France -Chalmazel

21/03/15
When I was first planning a stopover night on the way from St Martin de Belleville to Duras I was weighing up whether to take the easy option - a night somewhere near a centre (maybe Clemont-Ferrand) in a place something like a Travelodge, against something more adventurous in the countryside which would require quite a bit more effort and time to get to. The direct trip St Martin de Belleville to Duras was estimated at 7:46hr , a bit long in one go. So in a yet unexhausted state I opted for the more tricky option. There were a couple of incredible looking castle options in the French countryside. I struck off the non-wifi option, which left Chalmazel (reviews had noted it as an experience).
We initially drove straight past it , the castle (where we were to stay), originally thinking it was a tourist attraction (situated dramatically in the centre of the small town). After another half an hour we returned and apprehensively ventured into the seemly abandoned castle, to see if it could possibly be where we were to send the night.




East Front



 

Once inside the castle's courtyard my spirits rose when Isabelle came to greet me - yes this was Chateau Marcilly Talaru.
I had spoken to Isabelle on the mobile in the car on the trip there and confirmed(as well as I could in my French-English mix) that we were to arrive and 'Yes please', we would love dinner to be cooked for us(but I only eat white meat - how odd this must seem to the French, I think?).
So Isabelle and her dog(whose name I could not master) greeted us, and took us up the most amazing stone spiral stairwell to our room - the sort of stone stairwell I have only ever seen in a castle(or tower) for sightseeing only.

The stone spiral stairwell.

We realised that our bags could not possibly follow us up these stairs. So back to the car we went to minimise our requirements for the night - it was cold and wet too.
While doing this we accidentally let the dog out the gates and it was off - Isabelle after it. Later it was confirmed that the dog wasn't the cleverest but he provided great entertainment for the boys.
Our room was gorgeous - two rooms with a four poster bed in each + an extra single for Ollie. Lovely and warm, it was bitterly cold outside. Views outside over the countryside with a  stream babbling down the hill outside.
 

Suite - Lachlan's and Jarvis's Bed

Dinner time arrived and Isabelle welcomed us into her lounge - we realised that we were the only guests for the night and that Isabelle had travelled from Burgundy that day. The boys played with a toy castle inside the castle (kind of funny), the dog tried to join in. We had an aperitif medieval drink - red wine and berry, the boys had grenadine, plus olives and cured meats. We discovered Isabelle was an architect who owned several castles + a church, her husband was the mayor of Bonne. She had a passion for the middle ages, it was amazing talking to her (so knowledgeable and so modest).



Then it was time for dinner in what had once been the castle's kitchen. Isabelle had cooked a medieval dinner. Firstly we had pumpkin and chestnut soup, followed by chicken cooked in dates, prunes and grapes (accompanied by couscous)  it seemed very Morrocan . The boys were finding it a little hard to remain 'controlled', it didn't seem to matter.

Everything was very funny for the boys!

We then had cheeses - all local and non pasteurised - this was obviously one of Isabelle's passions. And for dessert , a delicious blueberry cake whose intense yellow colour came only from the outside chicken's eggs. We got to see some great photos of Chalmazel only 15 days ago, when the snow was so heavy that you could ski on the rooftops of the houses - it looked like a Christmas wonderland.
We all sleep like logs - so dark(with the addition of wooden shutters) and peaceful (no-one around at all).
After breakfast in the morning Isabelle gave us a tour around the castle. Some rooms had been restored to show tourists - the main dining hall, the chapel and the upper defensive areas.
Construction of the fortress began in 1231.  The site was covered by forest and almost inaccessible. Initially, it functioned rather as a fortified house, but it was transformed into a genuine medieval fortress, intended to counteract the ambitions of the powerful neighbours
The castle, with its medieval aspect, had kept the elements of a fortified house from the year 1231, but with later modifications and additions by the Talarus over the centuries: murder-holes, walls, keep (fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages, used as a refuge of last resort.), round walk with  machicolations (floor opening between the supporting corbels, through which stones, or other objects, could be dropped on attackers at the base of the defensive wall(angled to reflect the stones))-The boys peered through these with great excitement(Jarvis was desperate to throw something out).  It also has Renaissance elements: the facade, the inner courtyard, galleries and chapel.


Leaving here, I couldn't help but be amazed at the experience that we could have in one night. I tried to convey my appreciation to Isabelle wondering if she could comprehend that something she experiences day-to-day was such an unusual and memorable experience for us.
It was -2C when we left, the coldest we had been.

Inner Courtyard.