au Chateau News

Summer 2015

In this issue . . .

Our Newest Member: Château de Gauville

Coming soon: Domaine de Biar in Montpellier

Our Featured B&B: Château de la Barre near Le Mans

Our Featured Rental: Château Tertre de Belvès - St Emilion

News and Offers from our members

and more!

It's a good time to begin plans for your visit to France in 2015!
We hope this newsletter gives you some ideas.

HIGHLIGHTED ITEMS IN THIS TEXT ARE ACTIVE LINKS TO APPROPRIATE WEB SITES.
JUST CLICK ON ANY ONE OF THEM!]

Our Newest Member is
Château de Gauville

. . . weekly rental offering luxury and comfort

Château de Gauville, Haute Normandy

Visit Château de Gauville, a classic French château, on our web site now! The owners are waiting to accept your reservation, and they will be sure that you enjoy château life with your friends and family in this exquisite family home. Exclusive weekly rentals are available, so you won't want to lose any time to make your plans for this year's summer holidays.

Map of the Eure département, Normandy

For information or reservations contact inquiry@au-chateau.com. We're here to help you with all the details.

French Quiz 123

Where are we?

Hint: This château was built in the 12th century and dominates
one of the Most Beautiful Villages of France in Burgundy's Côte d'Or.

Please provide the exact name of this château
and the complete name of the village.

The first person who sends us the correct answer will receive our exclusive
French Château Note Cards with our artist's original drawings. This quiz
may be difficult, but we hope it will encourage you to travel off the beaten path!

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 Autumn 2015 newsletter.

Featured Rental Château:

Château Tertre de Belvès

St-Emilion

Château Tertre de Belvès. Photo copyrighted by Craig and Sharon Gooding. All rights reserved.
Château de Tertre de Belvès

When thinking of Bordeaux wine county, the famous and popular town of St-Emilion is often the first place that comes to mind. Château Tertre de Belvès is only steps away, yet is still in a private, peaceful world of its own surrounded by vineyards and proud of its award-winning wines.

The château has 2 king bedrooms, 2 double bedrooms and 1 twin sleeping 10 people, and all with en suite bathrooms. The former wine chai has 3 duplex family suites, each with a double bedroom with en suite bathrooms and either a double or twin beds on the mezzanine level, with a total capacity of 6 people. The maximum on estate is 16 people. It is also possible to rent for long weekends at a small discount.

Château Tertre de Belvès wine label. Photo copyright Craig and Sharon Gooding. All rights reserved.

The château's wine label

This completely renovated château and chai was once the setting for a British movie starring Charlotte Rampling, and today is an inviting and comfortable retreat in Bordeaux wine country for a group of relatives or friends to spend a week or more filled with interesting activities and relaxing pastimes.

Pool at the château. Copyright Craig and Sharon Gooding. All rights reserved. Château salon. Copyright Craig and Sharon Gooding. All rights reserved.
The swimming pool and cozy salon and sitting area at the château

Whether you are relaxing in or around the pool with its amazing countryside view or in the cozy salon in front of the fireplace, Château Tertre de Belvès will provide a you with the feeling of being right at home. The authentic construction and pleasant color schemes of the interior appeal to everyone who stays here. The vineyards, amazing views and outdoor spaces offer something for everyone.

Double guest room. Copyright Craig and Sharon Gooding. All rights reserved.

A double bedroom at the château

Maine-et-Loire. Wikipedia

Gather your friends and family to start planning a fun-filled week together in Bordeaux wine country at a château that is convenient to everything you want to do and all the places you want to visit. Please contact us with questions, or to make a reservation.

[Photos © M. et Mme Gooding. All Rights Reserved.]

Villes et Villages de France

. . . we hope to tempt you to visit these marvelous places
when you are roaming through the French countryside.

Memorial at Hôtel de Ville, Isigny-sur-Mer. Copyright Cold Spring Press. All rights reserved.

Memorial at Hôtel de Ville, Isigny-sur-Mer. Copyright Cold Spring Press. All rights reserved.

War Memorial at Isigny-sur-Mer

Every town and village in France seems to have a memorial dedicated to the native sons lost in World War I and World War II. The town of Isigny-sur-Mer is no exception.

Located in the Calvados département a short distance from the Channel's Côte de Nacre, Isigny is just west of Pointe du Hoc and Omaha Beach and southeast of Utah Beach. It is a simple town known for its AOC butter and cream as well as its cheese, having been an important dairy town since the 19th century.

Today it is also renowned for its oysters and caramels, but perhaps it is most famous as the ancestral home of Walt Disney's family. The Disney surname is derived from Isigny, and the earliest ancestor of Walt Disney was Jean-Christophe d'Isigny. The name over generations became Disney. Walt Disney served as an ambulance driver in France in World War I, and he had a life-long love for France, traveling there as often as possible.

Church of Isigny. Copyright Cold Spring Press. All rights reserved.

