Southern Fried French

Yet Another Reason to Visit Bourgogne

A postcard of Château de Sully

I'm a bit obcessed with châteaux. OK, a lot. That was true even before I came to live in one. And I'm in the right neighborhood, as they are everywhere in La Bourgogne. You can hardly drive a kilometer without tripping over a turret of some sort. 

The big ones are stunningly expensive to maintain, so most of these are open to the public. There are so many that there are two "château routes" in Bourgogne. The first is La Route des Châteaux en Bourgogne Sud, in our old neighborhood around Cluny; there are 15 of these, and I've been to most of them. But now I have a new crop to see around Beaune: La Route de Ducs de Bourgogne.

So we got crackin' on the list this week. What to know about châteaux is this: they are remarkably diverse. They were built in different centuries, starting in  the 9th on up into the 19th century. There is even an authentic one being constructed as we speak, in the traditonal manner, at Guédelon (don't miss it if you're in the area). They can be large or small, defensive or just prestige palaces, rustic or refined, in the middle of massive formal gardens or in the middle of a mellow meadow. 

This week's offering was the Château de Sully. It was huge, and interesting, if a little frayed around the edges. It is owned (and lived in) by royals whose lineage goes back to the ice ages. 

We pique niqued in the shade by the moat, contemplating the enormity of the building and listening to birdsong and the lowing of the cows that were in the field next to us. The uncut lawn tickled our ankles and old forests topped the hills around us. 

This bridge is the private entrance to the family's "apartment"

Inside, the rooms pretty much had their original patina, with the usual grand vestibule, ballroom, and the fumoir, the lair where the men retired to talk about manly things. 

There is always seems to be a good story or two to be told about the château. Here, the owner is a Duchesse with a grown son and daughter, all in residence. Sadly Le Duc met an untimely death a few years ago. The son then inherited the Duc title; the daughter, being a female, got nothing, so she had to forfeit her nobility. Her only hope, our charming guide told us, was to hunt up her own Duc and marry him. But in fact, the 30-year-old daughter did them one better--this past summer she married an Italian prince, so she is now a princess! She has upped her game considerably, in the hierarchy of such things. You go girl!

The Duc who built the château was big-time  into hunting, which explains the animal motif on the entry door

 

Stone geometric shapes echo the topiaries in the small formal garden.

 

There was an overgrown potager.

 Actually they may be needing the Prince's funds (is it perhaps like the old days, when you make a good marriage with the royal income as the main criteria?). Turns out that the Château de Sully, plus the stable and the extensive series of barns all need new roofs (see photo at top). We are talking acres of roofs and gazillions of euros. And that must all be done before they start on the interior renovations, and the needs look to be considerable. Yowsa. And did I mention it takes a staff of 15 to maintain it and keep it open for tours?

So we have spent one very pleasant day, chalking another château off our list. And if you want to get a good feel for the rich history of La Bourgogne, there's hardly a better way to do it than château-hopping. Maybe I'll see you there.

IF you go: Both the southern route and the Ducs de Bourgogne route have websites. Many of the châteaux have summer festivals and activities, like the fabulous immersive one in Digoine, or the Cormatin summer theatre festival. Check the schedules, because some of the châteaux are only open in summer months.

P.S. And speaking of châteux, this week I came across some old postcards of the Château de Balleure (it's a private one), where we lived for 3 years. So, just for fun:

 

In the COMMENTS: Anne, it’s happened to us a couple of times while traveling, that we’ve happened on a fête. It’s always a memorable  bit of serendipity. But Colleen, as a music lover with a musician husband, you may want to avoid the small towns for this particular fête! Natalia, I loved your post—my husband doesn’t dance in public but he will dance with me in the kitchen after dinner (probably to put off the dishes). And thanks for the tip, I will now cut up my chip and other snack bags as well. Natalia has a new book for us, comme d’habitude, happily: Lady Tan’s Circle of Women, an intriguing historical novel.

