I am\nbetween Rouen and Le Havre, in Normandy<\/strong>, on a hill in Caudebec-en-Caux.\nAt a manor \u2013 or better\nsaid, a superb little ch\u00e2teau\n\u2013 with the Seine at its feet!<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m \u201cat home\u201d\nat Chef David Goerne<\/strong>‘s place, the German who owns the Michelin-starred\nrestaurant G.a.<\/strong> in France\n\u2013 awarded its star in 2016.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I park my car by the side of the road and stand there, like\nan idiot, admiring the building and everything around it. Manoir de R\u00e9tival is\na blend of traditional architecture and modern amenities, as I had read earlier \u2013 a mansion that underwent a massive renovation\na few years ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I enter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Chef David is in the middle of preparing dinner, as everything is \u201cfully booked\u201d. He quickly comes out, we introduce ourselves in a mix of French and English, I hand over the bag, he thanks me, I briefly explain what each item is, and\u2026 he rushes back to the kitchen while I head to the room where I\u2019ll be staying for the night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A young man guides me along a path beside the manor, opens\na side door, and leads me upstairs. I follow him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When we reach the door at the top, he hands me the key and\nsays: \u201cThis is where\nyou\u2019ll be staying\u201d. And\nhe shows me the “room”,\nwhile I marvel with every step:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The entrance hall<\/p>\n\n\n\n The hallway between rooms<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bedroom #1<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bedroom #2<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHold on, young man, I\u2019m alone; I only need one bedroom.\nHow many more are there?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOne more\u201d,\nhe says with a laugh as he leads me to the third one. \u201cYou have plenty to\nchoose from\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I clearly claim this one, as it has a big bed and access to\nthe terrace. And a TV.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (I had already tossed my first belongings on the be<\/em>d)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The tour continues with the bathroom:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Besides this\nbathroom, there\u2019s also a guest toilet located in the entrance hall. Just in\ncase the postman arrives with your pension, has an emergency, and you don\u2019t\nwant to let him inside\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n Next is the tour of the kitchen:<\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s a minibar (in the kitchen fridge), but also a basket with items for sale in case you get hungry or thirsty in the middle of the night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Two bedrooms have a view of the Seine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My bedroom, the bathroom, and the kitchen all have doors leading to a terrace bigger than my house!<\/p>\n\n\n\n From here, I can admire the property\u2019s chapel. In fact,\nit\u2019s a small church, whose bell rings when the meal is ready to be served.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I have to admit that right after the brief tour given by\nthe young man who helped me with my suitcase, I filmed the entire house to show\nsomeone, discovering it with amazement. (Only after that did I start taking\nphotos). Here are my first impressions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Manoir-de-Re\u0301tival-Caudebec-en-Caux_1.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nMANOIR\nDE R\u00c9TIVAL<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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