Speed Dating place Saint Amand

Do you know L’Espiguette in Rouen? Ah, my darlings, it’s such a romantic place — the kind of brasserie we all adore, nestled on a little square with the sweet name of Saint-Amand. I gladly make it my HQ. Do you understand why? I, Gab, the ArchiDuchess with a big heart, am still a heart to be won. Like my ancestors, I adore a bit of mischief. At banquets, my cousins love to say: “Let us drink to our wives, our horses, and to those who ride them!” Not very politically correct, I admit, but absolutely hilarious! I must also tell you that Amand of Rouen is not, contrary to what one might think, the patron saint of lovers — hihihi — but of brewers and tavern keepers. That’s already interesting! Love and wine go hand in hand.

On Place Saint-Amand, seated with a glass of Dom Pérignon, I love to watch the passers-by and throw a few meaningful glances. I know my wig and my Boucheron pearl necklace are irresistible! I’ve managed to catch quite a few in my… bag — well, in my “bag”… You know what I mean! Behind my Chanel sunglasses, pretending to be discreet, I let the breeze lift my skirt with elegance and distinction, showing off my lovely legs… I go all out, just as my dear cousin Jeanne-Marie, daughter of the Duke of Sint, Princess of La Feyss, taught me. Sometimes I think a pearl piercing and my family coat of arms tattooed on my neck would make encounters even easier. Who knows? In the meantime, I delight the passers-by who sit at my table with little historical tales about this good old Amand, who was close to King Dagobert — yes, the very one who wore his breeches inside out. I host HISTO-RICAL speed-datings between the half-timbered houses and Monet’s bust! It’s just fabulous. When I tell my guests that, long ago, a convent of merry nuns organized rather libertine feasts with Rouen’s brewers, I can’t help but think I was born eight centuries too late…

L’anecdote de Stéphanie

In the Middle Ages, Saint-Amand Abbey was one of the most powerful female monasteries in Normandy. Legend says it was built in the 10th century on the site of an ancient temple to Venus, to “establish a holy academy of chastity.”