The more you judge, the less you love.
Honore de Balzac
The Chateau Diaries
Life, Love and Laughter in the Chateau de la Lande, a 16th century chateau in the heart of France
Art for art's sake is an empty phrase. Art for the sake of truth, art for the sake of the good and the beautiful, that is the faith I am searching for.
George Sand
▷ The Chateau Diaries 033: A Chateau, a Proposal, and a Tractor Race
I visit the Chateau de la Basmaignée, and Lalande hosts its first tractor race in the courtyard…
More▷ The Chateau Diaries 032: Gastronomic Delights and Bad Sheep
Its a typical chateau week as Marie and I create a 7-course menu, greet new arrivals, and deal with much naughtiness from sheep…
MoreI believe that if one always looked at the skies, one would end up with wings.
Gustave Flaubert
▷ The Chateau Diaries 031: The Fiscal Horses of the Apocalypse
The Chateau de Lalande hosts its first ever play in the grand salon, and I battle with French administration…
More▷ The Chateau Diaries 030: Rhodes and the Flamingo
I leave the chateau and go to Rhodes with Michael and Ruth for sunshine, culture, food and silliness. Oh, and I fall in love with a doer-upper…
More▷ The Chateau Diaries 029: Painting and Pancakes
Scotman returns, I search an Aladdin’s Cave for treasures for a new apartment at the chateau, and there’s painting and pancakes…
More
▷ The Chateau Diaries 028: Music, Love and Decorating
It’s a typical chateau day for us at Lalande, with music, love and decorating – and a lovely visit from Sophie from the Chateau de Saint-Ferriol
More▷ The Chateau Diaries 027: Amsterdam, Bruges and Hesdin
I go on a tour of northern canals, visiting Stephan’s Manor House in Hesdin, Levan’s restaurant ‘Batoni Khinkali’ in Amsterdam, and Bruges.
MoreFind ecstasy in life; the mere sense of living is joy enough.
Emily Dickinson
▷ The Chateau Diaries 026: Diane de Poitiers and Beethoven
It’s my birthday and I visit the Chateau de Chaumont with Juliette & Dana to see Cyril Huvé in concert 🎶
More▷ The Chateau Diaries 025: The Missing Bread
There’s a baroque music workshop at the Chateau de Lalande, Scotman returns, and Mummy & Percy go awol, causing me a world of stress…
More▷ The Chateau Diaries 024: Friendship and Art
One of my oldest friends, Ollie, comes to Lalande to reminisce about the early days of our friendship and to paint a masterpiece…
MoreSummer at Lalande
Each season at Lalande has a completely different feel. It’s not just about the weather getting warmer or cooler outside our granite walls. The whole pace of life changes in time to the rotation of the Earth. To me, the thought of summer here evokes many things. People laughing, radiant flowers, intense heat, the smell […]
More▷ The Chateau Diaries 023: A Sacrificial Cousin
I face a crisis as I host a single’s party at the chateau and most of the men drop out at the last minute. My cousin is roped in to make up numbers!
More▷ The Chateau Diaries 022: A Peacock and an Interview
My lovely friend Taylor (aka @flourishmentary on Instagram) creates a video of Lalande for her blog…
MoreGuard well within yourself that treasure, kindness. Know how to give without hesitation, how to lose without regret, how to acquire without meanness.
George Sand
▷ The Chateau Diaries 021: Summer Ball
I join the party at the Chateau de la Basmaignee!!!!!!!!
More▷ The Chateau Diaries 020: Music and Splashing
I escape for a swim on the final day of the July music workshops, and the Chateau de Lalande is filled with music…
More
▷ The Chateau Diaries 019: Young Love
At the Chateau de Lalande, my mother looks for Percy and he composes a new song about onions…
More▷ The Chateau Diaries 018: The Concert
It’s the day of the concert and the Chateau de Lalande is filled with music! I stop cooking and start singing…
MoreI thought of the soul as resembling a castle, formed of a single diamond or a very transparent crystal, and containing many rooms, just as in Heaven there are many mansions.
