Exploring Château Saint Paterne

We arrive at Château Saint Paterne in torrential rain.
It is rain that splashes up from the gravel
soaking you from the ankles upwards
as you run from the car across the drive.

Inside the château we are shown our room...
through a door in the panelling
and up 52 steps to the top of a tower.

When we come back down it is dark outside
but every room sparkles with candlelight.
MrM is entranced by the aperitifs
which are more gin than tonic.

Dinner is prepared by the owner of the château
and it is simple but delicious.
The next day I persuade him to give me the recipe
of the extraordinary melting asparagus mousse.
He says it is nothing special.
I disagree.

After dinner we walk through the candlelit rooms
and go back to our Chambre de Mystères.
We have discovered that the last guest
proposed to his girlfriend in the bath.
I admit that I decided to have a shower instead.

In the morning the sun is shining
and we are alone in the dining room.

We explore the gardens before we leave.
When we return to Saint Paterne
I shall swim in the pool surrounded by lavender
and drink a kir on the terrace.

And we shall return one day.
It is not far from Dieppe
and a perfect place to start a holiday in France.

This is exactly what you imagine
staying in a château should be like:
you are welcomed as guests in a family home
and great care is taken to ensure
that you are comfortable and enjoy your visit.

with many thanks to
Charles-Henry et Ségolène de Valbray
owners of the Château Saint Paterne.