Where did the year go……

It’s been a while since posts as we have been working hard behind the scenes on the website, marketing and social media – for someone who didn’t know what a hashtag was 12 months ago, it certainly has been a big learning curve. We will try to be a bit more regular with the blog posts as I know you all like to keep up with what’s happening at the chateau. Don’t forget you can follow our day to day adventures on Instagram and Facebook.

It was the most wonderful summer in Europe as the weather was absolutely divine. In fact, it was still 25-26 degrees when I left in the first week of October, so I was even sadder to leave than usual. Particularly when I got back to the freezing Aussie weather.

Over the summer we completed the guesthouse and had our first paying guests, which was exciting and stressful at the same time. Had we thought of everything? Would the beds be comfortable? Would they enjoy their stay? I’m a details person and so my to- do list seemed endless as I tried to think of all the little details that would make our guest stays remarkable and memorable. Needless to say, we didn’t have to worry, as all the guests loved the beautiful barn and the chateau grounds, and I think they were all a bit sad to leave. Details of how you can book the guesthouse can be found on our website.

Roof repairs seemed to be the other theme for this summer. There were some huge storms prior to and during our stay and even though our roof is in very good condition, the slate certainly gets put to the test when the storms hit. Interestingly, the slate on the original part of the chateau which could be up to 200 years old seems to fare better than the slate on the newer part which would only be 100 years old. Of course, we don’t know what might have been replaced over the years but our roofer thinks a lot of it is very old by the way it has been installed. I’m used to doing a reccy of the chateau and attic when there is a bad storm with buckets and towels at the ready for any leaks that may have appeared and post-storm to walk around and see how many tiles have blown off. You certainly acquire many new skills as a chateau owner.

With no wedding deadline hanging over my head this summer, I was able to get out and meet some fellow Aussies and Brits who also have also taken the 'lets renovate a chateau' path. We all have a different story, but all agree we are a little bit nuts! None of us however would change what we have done and we all feel so incredibly fortunate to be doing what we are doing, even with all the challenges. Stay tuned for some exciting tour options for next summer where not only can you enjoy our fabulous chateau, but will also be able to meet some of these other fabulous chateau owners and hear their stories and explore their chateaus.

Everyone always wants to know how my French is going. It is slowly improving although there is the odd mishaps. Our cleaner asked me where all the indoor plants had gone and I explained the gardener had taken them home to put in his greenhouse over winter, but unfortunately during a big storm the greenhouse had blown away and all the plants were now dead. She seemed overly distressed about the loss of the plants and then I realised she thought I had told her the gardener was now dead. Nothing I tried to say could convince her otherwise and I was very glad the gardener was not working that day!

Our focus for next year will be the garden and it’s an enormous incredible project. The talented Paul Bangay has come up with a fabulous design that I can’t wait to see finished. We will be using a local garden designer for the implementation – closely overseen by Monsieur Bangay of course. The planting is a huge component that needs to be completed within a pretty short time frame so we are looking for volunteers to help. If you or anybody you know might like to enjoy a stay in the beautiful chateau with all meals provided in return for helping with our garden project then please contact me directly suzie@ourfrenchcountryhome.com

you don’t need to have any gardening skills but if you do, that would be a bonus.

Look forward to sharing our adventures next year, but in the meantime Joyeux Noël et meilleurs voeux à vous et à vos familles. Que le Père Noël t'apporte tout ce que tu mérites. (Merry Christmas and best wishes to you and your families. May Santa bring you all you deserve)

A bientot

Suzie and Vin