The beautiful Church of Isigny

Coming Soon!
Domaine de Biar

a sophisticated and inviting B&B
you will just love ~ and home of
Camargue horses that will amaze you ~
in spectacular Montpellier.

Visit our web site in two weeks
to see the manoir and book your stay!
[Photos copyrighted Bertrand Schmitt. All Rights Reserved.]

SPONSORING THIS ISSUE

Online French Video Immersion

Yabla French is an online video magazine for French learners
who wish to improve their language skills.
Authentic French videos include television programs, music videos,
interviews, documentaries, and travel.

Click on the banner to sign up or learn more!

Featured Château B&B:
Château de la Barre
~ in the beautiful Sarthe ~

Château de la Barre

There is something quite special about Château de la Barre - well, actually many special things. First, it has been in the Count's family since 1421 and his ancestors were here when William the Conqueror fought the Battle of Hastings. Second, its location in the Sarthe département of the Pays de la Loire of northwestern France is simply idyllic. Not far from Le Mans, the château is a great base for people attending the 24 Hours of Le Mans race, and automobile collectors and enthusiasts love staying at La Barre at any time of year.

Vintage car following vintage car! Copyright Guy de Vanssay. All rights reserved.

Following a vintage car in a vintage car at Château de la Barre

Next, the Count and Countess de Vanssay are extraordinary hosts. They not only provide lovely accommodations for their bed and breakfast guests, but there are two newly renovated apartments in the Cottage that make weekly stays perfect for couples or small families. Then, there are activities guests can enjoy such as guided tours of the Loire Valley's royal châteaux, elegant candlelight dinners at La Barre or at other historic châteaux nearby, guided tours of Normandy and the D-Day beaches, or a trip to Chartres and so much more.

Elegant chambre at Château de la Barre. Copyright G and M de Vanssay. All rights reserved.

Elegant chambre at Château de la Barre. Copyright G and M de Vanssay. All rights reserved.

The guest accommodations at Château de la Barre are spacious and authentic in décor and furnishings. All guest rooms, of course, are en suite. Breakfasts are copious and delicious, and those staying in the Cottage have modern kitchens for self-catering their own meals.

Elegant dinner at the château. Copyright G and M de Vanssay. All right reserved.

Elegant dinner at the château. Copyright G and M de Vanssay. All right reserved.

You can book special holiday packages at Christmas and New Year's to partake in elegant dinners in the Grand Salle à Manger with the Count and Countess. So if you are interested in driving a race car at Le Mans, taking an exclusive Wine Tour or enjoying a very special Arts and Gardens Tour, Château de la Barre is the place for you.

Please visit Château de la Barre on our site today to see all the photos, read about the property and the region, and plan your next visit to this bucolic and relaxing region of France. Then contact us at inquiry@au-chateau.com with your questions or to make your reservations for an enjoyable and memorable French château experience. We can personally recommend it!

News from Our Members . . .
& other travel information

Château de Longsard in Burgundy has returned to au Château. We are very pleased to have them back. If you are interested in the city of Lyon for its restaurants gastronomique or to be among the Beaujolais vineyards, then Château de Longsard is the place to stay! Beautifully-appointed guest rooms, breakfast which consists of local products and the Countess' own homemade jams, in the elegant dining room, and having dinner at the château are all part of the enjoyment. Visit them on our site soon or contact us for information and availability.

If you want your own chauffeur-driven tours of France's wine country, you won't regret contacting Pierre-Raymond GALMES, an insured, registered and fully-licensed chauffeur who will take you to all the best vineyards in a private car or your rental vehicle. He specializes in Burgundy, but knows everything about Bordeaux, the Loire, the Rhône and all of France's wine regions. Send him an email at
francechauffeur@aol.com to ask questions and for more information.

Château de Courtomer in Normandy is a large and lovely weekly rental with a full staff for that group getaway you've always dreamed of in France. If you book with au Château you will get a 10% discount for any week (or weeks) in 2015 or 2016. Just contact us and mention Courtomer Discount Code.

Château de Bouillon has been sold to become a private residence so it is no longer offered as a B&B on our site. However, Mini Constant, wine expert, is still living in the southwest of France and available for tours, tastings and sharing her amazing expertise. Contact us if you would like to know how to reach her.

Travel Guard insurance is something we rely on each time we travel. We won't travel without them. For peace of mind knowing you are covered for delayed or canceled flights, lost luggage, coordination of medical care, physician referrals, prescription replacement insurance, passport & ticket replacement assistance, translation help, and more, visit their web site to see how easy it is to learn all about it and buy your coverage online at www.travelguard.com.

Be sure to visit our Special Offers page often to see what other 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 ~

We will have another easy recipe in our next issue.

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 122 - Where Are We? from our Spring 2015 issue

The photo was taken at Le Mont St-Michel in Normandy.
A correct answer was received from . . . California!
Our thanks to everyone who participated.

Département maps courtesy of Wikipédia, France
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