Chateaux on my doorstep.

Are you in love with France and  Chateaux ?

If so, spend a little of your time with me and share some of the Chateaux I could pass by just popping to the Boulangerie to buy a baguette, or our Sunday morning croissants. and one on the way to my hairderssers.

Our lovely visitors have just left after their 17th year of staying in our holiday home. While we talking about where they had been on their many outings around our picturesque countryside, it made me think how much I take for granted the beauty of where we live and it's all on our door step. Which ever direction I take, I could pass a chateaux. My nearest neighbours are the owners of Chateaux de Brie. 

All of the Chateaux are on the route of King Richard the Lion Heart. King Richard spent many years in France where he was shot by an arrow and as a result from this injury he died in 1199  at  Chateaux de Chalus - Chabrol X1c - XV11c

This is approaching my neighbours at Chateau de Brie from our house.

Just a little inside info..

When we bought our first house in France and where with the Notaire signing the documents, we were informed that the owners of the Chateau kept their horses on some of the land that came with the property we were buying and he asked us 'did we mind' !  Only ever having lived in houses with what we thought had a large garden, we had no idea of how much land he was talking about. We were taken by the Immobilier to see the land which had been mentioned, he then  pointed to the right & the left and said 'as far as you can see in both directions is yours'. Well ! looking at the amount of land which was about to become ours and not having horses we were very pleased that the Chateau owners would be putting their horses on our land.

This is a photo of Chateau de Brie taken by my husband during a flying trip he went on.

 

I love this picture of Chateau de Montbrun
taken on a frosty morning during a really cold winter.

Chateau de Montbrun is lived in and privately owned.

Approaching  Chateau de Jumilhac.
Such a lovely view we sat here to eat our pic-nic. This is a small but very picturesque town where most of the old houses bordering the chateau have been tastefully renovated.
 Imagine this view from your kitchen window !!!

Chateau de Jumilhac 

 This is my favourite Chateau,  because it has so many towers.

 Chateau de Nexon and Parc. 

This chateaux is set in 40 hectares of landscaped park, which was created in the late 19th c.

Since the municipality acquired the sight, it became the Mairie (town hall ) 

which is now open to the public free of charge all year round.

 

I thought you might like this sign. Those who are travellers in France will be familiar to seeing these yellow signs used in France. This one directs you to use a quieter and more touristic route to Paris.

As I'm not a city girl and fortunately neither is my other half,  we usualy take these routes.

 We find we see so much more.

Chateau de Rochechouart X111c Renaissance style.
Now has a contemporary art museum on the top floor.

 

We are now at the end of the Chateau tour at Chateau de Chalus. which is now an historic monument situated at the cross roads of the 'Chemin de Saint Jacques de Compostelle'

The historical route of the Plantagenet's.

It was here Richard Coeur de Lion ended his life.

I hope you enjoyed the tour of some of the Chateaux near where I live.

Enjoy your week-end.

A bientot.

Barbara Lilian