Our new (occasional) feature is Be Kind to Your Fellow  Animals. If you, like seemingly everyone else these days, are trying to cut down on meat (better for your health, the planet, and certainly for the poor farm animals), then here are some tips from a pescatarian married to a carnivore. First of all, streeetrch your hamburger beef, which also adds much deliciousness. I throw a bunch of mushrooms on a sheet pan and roast them until they are browned around the edges. Then I chop them coarsely in the food processor, and mix them in with ground beef, at a ratio of roughly 1 part mushrooms to 3 parts beef. Freeze or use right away to make hamburgers or any ground beef dish. Not only does it stretch the meat, it adds more depth and flavor, (per my own carnivore, and friends). Another tip is to check out authentic Asian and Mexican recipes--these cultures, among others, have a tradition of making delicious meatless main dishes.

 

The French Throw Themselves a Party

"California Sun" with a French accent: "We're out there having fun, in ze warm California sun."

It's simple, really; every year France throws itself a big party, on June 21, on or near the the summer solstice. Everywhere in the country, on the same night. In towns large and small.

It's called La Fête de la Musique. And if you have one in a town in your country, you can thank the French; they started this party, in 1982, and it's spread to various places around the world. There is music on every street corner, on bistro terraces, in every Place. Rock, jazz, folk, new age, whatever your genre, you'll hear it here. There's not a lot of planning involved, because there a twist to this music festival: It's amateur night, and the musicians are all playing free of charge, on any spot they can grab. Every school band, every gray-haired, pony-tailed aging hippie reliving their garage band days, every hopeful busker, they all turn out to showcase their talent--or, cheerfully, their lack thereof. A few professionals show up, but they are outnumbered by the wannabees.

The streets  of Beaune were packed with revelers.

 Now you may think that with music on every corner, there would be a cacaphony of competing sounds and beats. You would be right. And at least in the smaller towns (even sophisticated Beaune), there is one word to describe most of the music: awful. But the enthusiam is delightful.

Folks turned out in force at The Place Carnot  to hear this group, who used costumes to distract from any failings in talent.

 

Everybody, young and old, spills out onto the streets in the evening. In the squares there will be children frolicking, a few dancers showing off their moves, and crowds clapping appreciatively, no matter how painful the missed notes. The streets are completely packed, with the masses wandering from venue to venue, some stopping to grab a table at the packed cafes. We've been to many of these affairs over the years, but never in a big city, where I'm sure it's a bit more polished and organized. I read that this year in Paris, for example, it was female musicians only in the Jardin de Luxembourg.

Every 20-something in Beaune was packed onto this terrace, to hear one of the best acts of the night, a fine sax player and a synthesizer

But fine music is not the point of this fête. It's a big happy party, free and open to all, and the small town beat is the one we want to dance to.

 

This young guy was singing songs he'd penned himself, in a sweet voice

 

In the COMMENTS: Julie, a caretaker type person is crucial, that’s surprising it’s so difficult. And good luck with the visa process. Chris, month-long trips sound pretty great, and yes it would take a lifetime to see all of beautiful France. Paula, so often, grandkids change everything! Jane, French landlords must like expats, never known any of them to have that problem (they think all Americans are rich, ha!). We changed our marriage regime as well, but I think the rules have changed. Cynthia, I’ve never heard of the rental problem you mention either—but the laws slanted toward tenants have unexpected consequences for sure. Christophe, you are right about word-of-moth, and it’s always good to ask the local notaire as well. Dan, such insightful thoughts, and yes it’s hard to get your head around: the US has 50 states with different laws, while France has only one. Francine, you can buy into the French health care system (under certain conditions), or you can buy a private policy to cover you in France. Yes, residents must file and pay taxes in the US and France, but you get credits for what you paid in France.

Favorite READS: Natalia loved The Paris Daughter, by Kristin Harmel. And my friend Rudy raves about France, An Adventure History, if you want to brush up on your history, in a unique way.

And this week, an (occasional) new feature, Be Kind to Your Fellow Animals, because, well, I love animals. Today's tip: please think about the plastic and trash you throw away. Birds and fish get heads and beaks and other body parts caught up in plastics, and in those mesh bags that avocados and onions come in. Please tie a knot or two in any bag you throw away. Worst offenders: those flexible plastic rings that hold cans of soda: please take a minute to cut through each one. Also cone shaped yogurt containers (like Youplait) are a problem; birds stick their heads in and can't back out, so make a few cuts in them (or buy another brand). Small plastic rings,too, can be torture. Merci for thinking ahead when you throw plastic out.

If you don't do these things, here's what happens: