CHATEAU RESIDENCE DE BOIS-BRIAND

Wedding

Because of the wedding of our eldest son everyone is getting nervous, at Bois-Briand. Charles & Marieke, already met with the Mayor of Paris last year. The ceremony ended up with a picnic on the meadows of Parc Montsouris. On the 5th of September, we will celebrate the religious ritual.
Marieke dreamt of "La Plage de Monsieur Hulot" from Jacques Tati movie "Les Vacances de Monsieur Hulot". This is where she will say "yes" to Charles together with friends and family from many countries.

"Heureux ceux qui, comme nous, trouvent le gîte à Bois-Briand!"

 
"Heureux ceux qui, comme nous, trouvent le gîte à Bois-Briand! Etape chaleureuse et humaine avant notre installation définitive à Nantes. Les poules pour Emma, la verdure pour Brieuc; tout fut parfait. Certainement, au-revoir,
Véronique et Gilles".

"Ouvert au public"

Tous les samedis et dimanches d'avril à septembre nous ouvrons les portes de Bois-Briand aux visiteurs. Cette démarche nous est proposée par le Ministère de la Culture, le Ministère du Tourisme et celui des Finances dans le cadre de la protection de Bois-Briand au titre de "monument du patrimoine national". En fait, de nombreux "amoureux des vieilles pierres" nous rendent visite en d'autres saisons que celles imposées par l'administration. C'est toujours avec plaisir que nous vous accueillons, quelle que soit l'heure et le mois.

Visites guidées par un Guide Interprète National agréé par le Ministère de la Culture et le Ministère chargé du Tourisme. La visite est centrée sur le thème du "bonheur à Nantes". Elle permet de découvrir la constitution de l'esprit nantais grâce aux apports successifs des immigrants irlandais, américains, italiens, polonais. Les familles Stappleton, Meneust des Treilles, Gaigneron de Marolles, propriétaires de Bois-Briand à travers les siècles illustrent ce propos.

Les points forts: le canal du XVIIème siècle, son miroir d'eau et ses deux théâtres de verdure, le dispositif de séchage et conserve des poires tapées, l'exploitation viticole, l'orangerie et son jardin hors-sol d'agrumes et palmiers.

Open to the public. Bois-Briand castle is open to the public all year long.

You are privileged to live in such a beautiful place

"Many thanks for allowing us to stay at appartment N°5. It has been an enjoyable experience and we have fallen in love with Nantes and the surrounding area (Clisson and Pornic). You are privileged to live in such a beautiful place. The chateau is truly fabulous. Many thanks, regards from Juliette, Raphaël, Louis and Aimée".

"Nous avons beaucoup apprécié le charme de cette demeure".

"Merci bien pour votre chaleureux accueil. Nous nous sommes bien amusés, ici, à Nantes. Nous avons beaucoup apprécié le charme de cette demeure. Je vous remercie aussi pour vos suggestions de visites. Nous avons beaucoup aimé la Chabotterie. Nous étions très émus du temps que vous avez pris pour nous faire visiter Sainte-Luce. Si nous revenons à Nantes, nous vous reverrons, sûrement". Regina & Skip.

"... calme, culture et convivialité"

"Nous avons trouvé à Bois-Briant calme, culture et convialité. Un excellent séjour. Merci". Louis & Gertraud.

"Quel séjour délicieux, Bois-Briant: calme, chaleureux, emprunt d'une belle âme"!

"Quel séjour délicieux, Bois-Briant: calme, chaleureux, emprunt d'une belle âme! Découverte de Nantes incroyable!Nous reviendrons." Caroline et Jean-François.

Nos "années sandwich" - un cadeau "talisman"

Bon anniversaire, Jean-Marc!

De la terrasse de l'hôtel de Kasim Zoto, le regard hésite et plonge dans le Bosphore. Comme les goëlands, il se pose sur les chalutiers, paquebots, yachts et porte-containers. Au sud, les feux de la Mosquée Bleue, ceux de Sainte-Sophie se mêlent aux fumets de l'agneau et aux parfums qui brûlent près du bar.

