In this issue . . .
Our Newest
Member: Château de
Chanzé in the Loire Bidding
Adieu to 2 Extraordinary Properties
Our
Featured
B&B: Brittany's
Château des Tesnières
Our Featured Rental: Château
d'Agel in Languedoc News
and
Offers
from our membersand more!
This is the perfect time to begin plans for your visit to France in 2016!
We hope this newsletter gives you some ideas.
Highlighted links in this text will take you to the appropriate web sites.
Just click on any one of them.
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Our Newest Member:
Château de Chanzé
. . . an authentic Medieval experience in the Loire
Château de Chanzé
Château de Chanzé is an 11th century Loire Valley castle with a fascinating history including a night spent here by France's beloved and first Bourbon King, Henri IV, in 1576. Situated in the Côteaux de Layon wine producing region, it is part of historic Anjou, famous for, among other things, its rosé d'Anjou appellation.
This is a self-catering rental château with five en suite bedrooms that will accommodate up to fifteen guests very comfortably, and there is capacity for twenty more guests in the adjoining self-catering gîtes and chambres d'hôtes on the estate.
It is near all the fine attractions of the Loire with easy access by train from Paris and ideal for a gathering of a group of friends or family for a holiday in this popular region of France.
A heated swimming pool, wellness room with spa and sauna, badminton court, and lovely walking paths make this the perfect getaway for a relaxing holiday in the French 'Valley of the Kings'. The château borders the tranquil River Layon ~ sit or stroll along the river bank to wash away the stress of everyday life and soak up nature at its most peaceful.
[Photos © M. Stösser and S. Townshend. All Rights Reserved.]
French
Quiz 125
Who Is
This?
Hint: This
statue is in
Paris' 16th arrondissement.
Please
provide the
person's name.
French Château Note Cards with our artist's original drawings.
Send
your answer
by email to newsletter@au-chateau.com
See the answer to the last issue's Quiz at the end of this newsletter.
The answer to this quiz will appear in our Spring 2016 newsletter.
[Photo
©
Cold Spring Press. All Rights Reserved.]
Featured B&B:
Château des Tesnières
Brittany
Château
des Tesnières
The château rooms are
no less inspiring than the parklands. Comfort and convenience can
be found throughout this refined home where guests are treated royally
by their hosts, John and Siebren Demandt Boon ~ and where they will
feel
at ease speaking English, French, German or Dutch.
Guests
can enjoy the
comfortable library, a
Louis XVI salon and a
dining
room, all with period fireplaces. In one of the two towers is a
self-service bar for
guests
offering cool drinks, coffee or tea at any time of day. In the
other tower
by the grand salon is an office area ~ a personal computer with
Internet
access is at the disposal of guests. Spacious contemporary
guest rooms and suites, all with their own private baths and showers,
complete
the picture. And, there is an elevator to take you to your room.
Copious breakfasts are served in the
lovely
dining
room, and excellent dinner cuisine can be enjoyed at fine nearby
restaurants
just
minutes away ~ three rating Michelin stars! Group events,
including
business seminars are held at the château, and all
equipment
necessary for meetings can be provided. Your hosts
guarantee
fine service and discretion to all guests of Château des
Tesnières
This region of Brittany offers many activities, and the château is convenient to important sites including Le Mont Saint Michel, the gardens that make the Ille-et-Vilaine département of Brittany so appealing, and the little village of Torcé dating back to 1093 with its splendid fifteenth century Église St-Médard . Golfers will enjoy the fine 18-hole par 71 golf course in Vitré, while others will find the town's equestrian center the place to be. The Base Nautique de Haute-Vilaine offers a large selection of activities on the water including rowing and sailing.
Be sure to visit Château des Tesnières on our site for more details and photos. You will not be disappointed with the accommodations, amenities and friendly hosts at the château. Please contact us with questions, or to make a reservation.
[Photos © Château des Tesnières. All Rights Reserved.]
Villes et Villages de France
. . . we hope to tempt you to visit these marvelous placeswhen you are roaming through the French countryside.
Port
Leucate, Aude département,
Languedoc-Roussillon
This tidy little village is on the border with the Pyrénées-Orientales département, and it is only an hour and twenty minute drive south to Spain. Much of the cuisine in this part of France is richly Catalan ~ relying heavily on garlic and olive oil ~ as is the dialect you will hear spoken. A specialty is aligot made with potatoes and cheese and seasoned with garlic. Tapas originated in the Catalan region of Spain and can often be found in Languedoc-Roussillon as well.
The wines of this region are much improved over those made decades ago, but they are still inexpensive and quite good. The warm winters and hot, dry summers are perfect for grape growing, and travelers who come here will have many wineries to visit. Corbières, an AOC red wine and 95% of the production in the region, is perhaps the best known appellation of the southern Languedoc-Roussillon.
The marina at Port Leucate is considered one of the largest in Europe with moorings for 1270 boats and a dry dock area with the capacity for 350.
We highly recommend a visit to Languedoc-Roussillon for a variety of reasons, but spending some time in the peaceful town of Port Leucate should be included in that visit.
We must bid adieu . . .
- The proprietors of Domaine le Vallon in Provence, Fred and Michele Vogt, have decided that they will no longer be accepting guests. They have been members of au Château since 2004 and will be greatly missed. We wish them the very best in their future endeavors.
