view from my window, morning light 7:30am
I think it's time for a little tour of where I currently live. Chateau d'Brécy is located in Basse-Normandie, about 15 minute drive from la mer (the ocean) to which unfortunately I have not been to yet but hope to go next week (because it got up to 94 degrees today!! -- when I arrived it was 50...working in this heat is very very difficult at times), and in between the two cities Bayeux (home to the famous tapestry) and Caen (was there two weekends ago, must post pictures).
the driveway and Cookie!
Chateau d'Brécy is owned by Didier and Barbara Wirth. You can see and read (in French) a little bit about the garden in the link postage here (http://www.parcsetjardins.fr/basse_normandie/calvados/jardins_du_ch_teau_de_brEcy-84.html). Didier is the President of the Parcs et Jardins de France orginazation and Barbara used to be a well-known interior designer. Barbara actually designed the interior space of the gardens (all that was left from centuries ago were the stone wall formations and terraces, which they restored and repaired). The Wirths bought the property in 1992 and all of what you see happened in only the last 15 years, it's absolutely incredible. Actually Didier and Barbara went to the Pyranees to get grafts of boxwood (Buxus sempervirens) and all of their buxus topiaries are from those grafts!
grandchildren throwing artichokes, lots on artichokes to come
Didier and Barbara mostly live in Paris (and come here on the weekends). During the week it's me and the staff, normally consisting of the main gardener of the interior, Cyril. And then there's the other staff...I'll write more about everyone later, it's getting close to dinner. Currently this week (until tomorrow) I'm working with a landscape architect who is a friend of the Wirth's. Her name is Marie and we get along quite well (she studied landscape architecture in England and is fluent in Spanish and English). I'm sorry to see her leave tomorrow because she is another one to give me an interesting perspective on things (and yes, Adrien and I are emailing each other...which is helping me learn how to read and write in French).
Okay...let's go on a quick photo tour!
My room & and bath, the Washington Bedroom
view of the gardens from my room, probably taken around 10pm
(it doesn't get completely dark until after 11:30)
moi préféré allée
view out from the allée
the first level of topiaries
(I've spent hours weeding through these)
the second partier
this one's for you aunt joanne, if they can have lemon trees in northern
france, you can get one and have an orangery in new york ;)
et la pièce de résistance...
Mimette!
Fluffy, reincarnated into Mimette,
most amazing mush in France ;)
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