#19 - OWN A FRENCH CHATEAUX FOR LITTLE MONEY!

OWN A FRENCH CHATEAUX FOR LITTLE MONEY!!

#19
FRANCE

From:       Carcassonne
To:           Montepellier
Distance:   130km / 87 miles
Time:        1.5 hrs but took 4.5
Climate:   18c - 25F

CAR WITH A BRAIN!

CAR WITH A BRAIN

As promised we decided not to decide where to go today. Not even TOMTOM could give us directions.  He was shut down and taking a rest.

Today was the day to be lost in the fields of adventure!

Saying goodbye to a very very windy and chilly MAGIC KINGDOM of Carcassonne we set out to see where the car would lead us. North, South, East or West? 

Did you hear everyone in the back seat screaming which way to turn - right, left, straight, u turn? But the BMW had a mind of it's own. 

A MIND OF IT'S OWN

Instead of staying on the secondary back roads and away from the highway as originally planned for this adventure, the BMW all by itself, decided to take it one step further. Today it changed from "No Highways" to "No Secondary Roads" and instead went onto a single lane ( for two cars including tractors) through farmlands and vineyards.

         

WINE TRAIL

What a precious drive.... the sky looked like cotton balls, the cool winds were strong and rain was visible in the distant  horizon as the car slowly weaved in and out of the back small villages connecting farmland with civilization.
Walking would have been a quicker pace. 

What should have been only a 1.5 hour drive turned into a 4.5 hour delight. Most of the time we were the only car on the lonely roads surrounded by vast array of vineyards.


If and when the odd car would come along in the opposite direction we would almost be push into the side ditch.

COOPERATIVES & SELLING
With the wide abundance of privately owned vineyards, one way that most of these farmers are able to sell their wine is privately or through cooperatives. A corporative is an community association of all the local farmers for a specific product line - such as wine, olive oil, olive wood etc.. It is an easier way to focus on farming, rather than on marketing and distribution. This is very common for farmers throughout Europe. Although many of these farmers do private label their product line - most of their sales come from cooperative sales.

GAS + GAS =  $$$$$$$$

If you have not yet travelled to Europe then you might be surprised to learn:

• Plastic gloves are available to pump gas (Bob always uses them and when he first returned to the US he was searched each time for them until he realized they do not exist there)
• Price of gas: We found a gas station (similar to a COSTCO) $1.00 less a gallon. What a savings!! Filling up cost - $100 or $9.18 a gallon. Sure makes the $3.00 price in the USA seem cheap now doesn't it?

YOU CAN OWN A CHATEAU IN FRANCE!!!

Private Chateau  (also a B&B)

Well... the dream of being a  Chateau owner may seem to a fairy tale but as we found out today actually more of a possibility than a probability.  Today's single lane drive exposed an abundance of beautiful Chateaux across the countryside which would otherwise be hidden or out of direct reach. And what an opulence quantity of Chateaux....

Another private Chateau

Ah... so did you ever dream of living in a Chateau? In the wine valley of France? Amidst the long rows of Vineyards?  To harvest and enjoy your own wine? 

FRANCE

There are thousands of Chateaux in France! Thousands! Some privately owned, some turned over to the government as a Heritage Site and others hotels. Many are located on Vineyards and host to making and selling wines.  Some with very large properties and others more modest.

It is difficult to travel very far without seeing a sign for a Chateaux. In the region of Corbieres just about every  half a mile would feature a massive, gorgeous, out of a book dream castle. 

And all :

• privately owned 
•  harvesting and selling their own wine  
• renting out rooms on their estate
• with tours, books, souvenirs and a vineyard to walk through

Rivers, moats, almond and olive trees were all part of the serene settings as you weave through the grounds of a Chateau.

Conversations with an owner of a Chateau


A PERSONAL STORY 


ABBAYE DE VALMAGNE
by Michel Picard


Up until this time, we had no idea where we were - not the area nor the direction we were heading. We were traveling blind.

From afar we could see an enormous castle.
An accidental stop to visit this inviting Chateaux brought us to met and speak to an extensive an art collector - Michel Picard from Toulouse.
( Click to read more about his collection exhibited in museums)
Michel Picard

He happened to take our photo in the vineyard which then started an hour long French conversation. He is a  personal friend and guest to the owners of CHATEAU - ABBEY VALMAGNE the largest and most famous Chateaux  in the region. The French have designated it a historical monument. ABBEY - Click to view

( 272 ft wide by 75 ft high)

INHERITING A FORTUNE

Mr Picard, a lively conversationalist, explained the history and story of this intriguing property. He is friends with the owners, who, by family inheritance law, must keep this Chateaux in the family and never sell it. And they must make a living from it. They do so by offering tours ($12 each), growing and selling their own wines (E4.50 to E22) as well as having an Auberge and restaurant on site.