Saint Teresa of Avila
▷ The Chateau Diaries 017: Opera Cooking
I’m left alone to cook for 30 people at the chateau all week, and have a singing crisis…
More▷ The Chateau Diaries 016: Shoppings Trolleys and Songs
Stephanie and Michael venture to Chateauroux for shopping and Gerry starts communicating in song…
More
▷ The Chateau Diaries 015: Scotsman Cometh
Gerry unveils his alter ego, ‘Scotman’ to the world, the chateau’s musical workshop begins, and France wins the World Cup!
MoreSimply by not owning three medium-sized castles in Tuscany I have saved enough money in the last forty years on insurance premiums alone to buy a medium-sized castle in Tuscany.
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
▷ The Chateau Diaries 014: The Chapel and a Misused Rosary
Percy renovates the chapel doors at the Chateau de Lalande, and England go out of the World Cup, causing me to get peevish with Gerry…
More▷ The Chateau Diaries 013: Football and Fashion
I celebrate two football matches and the book deal of my friend, and finally find my dress for the Chateau de la Basmaignee party! And Gerry makes a triumphant return to Lalande…
More
If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.
Henry David Thoreau
▷ The Chateau Diaries 012: Henry VIII, Flowers and a Concert
I visit Hampton Court Palace and The Flower Show in London, whilst Isabelle & Percy go to the concert performed by the orchestra staying at Lalande…
More▷ The Chateau Diaries 011: An Invitation and a Palace
Whilst in London, I receive an exciting invitation to a party at the Chateau de la Basmaignee, and back at Lalande Percy restores the chapel doors…
More▷ The Chateau Diaries 010: The Chapel
Today I give you a tour of our Chapel of Saint Joseph, before leaving for a London visit…
More
▷ The Chateau Diaries 009: Music and Chickens
An orchestra and several volunteers arrive, the chickens play up, and a handbag is lost…
More▷ The Chateau Diaries 008: Yves Delorme and a Golden Swan
The Yves Delorme photoshoot continues, which weirdly means splashing around in the fountain, sipping champagne in the garden, and floating on the moat…
More▷ The Chateau Diaries 007: Cherries and Fabric Walls
This episode sees us preparing the chateau for a photo shoot of Yves Delorme bedlinen, which means fiddling with the electrics, finishing a fabric wall and fitting a new headboard. Oh, and processing cherries…
More
▷ The Chateau Diaries 006: Peacocks, Sheep and a Moat
Today saw us rescuing a peacock, being outwitted by sheep and messing about in the moat…
More▷ The Chateau Diaries 005: To jam or not to jam
My brother Gerald returns to England, I go food shopping, and Mummy gets agitated about jam…
More
▷ The Chateau Diaries 004: Departures and Arrivals
It’s a day of hellos and goodbyes at the Chateau de Lalande. All of our ‘Escape to the Chateau DIY’ guests leave (boo!), and my best friend, Michael Potts arrives (yay!). And Percy rocks the best outfit you’ve ever seen…
More
▷ The Chateau Diaries 003: Rags to Riches
The day of the ball has finally arrived! Stephanie’s fellow ‘Escape to the Chateau DIY’ participants arrive at Lalande, we prepare the chateau for the party, she finishes sewing her historic 17th century costume, and there’s a lot of faffing around with hair!
More
▷ The Chateau Diaries 002: Prestigious Guests and Alphabet Pasta
It’s an exciting day at the Chateau de Lalande as the guests start to arrive for our ‘Escape to the Chateau DIY’ party weekend.
More▷ The Chateau Diaries 001: The Beginning
Our first ever chateau vlog, from June 2018! The Chateau de Lalande is preparing for the ‘Escape to the Chateau DIY’ party and Stephanie has to make a 17th century dress on time…
More