Ce soir, nous célébrons les 48 ans d'un ami. C'est la fin d'une mission aux confins de l'Europe. Le moment de choisir un cadeau, un cadeau-talisman pour un homme à qui tout a réussi.

"Absolutely the quintessential French experience... thanks for making us feel genuinely welcome" - Hank Sable "Memphis Tennessee"

"Absolutely the quintessential French experience, Such wonderful hospitalitiy, elegant accomodations, gourmet food, Thanks so much for your kindness, for making us feel genuinely welcome,for the royal suite, and for the tour to Clisson, a Religious experience. We will return".

Hank Sable Memphis Tennessee USA.

"Memphis Tennessee" is a magical address for any European baby-boomer like you and me. When we were (even) younger, all youngsters sang and danced on Pierre Barouh words in Danyel Gerard song: "Quand il est arrivé, avec sa guitare à la main, ...sur le bois de sa guitare, il était écrit "Memphis - Tennessee". "When he came in with a guitar in his hand .... on the wood of his guitar we could read: "Memphis Tennessee". Hank Sable belongs to this category of romantic American characters: a thirsty guitar player accomplishing his European "Grand Tour",  while reading Jack Kerouac's novels in truck-stops, negociating a shelter for the night against two hours of cleaning with George Whitman ("Shakespeare & Company" book-shop) after sharing life-songs with hypnotized French girls on Paris benches". We briefly met with Hank in Albion College (1970) while I was learning "religions history" (from Mircea Elliade) and other important facts about "life", "love", "death"...) from less-known wise teachers such as Regina, Kim, Rafael, Bob & Bob, Sue, Libby, Medge, Vanessa, Vicky, Brian and many others "Masters in Joie de Vivre". After all these years, Hank was smart enough to organize his life around his own values and not the other way around like most of us were condemned (?) to by "bad weather", "bad mood" and other "bad" reasons. He became a popular entertainer, not only in his hometown ("Memphis Tennessee" famous Sunday Champaign Brunch concerts) but also in Europe and everywhere his R&B violin makes girls cry. While touring England, Spain, Germany or France, he sometimes calls us, then stops by for a two days-rest at Bois-Briand, with or without his musicians. Last time he came, he discovered the Bechstein concert grand-piano in the orangerie. When he knew the beautiful story of this gift*, he said: "you miss a guitar, here". A few days later, a huge case arrived in front of the orangerie door.

"Au-revoir" et "Merci"!

"Au revoir" et "Merci" à nos hôtes, organisateurs et participants du séminaire d'enseignement "Océan de Sagesse" de Sa Sainteté, le Dalaï Lama!

During one week, Bois-Briand benefited from various positive energy flows. One year in advance, for some of our guests, couples, friends and individuals asked us for a safe and serene place to stay during their important meeting with Dalaï Lama. Some of them registered to the "Ocean de Sagesse" series of lectures, some others were part of the organizers team. They took breakfast in the Orangerie, at the time when the various gardeners pushed the wooden gate of the kitchen garden to water their tomatoes. Most of them took advantage of the N°82 bus-line then the N°1 tramway-line to reach the Zenith (lectures venue) while some others experimented biking or driving. At night time, around the swimming-pool, every body seemed ready to make a new start in life. Some guests asked us how they could transform their big secondary home into a "maison d'hôtes" like Bois-Briand. To all of you, our one-week guests, we wish "Bonne Chance"! and "Au revoir"! We just wish this inspiring stay in this simple but inspiring old "Chateau du Bois-Brand" will result into positive decisions for the rest of your life. By the way, if your first name happens to be "Raphaëlle" and you decided to leave a parisian hight-life (in the 70's) to follow Dalaï-Lama's teachings, please, send us some news...