  Fontainbleau and Chantilly

 
On one of our very first trips to Europe we had visited the Fontainbleau chateau and had very fond memories.  The rooms of the chateau seem much more "lived in" than those we see at Versailles.  At the front of the chateau, visitors can see the famous horseshoe steps.  From this spot, Napoleon delivered his famous "Farewell to the Troops."
The sculpted gardens at the rear separate the chateau itself from the acres of woodland that adjoin it.  A visitor sees a strange contrast here.  From the front, Fontainbleau appears to be sitting in the middle of the town with traffic zipping by.  But in the rear, it appears to be sitting all alone in the countryside.
We also had a chance to visit Chantilly for the first time.  The day that we visited, the wind was blowing and we were cold for the only time during the trip.  The chateau seemed almost deserted when we arrived (it was closed for the lunch hour), and although we saw people inside and at the restaurant, much of the time we felt that we had the place to ourselves.
We had lunch in the little restaurant beneath the chateau itself.  I learned once more that knowing 90% of the words on the menu does little good when what you order comes from the other 10%.  
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