My own room used to be the billiard room, and the walls were beautifully hand painted by an artist. It is gob smacking. I actually came over all dizzy (the vapours) after the grand tour, and needed some space on my own to take it all in.
Landifer Castle in the Loire Valley was bought by my friend Natalia and her husband Howard in 1999, for under a million NZ dollars, to create a dream come true. It was empty, un liveable, had been looted and had not been used for 50 years.
It originally was built as a hunting house for Henry II and had 300,000 acres. He carked it in a hunting accident, and it was left, pretty much empty, until the war in the 1930's when a bank in Paris took over it, converting it to a storage place for money, valuables and documents. There are still a whole lot of archives in the attic (one of many attics!!)
Howard has slowly, over the last few years been fixing it up, and converting it, slowly. They have an amazing vision for it, and each of the HUGE rooms has been allocated a purpose. From the obvious kitchen, dining, sleeping and living spaces, to theatre, conference area, entertaining area, study, library, sauna and I lose track of the rest!!!
Howard has 7 kilos of keys for it, (kinda a drag leaving the house....)
Just to give you a small idea of the expense and enormity of the task, Landifer has approximately 100 windows, and each to restore costs $200,000 Euros to fix!!!
It now has "only" 50 acres, the rest of the land being subdivided into small housing projects and the rest remains protected farmland.
I have to pinch myself.
Getting on the wrong train, and drinking a bottle of rescue remedy consequently, pales, and it has all been worth it!!
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