Loire Valley, France
Country First, Paris SecondBy Janet Eastman May 14, 2009No one wants to catch up on sleep in Paris. So my boyfriend Ron and I opted to spend our first few days in France cradled in the luscious, châteaux-dotted Loire Valley, a two-hour train ride from Charles de Gaulle Airport. During the day, we would taste wine and peek at the stylish hideouts of Elton John and Mick Jagger along the banks of the Loire River. At night, we would enjoy intelligent conversation over lobster soufflé or sautéed scampi with our lodging hosts Irène and Mike Schnaer, followed by “the best sleep of my adult life,” according to Ron, thanks to country quiet and a queen-size French wool mattress covered in dreamy linens. A friend recommended that we stay in Brinon-sur-Sauldre at Château Brinon, a 17th-century former hunting lodge that the Schnaers have converted into a welcoming three-suite B and B. When we saw our suite, with its draped canopy bed and an antique table holding a bottle of chilled champagne, two flutes and fresh strawberries, we knew our decision to spend a little time relaxing before Paris was the right one.
Our hosts, both fascinating storytellers, take particular pride in introducing their guests to French culture and local artisans, car collectors, equestrians, vintners, cheese purveyors and chocolate makers. Can life get any more relaxing? In between sighing over the brilliant yellow mustard fields and Magritte-clouded skies, we ducked into troglodyte wine caves, medieval castles, da Vinci’s last residence, Le Clos Lucé, and the largest domain in Europe, Château Chambord, with a da Vinci-devised double revolution staircase so the King’s mistress would never run into the Queen. Oh, those romantic Frenchmen.In the morning, Irène, a Paris-raised gourmet chef, provided the hardiest of breakfasts (which is included in the economic 85 Euro daily room rate). There were pots of rich coffee, fresh-from-the-oven croissants and omelets made from eggs she collected from the geese inhabiting the lake on the property’s 55 acres.
Upon request at night, she’ll whip up a three-course dinner for 25 Euro per person. The three nights we were there, we turned our appetite over to Irène, who first quizzed us on our cuisine dreams then delivered what we wanted -- authentic French comfort food – served in her large kitchen. On the first night, we watched her create from her mental recipe book. As if choreographed, she’d slice or whip or toss ingredients together, then copper pots were removed from the brick wall near the stove to simmer wild rice, grill zucchini strips to wrap around soft cheese and sauté asparagus to accompany a baked salmon. Dessert was an architectural Charlotte – fresh-picked strawberries topping a tower of airy ladyfingers. We drank the wine we had purchased during our tour that day, including a bottle of Sancerre -- there’s a museum and garden devoted to it nearby (www.maison-des-sancerre.com). Other well-known regional wines are Pouilly, Bourgueil and Anjou. Thankfully, in this renovated kitchen there is no microwave in sight (if there is one at all) and the fridge is hidden behind drapery so the illusion of the leisurely grand dinners of the past is not spoiled. Underneath the couple’s sleeping Akita is a removable door that leads to a basements pantry that Mike disappeared into to retrieve ingredients for rabbit pâté, lamb stew with green beans and peas, and onion soup topped with gruyère floating on slices of fresh French bread.
Mike is a former Los Angelino who received our sympathy for struggling to learn French (Irène is a language instructor with beaucoup patience. She reminded us that the simplest bonjour wins over the most tourist-adverse Parisian.)
Mike owned a well-respected classic car restoration shop in California’s San Fernando Valley (clients and friends included Steve McQueen, Nicholas Cage, Sharon Stone). He gave it all up in 2002 to move with Irène to her family’s country estate. Like the rare old cars he brought back to Pebble Beach Concours glory, Mike has worked with Irène to carefully restore a prime section of the 40,000-square-foot château.
Upstairs, beyond a velvet drape, are three very large suites with private baths, views of the park-like setting and enough talismans to the past to allow you to imagine a gracious country life 200 years ago. Downstairs, to the left of the entry, is an enormous receiving room with an Aubusson tapestry, mosaic floor and deep couches to sink into around a large stone fireplace.
If this scene alone doesn’t squeeze the go-go 21st century out of you, turn off your beeping BlackBerry and take a stroll with Mike around the grounds to hear stories about the original 10th and 13th century châteaux and see the fresh tracks of boar that still come at night to scrape the topsoil with their tusks in search of squiggling edibles.
Mike and Irène have plenty of stories to tell about their neighborhood, too: where to find high tea or three golf course; painters and gypsies; literature and Versailles-like tennis; wine and chocolate.
Then you’ll be ready for Paris.
For more of Janet Eastman's photos, go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/janeteastman/sets/72157621179965020/
CHATEAU BRINON
10 Route d’Isdes
18410 Brinon sur Sauldre, France
Telephone: 011 33 248585445
info@ChateauBrinon.com