Château d’Etoges

It’s been a few years since my last trip to the country. Now that I am here, I think I should  do it more often. The experience provides so many opportunities that don’t exist in Paris, as well as a real sense of “getting away from it all.” For me, a huge part of the experience depends on my lodging. I tend to avoid hotels and, instead, opt for family-owned chateaux.

On this trip, I stayed in a 17th century chateau, just south of Epernay. The Chateau d’Etoges has 28 beautiful and well-appointed guest rooms in the main house and the orangerie combined. It is surrounded by a moat, 18 hectares of park, and a charming village. As you can imagine, I was thrilled as I pulled up to the large wrought iron gate and got my first glimpse of what would be “my home” for the next three days.

I usually book these sorts of places over the internet, and I sometimes worry that the photos are deceiving. That was not the case with the Chateau d’Etoges. It was everything it claimed to be and more. 

Our reservation was confirmed the day before with an email that included the pass code for the automated gate. As we drove up the long narrow drive, to the sound of pea gravel beneath our tires, I could hardly contain my excitement…this was going to be great. Understated elegance abounded. 

The tall narrow windows and a steep tile roof is contrasted with a gravel driveway and potted plants, give the house both elegance and charm. To my right, a beautifully restored orangerie that had been converted to a restaurant of haute cuisine. To my left, a manicured garden with sculpted shrubs that would have made Walt Disney proud.

We were greeted by a friendly hostess who had been anticipating our arrival. She was British, so of course her English was perfect, but she continued her welcoming remarks in French for my benefit and pleasure. I liked that very much. When I come to France, I want to speak French – it’s a rare opportunity for me to polish my skills, and I like to take full advantage of it. She gave us a brief tour of the public places: two sitting rooms and a breakfast room. Then, we headed to our guest room.

We had a lovely room on the second floor. It extended the entire depth of the chateau, from front to back, and it was quite large. There was a fireplace, loads of closet space built into the paneled walls, a nicely updated bathroom, and a comfortable seating arrangement, and a large round table with two occasional chairs and a bowl of fresh fruit placed on the center of it. Most important, it was bright, clean, and had all the latest technology – a large flat-screen television with complimentary cable and internet service. And, when I made my reservation, I “liked” the Chateau d’Etoges web site on Facebook to receive a discount on our reservation.

We entered our room through a small private corridor that acted a bit as a foyer, with a large window that faced the village of Etoges. The primary window in the bedroom faced the rear garden, which featured a fountain. At night, it was as quiet as can been. The only thing to be heard was the soothing sound of fountain.