The day we had been waiting for all year finally arrived. On 11 July, we set out with two of our children, our dog Glinka, and two carloads of bedding, clothes, furniture and tools (and anything else that looked like it belonged in a château) and drove the four hours to Corvol to spend the summer. After months of confinement, and the seemingly endless correspondence and negotiations with the notaires to buy the house and then to organize the move, it felt somewhat surreal to actually be going to the Château to stay.
It was a glorious day and Corvol was as peaceful as we had left it a few weeks earlier. Having unpacked the essentials, the priority was to make the house habitable. First positive surprise: the plumber had been able to install the dishwasher – a lifesaver in any busy household – as well as dismantle the old heating system.
A quick trip to the supermarket confirmed two important things: we were only ten minutes’ drive away from most of the essentials; and, judging by the proportion of masks being worn in the supermarket, the local population seemed to be taking Covid-19 very seriously.
After a first busy day, the first night was, well, a nightmare. A group of boisterous local youths had elected the neighbouring public park as their place of festivity, and noisily celebrated until dawn – underneath our windows. We hardly slept, and emerged the next morning cursing rural culture and wondering if this would be a regular feature of our weekends. Thankfully, our friendly neighbours soon expressed their sympathy, and reassured us that it was a rare occurrence.
24 hours later and our good friends Tania and Hildo (who is Marina’s godfather) arrived from Amsterdam with their two children. It was a joyful reunion, celebrated with our first barbecue and rosé wine in the garden. The next day, we welcomed our closest friends Giles, Alexandra and their daughter Aurélia for our first meal together in the Château. After many years of hospitality in their nearby home, it was a moving moment to toast our friendship and new proximity in our lovely family house.
We were finally in our Château, and already appropriating the space. The adventure had truly started.
Le Vieux Château 