Time to make summer plans....
It continues to be a hive of activity at the chateau with many jobs getting ticked off the list. The first stage of our long overdue stonework repairs were finally completed. It's lovely to see the old damaged stone replaced and to see old school artisans at work - its all done by hand other than using a mixer for the mortar. Amazing to watch, although the minimal scaffolding does make me a bit nervous..
The chateau grounds are starting to look very green with the trees back in leaf and walled garden coming back to life. Cyprien has propagated a mountain of seedlings. The severe frost and snow some weeks ago however meant everything has had to remain in the greenhouse so it's looking rather jungle like at the moment. We are growing everything this year and so the amount of produce coming out of the potager will be enormous. Lucky we have many guests to feed. Sadly Cyprien will be leaving us after this summer as he wants to explore something other than gardening. The hunt commences for a new gardener to look after our wonderful garden. Please send any potential candidates our way.
We have been working our way through the renovation of the 11 chateau bedrooms and 10 bathrooms. The bedrooms range in size from 19sqm up to around 34sqm so each one takes a bit of work....and a lot of paint...whilst the bathrooms are challenging in terms of layout and plumbing. Plans are made and adjusted...nothing is simple when you are dealing with a 200 year old property. It requires a balance of ingenuity and compromise.
But on the plus side with that many rooms there is plenty of scope design wise and I have had so much fun with fabrics and amazing wallpapers and adding vintage finds into each of the rooms. Each room is different and here's a glimpse of what you can expect when you stay....
We are super excited to once again be welcoming guests at the chateau this summer. Life seems to be returning to normal in France with few remaining Covid restrictions in place, Macron winning the French election and everyone looking forward to the warmer months. We have many groups booked in this summer doing all sorts of things...brocanting, sketching, cookery, stitching, floral workshops and relaxation retreats.
If you are planning a French adventure this summer, we have a few options for how you can join us at the chateau. Opening the chateau to guests helps to ensure we can continue to fund the ongoing restoration and maintenance of the chateau and gardens.
Cookery Retreat - for those who dream of spending time in the chateau kitchen and picking produce from the potager... what could be better than spending five days learning simple rustic French cuisine and enjoying chateau life. The talented Lovoni Walker will be joining us at the chateau to share her love and knowledge of French cooking.
There are spaces left in the 21-26 July retreat.. book by the 5th May and you will receive 20% discount. For bookings email suzie@ourfrenchcountrychateau.com
Guesthouse - our beautiful 3-bedroom self-contained guesthouse is the perfect place for a French sojourn. Apart from being totally luxurious it also has the most beautiful views over the walled garden and the chateau. Sleeping up to 6 people, you get breakfast delivered daily, produce from the potager and other treats to enjoy during your stay. Its pretty booked over the summer but two weeks in July have just become available - from 7th July. Price is 2650 euro per week and you can take one week or two. For booking enquiries email suzie@ourfrenchcountrychateau.com
Chateau Stays - if you would like to spend some time at the chateau and experience French country life...we can put together a stay around what you want to see and do. Just drop us an email with dates and what you would like to include and we can send you details and pricing.
And if you can't join us to this summer we are now also taking booking for 2023...next year is likely to be a super busy year with many of our groups returning and France hosting the Rugby World Cup. Life never gets any less busy here but looking forward to relaxing by the pool and enjoying the summer months.
Abientot
Suzie xx