The Abbey's own wine for sale.

PATROMONIE = HERITAGE

CASH FLOW PROBLEMS

However, he explained, as rich in abundance and value the property is, they do not have the same amount of liquidity to maintain the property. For example, the electricity is still from the middle ages as well as many of the rooms. It is located on 2000 hectares and one must use a horse to get around. Their great great grandfather ,who bought this Abbey when the 300 monks died from the Black Plague and left the monastery in ruins, was a General in Napoleons army. We met the owner who explained the vineyards and grounds to us. We were also explained that one of the "family laws" was only to have 1 wife and 1 child. Curiously interesting, no?

Mr Picard spoke to us in great length about life now in France vs many years ago and repeated many times how much harder it is now. "Les belles annees", he claimed was long ago.  Although not Jewish, his passion has led him to be a large art collector of "Resistance" art (during the Jewish expulsion).  He spends most of his time searching for Jewish art during the 1920-1940's. French museums host his collection since it is one of the largest of its kind. He gave us a brochure of his art collection.

THANK GOD FOR PARENTS

He also explained that one of the ways the French are now surviving is by inheritance - and without it - the youth of today would be without hope for a future. He did however explain that many of these Chateaux across the country could be purchased for little money. I promised myself to look further into what was "little money". 

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO BUY A CHATEAU IN FRANCE?

After a lovely conversation we decided to find a landing spot. After checking the map we realized we were not far from a good sized town. When I got back to the hotel I decided to check prices on Chateaux in the area.

There are thousands of Chateaux for sale in France. 

To my surprise these mansions could be bought starting at E250K all the way to E25million.  SEARCH FOR YOUR OWN CASTLE IN FRANCE

But as Mr. Picard explained - the upkeep and maintenance usually costs more than the castle itself. So much for rushing out to by a dream castle!

Some photos from the grounds of the Abbey's vineyards and the type of wine grown.

For those who have never seen a grape vine....(see the little grapes growing?)

THE ABBEY'S VINEYARDS
Michel Picards friends Chateaux
12- 14 Century

Abbaye de Valmagne was built in 1139, gothic in style. It measure 83 meters  y 24 meters high. 


This private Chateaux, Abbaye de Valmagne is one of the most prestigious and well preserved Cistercian abbey.  In the early days, it was one of the richest abbeys in the South of France but was hurt by the effects of the 100 year war. During the revolution the fled and the Abbey was sold to Mr. Granier, who turned the church into a wine cellar. Following his death, his heirs sold it to Count De Turenne and with permission from the Bishop it remains in the family who work tirelessly to preserve the abbey by way of growing and selling wine, tours, restaurants etc...

Their wine, from the Languedoc region, is one of the most recognized from the area. Remember, Cistercians monks were the best experts in wine growing!

VEGETABLE TEST!!

Do you recognize which vegetable this is from a previous post sample?

Fresh artichokes... grown at the Abbey

The photo Michel took of us at the Abbey

EXTRA FRENCH INFO:

WHAT'S YELLOW ON FRENCH CARS?

What a typical French license plate looks like.
A key difference between the USA ( some states) and Europe is:

• European car tags must be on both the front and back.
• USA ( some states) only require them in the back.

What is
BLUE - WHITE - RED?

colors of the French Flag


What is the

HOTEL DE VILLE?

City Hall

Just in case you visit France and are looking for a hotel in the city - this is not it. 

"Hotel de Ville" is actually "City Hall".

BACK ON THE ROAD AGAIN...
 Before we made it to the hotel we accidentally drove through a small town and came upon this incredible site.
This over towering Church was built in 982.

A painting of what it originally looked like.

See all the chairs connected at the top?

GORGEOUS FRENCH GRAFFITI

This is one of the most unique and beautiful things I have seen on this trip- yet.
The entire side of an apartment building was painted in 3D. It was surreal - with fresh rose bushes in the front. As we turned the corner we actually thought it was a street!!

Isn't this absolutely gorgeous???

Before i say good night can you guess where we are headed tomorrow??

FRESH FLAVORS OF FRANCE
I will leave you now to use your imagination of just how delicious these French Pastries were..... my lunch for the day! Oh soooooooooo yummy!! Want me send you one????



I truly hoped you enjoyed this relaxing and lovely "one lane road" drive today through the farms and vineyards in the beautiful South of France.



For non French speaking readers:

TIDBIT: Chateau in English means Castle, mansion, manor house or country house. (Chateaux is plural)

Please don't forget to let me know if you are going to hop in the back seat for tomorrows surprise ride to......

night night... 

(p.s. I made some of the photos larger to see... let me know if it takes too long to open the pages)

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