The Secret Chateau

Today I felt like I had woken up from a dream, the best sort of dream that you can have. One that involves sunshine, quietness, beauty, stillness, fresh air, friends and laughter. it took a couple of minutes for it to dawn on me that this dream had actually become reality for a week at the most incredible Chateau in all of France, where I was lucky enough to spend the week. As much as Paris is wonderful and dreamy, sometimes we Parisians need a little getaway. Somewhere where the air is purer, the view is emptier and where all the world stops for a while. SP kindly invited me to join her in Burgundy for a week of chateau fun and I of course jumped at the chance. I mean, look at the view we woke up to? 

We played croquet, rode, swam, read, laughed, ate freshly picked vegetables and fruit from the garden and drank delicious burgundian wine. Nothing could have been more perfect. For a week we were in a little retreat, surrounded by beauty, away from noise and chaos and were able to enjoy life for its simplicity. 

Riding across the countryside, looking down on the flowery meadows into the valley below I realised how lucky I am to have opportunities like this and I quickly marked this down as the perfect end to an incredible year. 

Have you ever noticed that it's very difficult taking pictures whilst on a horse? 

Exploring the chateau tapped into my historical nerd side as I traced all of the hidden passages, marvelled at the attic and searched for any little trace of the past. I disappeared off to a few short hours to explore the chateau, wandering through its endless maze of rooms, discovering portraits, secret markings and forming a history in my head, ridden with scandal and fun. The gardens were beautiful to wander through with a camera and I noticed how much I loved being outside in the fresh air, surrounded by nature and the chateau animals. 

The week finished with the wonderful black tie dinner and of course midnight croquet in the dark for SP, DH, AH and I and due the copious amount of wine that had been consumed, we all played rather badly. We quickly rectified this the next day. We were quickly caught up in the magic of the place and enjoyed a night of fun and laugher against an incredible backdrop. It was the perfect end to a perfect week.

Thank you SP, you are a wonderful person and you have made my Parisian adventure all the more special.

More Chateau life coming soon!

I have kindly borrowed some of SP's photos with her permission.

Mood - In a chateau depression, take me back!

Pin It Now!