The city of Paris is a nice place to visit, but if you have a chance, rent a car and drive out to the Normandie region. I’ve always wanted to see the famous abbey Mont St. Michel, and Château de Boucéel, is located about 15 min from Mont. St. Michel. My friend Ken stayed here, and recommended this place. We made it a point to stay here. Its a magnificent property, an estate that dates back to the beginning of the twelfth century and well hidden from the main road. You will need GPS to find this place, especially at night! The owner is an actual Count, whose family owned the château for generations, and they even have artifacts all over the house belonging to his family. The photos on the wall aren’t just any photos or museum looking pieces, but paintings of his actual ancestors! I stayed here a many years ago, and our bedroom used to belong to the Count’s great grandparents. The property went on and on… there were animals, cottages and beautiful flowers. I posted a photo where you can see me poking my head from our bedroom window! You can stay in the château or in separate cottages, which used to belong to servants, such as the bakery, the gardener’s house, etc. We asked the Count to recommend a non touristy place to eat. He directed us to a little café about 15 minutes from the Château with the directions«when you get to the only stop light in town, the restaurant is located on the left». Literally one stop light. The rates start at 175 euros and up, and includes breakfast.