- We
have just heard that Château de la
Charmeraie in the Rhône region of France near Lyon has
been sold to new owners. The château joined our site in
2006, but it
doesn't appear that the new owners will continue operating the chambres d'hôtes in the
future. Our stay there was so delightful as was the charming
Brigitte Tregouët who so lovingly decorated all the rooms with
talent and taste ~ other guests loved it as much as we did. The
Tregouëts will move on to new adventures, and we wish them well.
département of Normandy with easy access to Paris.
Rental rates will increase in 2016, but there is now a
Special Offer: Book your week by January 1st at 2015 rates!
And, the château is now going to host weddings
with one staff member totally dedicated to wedding planning and working
with the future bride and groom to make this important event perfect.
Click
on the photo above to see the château and read more,and contact us at inquiry@au-chateau.com for your reservations!
Château d'Agel
~ in the Hérault of Languedoc ~
Have you always wanted to visit Carcassonne and the Canal du Midi, or perhaps interesting Narbonne and the Mediterranean beaches? Are these places you have visited in the past and are anxious to return? Well, why not make it a family event and rent Château d'Agel for a week as your home base? It is one of the nicest getaways you will find in the region ~ complete with a swimming pool, spacious en suite guest rooms, a modern kitchen and grand dining room and salons.
The owners are experienced
at hosting weddings, seminars and thematic stays ~ any large
celebrations ~ and they are happy to respond to any inquiries with
regard to capacity, cost and services provided.Bed and breakfast accommodations are also offered, except in July and August, so if you are a couple only able to stay two or three nights, you will still have the opportunity to experience this wonderful property.
Take advantage of the fine swimming pool during
your stay as well. This is Minervois wine country, and the
Château is only 10 kilometers from the lovely town of Minerve,
and just north of the Corbières wine region mentioned earlier.
Vines were first introduced here by the Romans and it is rumored that
Cicero and Pline were lovers of Minervois wines. These are
full-bodied reds for the most part that are elegant when young and
become silky after two or three years of aging. Dry whites and
fruity rosés are also produced here. Winery visits can be
suggested and arranged by your hosts.We hope you will consider a short or long stay at Château d'Agel ~ we can personally recommend it for its charm, character and ideal location with hosts who are friendly and accommodating.
Book soon! We
have already received a list of the weeks in 2016 that are no longer
available at this very popular château, so don't miss your chance
to get the week or nights that best fit your itinerary. Contact
us at inquiry@au-chateau.com
for information, booking or questions, and please put AGEL in the subject line.News
from Our Members . . .
& other travel information
Less that one week remains to get this special discount! Château de Courtomer is offering 2015 rates if you book a week or more at the château, but you must make your booking by January 1st! This was mentioned above, but we thought it was worth mentioning twice! Contact us today at inquiry@au-chateau.com and indicate Courtomer in the subject line. Don't miss this great opportunity!
Château des Allues in the Savoie has great package offers: their Gourmand is for two people, one night at the château, breakfast and dinner included and a surprise gift for €246. Or, choose Decouverte, one night for two with breakfast for €150. And, you might be interested in Detente, two nights for two people with breakfast, dinner and a surprise gift for €396. The en suite guest rooms are all spacious and comfortable, and the location is superb. Contact us for more information or to make your reservation.
what properties are discounting their rates or
offering guests a special bonus for booking with them.
Remember that au Château gives every inquiry personal, prompt attention ~
and we are here to answer your questions,
unlike the automated online booking services.
[Contact us at inquiry@au-chateau.com for availability or reservations
at any property on our site or mentioned in this issue.
Please be sure to put the property name in the subject line.]
Easy Recipe:
Perfect Crêpes
Stir the
batter when
you are ready to make
the crêpes as
you add the vanilla. Brush oil on the crêpe pan and
heat. Using a ladle, add a little batter to the hot pan and swirl
to distribute the batter evenly around the pan. It should be
thin, and you will cook it for about one minute.
When
small bubbles appear on
the surface, turn the crêpe over with a
large, round spatula and cook another 40 seconds. Remove to a
plate and repeat for each subsequent crêpe. You can stack
the crêpes with either waxed paper or parchment in between until
you are ready to fill them.
Bon
appétit!
This
recipe is adapted from a
recipe in the book Eggs, one
of many written
by renowned French chef, Michel Roux, who had three Michelin stars
at The Waterside Inn near Windsor, England for 25 years!
The book is filled with amazing recipes and beautiful
photographs.
M. Roux has lived in Switzerland since 2008 and has a home and
vineyard on France's Côte d'Azur.
Order your copy of Eggs by clicking on
the above banner.
We hope you have enjoyed au Château News.
If you have, please forward it to friends and
encourage them to subscribe by email to
newsletter@au-chateau.com. It's FREE!
Answer to Quiz 124 - Where Are We? from our Autumn 2015 issue
The metal sculpture of Cardinal Richelieu
is in the park in Richelieu, France.
Several correct answers were received, but the first
was from a reader in Atlanta, Georgia, who won our exclusive Note Cards.
Our thanks to everyone who participated.
Département maps courtesy of Wikipédia, FranceDisclaimer: Cold Spring Press, au Château© and/or any persons associated with either organization do not take any responsibility for errors and/or omissions in any edition of au Château News© and no guarantees are given or implied with regard to the contents of any au Château News©. The disclaimer on the au Château© web site at http://www.au-chateau.com, applies in its entirety to all au Château News© editions. Cold Spring Press and au Château© take no responsibility for the contents of any web sites to which links are provided on our site or in any editions of au Château News. Subscribers receive this newsletter because they have requested to be on our Opt-In mailing list. To have your email address removed, simply send an email with 'Unsubscribe' in the Subject line to newsletter@au-chateau.com.
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