Yesterday was Ascension Day and a public holiday in France. And on public
holidays there is always some sort of event in the neighbourhood, usually a vide grenier or a marché gourmand ( sitdown meal) or maybe a vintage car concourse. The Chàteau
de Mouchac is a privately owned chateau above the town of Branne, about 40
minutes from the centre of Bordeaux. On this day they held a Journées des Plantes ( plant day) with local nursery people offering summer flowers, herbs and of course,
roses. Tables and chairs were set out under umbrellas in the courtyard so we could all enjoy a cool drink and even a 3 course meal at lunchtime and a local sculptor was showing his fabulous animals made of scavenged wood from the forests.
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| there is always old stone, wisteria and roses...perfect together |
There is a french custom that, when a public
holiday falls on thursday or tuesday, then the day between that and the weekend (friday or monday ) is also
taken as a holiday making a four day weekend. This extra day is called Le Pont (the bridge). Consequently, very
few businesses are open today and everyone is off enjoying the sunshine – just as
well as the temperature is expected to reach mid 30s.
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| life size horse sculpture in wood from the forest |
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| roses, roses and ..... |
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| ...more roses |
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| the walled garden and vineyards beyond |
The chateau is not usually open to the public ,
so we took the opportunity to wander in the gardens and appreciate the fabulous position on a hillside surrounded by vines and in it’s own park like grounds.
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| an old cherry tree and a perfect spot on a hot day |
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| and what's hiding in the barn ? |
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| you never know ..... |
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| the village church just down the lane |
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| the wedding reception room |
The chateau is available for weddings. There is a
village church where the ceremony can take place ( after a civil ceremony in
the mairie, as is the law). Then guests can walk along the tree lined lane to
the converted barn of stone with a
limestone floor and lit by chandeliers. I imagine it’s a magical setting for
such an occasion.
Bon week-end à tous nos amis
We went to a wedding yesterday. The reception was in the coach house of a local chateau. It was so hot I'm sure the caterers got through about double the amount of water and half the amount of wine that they expected. The actual official marriage must have taken place earlier, as we didn't go to the town hall. We walked back from the church to the chateau and I have the blisters to prove it. Wearing stylish shoes in the heat is never a good idea.
ReplyDeleteAt least in the country one can wear 'comfortable' shoes and not look too underdressed. Did the wedding party drive through town honking car horns, or is this just a custom of the southwest ?
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