Post by Shoesy on Jul 1, 2009 19:11:36 GMT -5
Sunday, June 14th, 2009
As much as it saddened me to bid farewell to the Churchill Hotel and Bayeux
, I knew that a magical night awaited us at the Chateau de Bouceel in Vergoncey, which is in the vicinity of Mont St.Michel.
I had found this chateau on the web over 2 ½ years ago while I was looking for a special place to spend the night after visiting MSM. At that time, I wasn’t certain when this trip would take place, though I really thought it would be last year. In any case, I was confident that I had found the perfect chateau for us, and I kept it in mind (and in my heart
) until last December when it was time for me to book accommodations for our trip.
Chateau de Bouceel is even more beautiful than it looks on the website, and our stay there was indeed a highlight of our days spent in Normandy.
The property is gorgeous, the rooms are spacious and majestic, and all the furnishings are outstanding. It is owned by the Comte and Comtesse de Roquefeuil, and although we had met the fine lady for only a few moments, we were fortunate to have been able to spend some quality time with the Comte, a splendid host who made our stay a most memorable one.
Since he saw we expressed interest in his family, the Comte proudly told us about his heritage, particularly about his father. One question led to another, and we found ourselves intrigued by all the tales he shared with us. His father had apparently been a very unique individual…..a heroic man of many strengths and talents. His participation in the Resistance got him arrested and imprisoned in a camp 
, but he was among the fortunate who survived. 
On display in the entrance hall of the chateau, there is a beautifully illustrated book, which Shlomo and I couldn’t help but notice. When the Comte saw that we took interest in the book, he explained that it depicted the story of his beloved late father’s life during WWII, and it was his father himself who had written and illustrated it. There are pages after pages of lovely cartoons with French captions, and the Comte spent time telling us some of the stories represented by those fantastic illustrations. Tale after tale, it didn’t take long for us to realize what a truly remarkable man his father had been.
I asked if it would be possible to purchase a copy of the book, and we were delighted that for just 15 Euros we could actually own this amazing work. The Comte clarified that the family had absolutely no desire to make profits from the sale of their father’s book; it was far more meaningful to them that they could share this family treasure with as many people as possible. This book is without a doubt the most precious item that we brought home from our trip.
When we asked for dining recommendations for that evening, the Comte suggested the restaurant of a nearby little hotel, L'Auberge du Terroire……less than 10 minutes away in a town called Servon. We drove there not knowing exactly what kind of place we’d find, but the Comte had assured us that they served exceptional food there. He hadn’t exaggerated a bit for we had a truly superb meal, beautifully presented, in elegant country French surroundings…... stunning blue and white décor. There I experienced my very first duck confit, and I finally understood why everyone on OPF had raved about this dish. Who would have thought that in such a small town you could find such a gem of a restaurant?
Here are some photos: ( none of them of the restaurant)
Approaching the chateau
The well-kept property
Geese and donkeys on the property
The donkey is cute, but Shlomo is cuter.
The stunning view from our bedroom
Our lovely bedroom, the Ba-Me room, which had been the Comte's grandmother's room (All the rooms are named for the family members that slept in them.)
Shlomo, too, was impressed with our room.
The very spacious bathroom. There's also a walk-in shower and a vanity, which can't be seen in the photo. We were provided with very thick towels (they weighed a ton
) and terry-cloth robes.
I loved relaxing in this chaise ! All the rooms have fireplaces.
The elegant breakfast room.
Just about to have my breakfast.
I loved this piece of furniture in the breakfast room.
The lovely staircase leading up to the floor where our bedroom was located.
In the study, the Comte is showing us some of his father's historical memorablia.
I'm signing the guestbook.
The book we purchased is being presented to me.
;D This is Titi, one of the 2 feline residents of the chateau. We had met the other one, Madame Mouche, but we couldn't find her later on to take her picture.
As much as it saddened me to bid farewell to the Churchill Hotel and Bayeux
, I knew that a magical night awaited us at the Chateau de Bouceel in Vergoncey, which is in the vicinity of Mont St.Michel.I had found this chateau on the web over 2 ½ years ago while I was looking for a special place to spend the night after visiting MSM. At that time, I wasn’t certain when this trip would take place, though I really thought it would be last year. In any case, I was confident that I had found the perfect chateau for us, and I kept it in mind (and in my heart
) until last December when it was time for me to book accommodations for our trip.Chateau de Bouceel is even more beautiful than it looks on the website, and our stay there was indeed a highlight of our days spent in Normandy.
The property is gorgeous, the rooms are spacious and majestic, and all the furnishings are outstanding. It is owned by the Comte and Comtesse de Roquefeuil, and although we had met the fine lady for only a few moments, we were fortunate to have been able to spend some quality time with the Comte, a splendid host who made our stay a most memorable one. Since he saw we expressed interest in his family, the Comte proudly told us about his heritage, particularly about his father. One question led to another, and we found ourselves intrigued by all the tales he shared with us. His father had apparently been a very unique individual…..a heroic man of many strengths and talents. His participation in the Resistance got him arrested and imprisoned in a camp
, but he was among the fortunate who survived. 
On display in the entrance hall of the chateau, there is a beautifully illustrated book, which Shlomo and I couldn’t help but notice. When the Comte saw that we took interest in the book, he explained that it depicted the story of his beloved late father’s life during WWII, and it was his father himself who had written and illustrated it. There are pages after pages of lovely cartoons with French captions, and the Comte spent time telling us some of the stories represented by those fantastic illustrations. Tale after tale, it didn’t take long for us to realize what a truly remarkable man his father had been.
I asked if it would be possible to purchase a copy of the book, and we were delighted that for just 15 Euros we could actually own this amazing work. The Comte clarified that the family had absolutely no desire to make profits from the sale of their father’s book; it was far more meaningful to them that they could share this family treasure with as many people as possible. This book is without a doubt the most precious
item that we brought home from our trip.When we asked for dining recommendations for that evening, the Comte suggested the restaurant of a nearby little hotel, L'Auberge du Terroire……less than 10 minutes away in a town called Servon. We drove there not knowing exactly what kind of place we’d find, but the Comte had assured us that they served exceptional food there. He hadn’t exaggerated a bit for we had a truly superb meal
, beautifully presented, in elegant country French surroundings…... stunning blue and white décor. There I experienced my very first duck confit, and I finally understood why everyone on OPF had raved about this dish. Who would have thought that in such a small town you could find such a gem of a restaurant? Here are some photos: ( none of them of the restaurant)
Approaching the chateau
The well-kept property
Geese and donkeys on the property
The donkey is cute, but Shlomo is cuter.
The stunning view from our bedroom
Our lovely bedroom, the Ba-Me room, which had been the Comte's grandmother's room (All the rooms are named for the family members that slept in them.)
Shlomo, too, was impressed with our room.
The very spacious bathroom. There's also a walk-in shower and a vanity, which can't be seen in the photo. We were provided with very thick towels (they weighed a ton
) and terry-cloth robes.I loved relaxing in this chaise ! All the rooms have fireplaces.
The elegant breakfast room.
Just about to have my breakfast.
I loved this piece of furniture in the breakfast room.
The lovely staircase leading up to the floor where our bedroom was located.
In the study, the Comte is showing us some of his father's historical memorablia.
I'm signing the guestbook.
The book we purchased is being presented to me.
;D This is Titi, one of the 2 feline residents of the chateau. We had met the other one, Madame Mouche, but we couldn't find her later on to take her picture.
hahahha