Photo by Karina Waters1/19Gudanes is a château dating from the time of Louis XIV, nestled among the mountains of the Aston Valley in the French Pyrenees. It overlooks the village of Château-Verdun and a fast-flowing river where the sound of the torrent merges, day and night.
Photo by Karina Waters2/19Wildernesses of wildflowers grow within the rectangle terraces, which the Château looks down on. Rather than attempt to tame and order, we simply sowed more wildflower seeds in early spring.
Photo by Karina Waters3/19The Château surrounded in flowers and mist.
Photo by Karina Waters4/19Summer barbecue nights on the front terrace.
Photo by Karina Waters5/19Over the past few months a bathroom area has been installed on the ground level, in the same place where the French government installed a communal bathroom in the 1970s when the Château was used as a school holiday camp facility. Naturally, an old zinc bath filled with Château flowers has now found its way there.
Photo by Karina Waters6/19Château roses—planted the bushes in January of this year.
Photo by Karina Waters7/19Filling the Château with flowers happens quite easily with fields of flowers growing wild.
Photo by Karina Waters8/19Over summer, a restoration workshop took place for 10 days. It was the first time in almost 70 years that the bedrooms had been slept in. There is still a long way to go before the rooms are restored, but for now, with an old French bed, chair, and bedside table, all found at local brocantes, they are a little piece of what you come to France for.
Photo by Karina Waters9/19Over summer, a restoration workshop took place for 10 days. It was the first time in almost 70 years that the bedrooms had been slept in. There is still a long way to go before the rooms are restored, but for now, with an old French bed, chair, and bedside table, all found at local brocantes, they are a little piece of what you come to France for.
Photo by Karina Waters10/19Over summer, a restoration workshop took place for 10 days. It was the first time in almost 70 years that the bedrooms had been slept in. There is still a long way to go before the rooms are restored, but for now, with an old French bed, chair, and bedside table, all found at local brocantes, they are a little piece of what you come to France for.
Photo by Karina Waters11/19Progress continued during the workshop, including the glazing and repairs of external doors.
Photo by Karina Waters12/19In February and March of this year, the Château vegetable garden, or potager, began on one of the terraces, capturing the sunlight most of the year round. This is our first crop.
Photo by Emmanuel Tecles13/19Another bedroom dressed and ready for the restoration workshop. When we purchased the Château, the ceiling and flooring in this room had fallen in. Fortunately, the early-19th-century Empire hand-painted wallpaper just survived.
Photo by Karina Waters14/19At night, candlelight shows the way as in a fairy tale. With electricity in only a few rooms on the ground level, there is more excitement in adapting to the ways of the 18th century than feelings of stress and frustration trying to make modern-day changes.
Photo by Karina Waters15/19Over summer the Château boutique opened with a potpourri of new and old items for sale. This year the Château Advent Calendar is ready to now order online.
Photo by Karina Waters16/19In the 1960s, the walls of this salon were covered in clotted cream-color paint. During the decorative restoration workshop, work began to remove this paint and reveal the 18th-century painted detail and soft pastel panels beneath.
Photo by Karina Waters17/19Denise, who participated in the restoration workshop, preparing the front facade for reconstructive plasterwork.
Photo by Karina Waters18/19Meanwhile, Penny continues to remove the clotted cream paint in the front salon.
Photo by Karina Waters19/19David, from our local village, covering the missing vestibule stained glass with toughened plastic. We are always working toward making the Château watertight.
