Breakfast is served in the dining room when the weather looks less promising and rain seems to be just around the corner – yes, even in Provance it can happen! Furnished in 18th century style, this room plays host to paintings and antique furniture, with windows that are draped in a reprinted curtain design by Pierre Frey.

Guests gather round the big table under the light of the magnificent crystal chandelier and discuss their plans for the day.

The living room

The living room may be accessed via the castle grounds or the dining room. It was once the stables, as can be seen from the exposed stone walls. Guests may use this area to relax in, read, watch a film on the Home-Cinema system or discover Fred’s photographic works. A wide selection of books, magazines and videos are available, with there being something to suit everyone’s tastes. For the more studious guests, a small office area provides a quieter place where you can make yourself at home and use the Wi-Fi connection to surf the net or check your emails.

The owners have created a mini wine-cellar in one area of the room, where the tannin-rich local wines – Vacqueyras, Gigondas and Châteauneuf-du-Pape – rub shoulders with great ‘vins de pays’ wines from the Rhône valley. Fred is equally proud of the rosé and syrah-based wine from the château’s vineyard. And if you would like to have a cosy fireside dinner, feel free to use our Provençal tableware!

Time slides by unhurriedly…you cannot rush the gentle joy that comes from living in a house in Provence.