We travelled from Paris to Deauville to experience the new collection of Les Eaux de Chanel fragrances. Deauville was the French town where the first Chanel boutique opened in 1913, and Gabrielle Chanel visited the seaside town regularly to enjoy the sea and the horse racing that was so popular there.

We stepped back in time and caught the iconic Orient Express train, listening to the talented piano player while dining en route, before arriving at the Hôtel Barrière Le Normandy in Deauville where the grey-blue sky and expansive sea view greeted us.

In a villa overlooking the sea - once owned by Marcel Proust - we heard the inspiration behind the fragrances from Olivier Polge, official perfumer of Chanel. All three locations were very important to Gabrielle Chanel and were inspired by water: Paris-Deauville, Paris- Biarritz and Paris-Venise.

To end our trip to Deauville we spent the day at a Chanel beach club and horse racing in the evening making us feel like we were back in La Belle Epoque.

The Les Eaux de Chanel fragrances are available now at Chanel boutiques.