Exploring the Château at Saint-Germain-en-Laye
(France) – Visiting a Royal Chateau-Fort with Savvy Mom Ruth
Paget
I
loved Paris as a young woman, but recognized that as a parent in the 1990s that
it was polluted, noisy, and dirty even in the near suburbs.
I
took Florence on walks to the Bagatelle Gardens in the 16th
arrondisement during the week. On the
weekends, though, Laurent and I took Florence to run and play in her jean
overalls in the park at the Château-de-Saint-Germain. This Château was only 30 minutes away by car
from our apartment.
The
Château’s Park on a tall plateau with its woods made it a wonderful place for all of us to walk. The Château itself is a mélange between a
real fortress and a comfortable royal residence that has become a museum of
French National Antiquities created by Napoleon in 1867.
We
have cute photos of Florence climbing on tree stumps and playing on the paths
around the Château. My sister Kathleen’s
small town Georgia newspaper published the photos of her with a caption like
“Where is Florence?”
We
would go grocery shopping at Chambourcy, a town along the Seine, after our park
outing and eat lunch in the mall. At
that point in life, I liked quiet, family outings.
By
Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
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