This Week in Wijnjewoude: Week 33 The World of Frank

Week 33

A little housekeeping...

I remind myself that I started writing this for my daughter Cheryl and my other Aussie kids and grandkids - as some sort of curious memento that might be read in the future - just as I was able to read letters written by my Great Grandmother circa 1895. Intended to be private rather than the open slather of Facebook - more a reflection of "me" rather than Facebook itself.

I'm basically using the photos to jog my memory of what I thought at the time and/or what I think now that it has sunk in.

The Week in Saint-Georges-Motel

On the way.....

We couldn't get away until late in the afternoon so we planned to stop in Bruges. We found the Weinebrugge Hotel of the Great Western Chain. We were late getting there with no booking. Sorry, full. As was everywhere else! We sat planning to drive on... as far as it took to find a place (maybe I'm too old for "she'll be right" travelling)?.

Anyway, the receptionist came and said there was a cancellation...... so we jumped at it.... and had a good (no, great) sleep. Not often that I sleep through to 0700!
Good brekky and on the way again. btw. we had a Brugse Zot (beer) in Brugge!

On the way

Arrival

Apparently, Motel means "little", with the "o" sounding as in orange.

Where Frank and Pam have been living for 6 months of the year, for the last 14 years(!), is in a collection of buildings (now residential) which once belonged to an impressive, but little used, church.
So, behind the church (below) are several buildings, including a small tithe barn.
I managed to pick up a few details of the more recent history but I fear that my account is more about impressions rather than known facts.

Patrick Marshall Foundation

A story lasting 75 years
Fernard de Baeker from Antwerp met Laurie Marshall (from England) before the war and married after the war. Laurie was a banker (Bank of England) in Paris. She a classical guitarist. He also worked in "intelligence" during the war.

They had a son named Patrick.
Patrick was "troubled" maybe drugs, maybe gay? Fernard came into money from an uncle, so they had an apartment in Antwerp, an apartment in Paris and in trying to help Patrick they bought the property in Saint-Georges-Motel as a "retreat" or sanctuary. Eventually, Patrick took his own life in London. Fernard set up a foundation in memory of her son. The foundation included (or consisted entirely of) the current property and presumably sufficient funds to undertake the required maintenance and pay the bills!

Fernard died, leaving Laurie alone. When Laurie died, he left the Trust to a woman who had not been expecting it. I think this woman knew Pam and thereafter came the opportunity for Frank to become "concierge" of sorts. I think it was mostly family and friends who came to visit; the terms of the Trust did not allow any commercial operation although "donations" were made by some visiting groups.

I think the property was eventually sold in 2015 - the requirement of the Trust was that any profits would go to Animal Welfare.

An American couple bought the property and have retained the main house and a "petit maison" at the rear of that. The section nearest the church was sold and is now independent. A robot named "Frank" now mows the grass - instead of the real Frank.

The new owners have said that Frank and Pam can continue to visit; so this year they have been doing their normal 6 months tour of duty, but without the demands of concierge work. So they have been able to do lots of travel, including up to stay with us for a few days. Pam goes to Norway soon for a conference, they both go to America soon to visit friends and then back to Australia "sometime in November" (with a trip to Russia in between if the visas get sorted out). Frank likes to muse occasionally - as he mutters "what's a Noble Park boy doing, living this life?".

The original area, excluding church

"Salangros Armel" is the business name of the American owners.

The "petit maison" with church in the background

The main house (behind brown gate).

Our entrance (another gate) is immediately to the right of the brown gate). At this point I mention the walls and gates! Everyone has them! The photo above is typical of just about every road in every village - and even all the huge properties outside the villages. Sometimes the gates were grander than the fence and sometimes both were grander than the house itself.

Again in the photo above, the church is behind the photographer and the houses (and wall) on the right are all part of the original property.

The view from our balcony - the walls often go around the whole property!

The rear of the main house (actually another house)

We stayed upstairs in the rear of the main house. The petit maison is behind the photographer, in the above photo. So, all in all, 3 separate families could live at the reduced property, or at least plenty of guests all at once.

We had one night of rain for the whole week. Lovely weather and every meal outside. The day starts with a 5 minute walk to the only shop - a "boulangerie" - cakes, bread and croissants all magnificently presented. Un, quatre, bonjour and merci are about the extent of my French - but, as with Dutch, hands, feet and smiling go a long way.

Oh no, white sausages!!?

One evening, we had a French couple to dinner. Patrick and Danni. I was the shopper but I wasn't sure of some of the stuff so I ended up with herbed chicken pieces and some very German looking white sausages. I managed a pumpkin salad and with everybody else contributing, we ended up having a real banquet/bbq.

BUT, there were some uneasy murmurings about the sausages. Apparently, they have a very ritualised eating process - aperitif, entree, the main (with items eaten separately, not all on the plate at once), the cheese course, the dessert and of course, the wine! It seems the white sausages are "only eaten at Christmas", so this was not the done thing at all! But everything was eaten amid much laughter assisted by the beer and wine - and champagne!

Patrick and Danni

Timberwork upstairs bedroom

It must be Frank's fault......

.......that I drank so much beer and wine! I rarely drink these days but I really had to force myself to keep up with Frank....ok, ok, being on holidays and totally relaxing may have helped!

One of our quieter evenings

Cultural norms?

As we walked past the schoolyard, on the way to the Boulangerie one morning, Pam mentioned that the kids' early schooling is very interesting. Over the years she has picked up that the kids spend the first couple of years learning "social norms" and behaviour. Pam says she notices it with the politeness of just about everyone including kids who always say "bonjour madame/monsieur" as they go past. I wonder if this also helps with a sense of "belonging" or being "French" - with also a sense of exclusion for those who aren't brought up the same way?

This may also account for the raised eyebrows at eating white sausages out of season?

Geocaching

We found 2 of the 4 "caches" along a cycling path which has been laid where there was once a railway line.

found it.... 1

found it.... 2

Old Railway Station

The Royal Chapel of Dreux

Dreux is quite a major town in the area and was "full of Royals at the time of THE Revolution".

There are so many grand houses around the area; if there was only one then it would be a National Treasure fully funded by the Government, but because there are so many of them they tend to fall in to private hands to be saved from decline.

The Royal Chapel was built in the 19th century to house the art treasures of the Orleans family. Other relics on the site date from the 12th century.

Family members can still be buried here; the most recent was 2003.

Had to be a boat somewhere.....

Kayaking on the Eure

Recovery

Is it over?....

Anet

Another castle and a classy lunch. The castle is still privately owned. The Anet castle was built in the 16th century by the architect Philibert Delorme for Diane of Poitiers, the favourite of king Henri II.

Entrance to the Castle at Anet

There is also the mortuary chapel, built according to Diane de Poitiers' last wishes to contain her tomb. Her body had been removed during the revolution and placed in a pauper's grave. It was later restored to the chapel.