Help us bring an 18th Century family chateau back to its former glory in the Loir Valley - Pays de la Loire, France

France

Favourited 347 times

Host rating
Feedback
42
Last activity
14/09/2019
Nº of Facebook friends
214
Reply rate
65.9 %
Average reply time:
within 7 days
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Availability

2019

Min stay requested: at least a week

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Description
Hello!

My husband and I live in our 18th Century family chateau, on a big property with lots of beautiful woods, river and gardens.
Xavier is french, me American, we are both bi-lingual and Xavier speaks fluent Spanish too. Xavier is retired but keeps busy with varied business projects and taking care of his extensive rose garden.
From May to October we offer traditional culinary holidays in english,

Our goal is to bring the chateau back to it's former glory, little by little!

We almost always have projects going on, indoors and out, restoration, gardening, woodwork, stonework, painting, cleaning out old buildings, etc. etc...

We offer a private room in the chateau, wifi, good food and good company :)

We are very respectful of the workaway agreement on hours 5/day 5 days/week.
And at the same time are flexible for the schedule.

We expect in return guests that are honest, respectful of our home and a job well done.

Please have a look at our profile and let me know if you would like any more information and are interested in coming to stay. We'd be happy to have your help :)

Hope to hear from you!
Type of help
Gardening
Building
General Maintenance
Help in the house
Help with Computers / internet
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
You will experience the reality of the true french family "Chateau Life" in a very traditional setting.
Xavier and I are very open and enjoy sharing fun conversations and cultural exchanges.
We can help you get around and visit some of the interesting sites in our area.
And we love to learn about our guests varied cultures, life paths, projects, hopes and dreams.
Help
All sorts of help in the house and outdoors... gardening, woodwork, stonework, cleaning, general repairs, and other miscellaneous tasks.
We always look for project that suit your abilities and length of stay.
We appreciate helpers that pay attention to details and do whatever they are doing with care.
Reliability, honesty and a good attitude are the most important requirements.
Languages spoken
English, French, Spanish and a little Italian.
Accommodation
A nice big room, on the 2nd floor of our chateau. Shared bathroom and toilets. There is a small independant kitchen on the 2nd floor but most meals are prepared and enjoyed together in the family kitchen.
What else ...
Situated right on the Loir river near the famous chateaux of the Loire valley and a wonderful zoo (La Fleche). 25 minutes from Angers, 2 1/2 hours from Paris and equal distance from seaside : Saint Malo and La Baule.
There are wonderful bike paths nearby, conoe-ing, fishing, and endless cultural and other activities in our region. You are free to wander and explore our extensive property with river and woods, or just chill out by the fire.
There are buses and carpools daily if you wish to spend an afternoon in Angers, a great city with lots to visit. And we are happy to bring you along when we go into our local town (La Fleche).
A car is recommended if you wish to visit the region and we have bikes available.
A little more information
- Internet access
- Limited internet access
- We have pets
- We are smokers
How many Workawayers can stay?
Two
Hours expected
5 hours per day (5 days a week)

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Feedback left by and about host (42)

These are extra optional ratings when members leave feedback. The average rating left for each option is displayed.

Accuracy of profile:
(5.0)

Cultural exchange:
(5.0)

Communication:
(5.0)

25/08/2019

Left by Workawayer (Simon) for host

I had a very enjoyable experience with Mary and Xavier. They are very good hosts, the food and wine provided was amazing and plentiful and they and their family are all very welcoming and very good company with great conversation. The chateau is huge and full of interesting and historic places, a chapel an orangery as well as many rooms in the… read more

(Excellent )

22/06/2019

Left by host for Workawayer (Catalin & Adelina)

Adelina and Catelin came to help us with a restoration project in our chateau, getting the original kitchens in the cellar back to working order.
They were both very hard working, conscientious, capable and knowledgable about working with old materials. The job was much bigger than expected as it was in dreadful shape and the walls and ceiling… read more

(Excellent )

28/04/2019

Left by Workawayer (Catalin & Adelina) for host

Once upon a time, but not too far back in time, when snowflakes were falling like feathers from heaven...yes, we've been in a kind of fairytale:)
What can be more wonderful than having the opportunity to live for two months in an eighteen-century castle, in the most spectacular part of the Loire Valley? and to help a generous and delightful couple… read more

(Excellent )

05/03/2019

Left by Workawayer (Andy) for host

Well what do we say? We love Xavier and Mary! We had such a great time here and learned so much about their property and we shared some wonderful moments together! Mary will make sure you have all you need and she is a lovely chef and she will take time to teach you new recipes and also speak about other subjects on life and their family. Xavier… read more

(Excellent )

15/10/2018

Left by Workawayer (Francis (k/a Pat) & Jann) for host

We were rescued by Xavier and Mary after the Workaway we had organised fell through at the last minute. We contacted Mary and she immediately replied to us in the positive so we set off for there. This experience turned out to be one in a million. We had a wonderful time helping to repair the trellises for the many expaliered apples and pears as… read more

(Excellent )

30/07/2018

Left by Workawayer (Jamie) for host

Mary and Xavier were very welcoming and their property is amazing. I enjoyed some good food and company, especially with the animals Izzy and ... Cat. Their housekeeper Ella will make sure you're well fed. All around, a decent experience and would like to recommend them to other workawayers. Thanks guys.

(Very good )

22/06/2018

Left by Workawayer (Megan) for host

I had an amazing time staying with Mary and Xavier for 3 weeks. The chateau is beautiful and so is the surrounding property. I had plenty of free time to go for walks around the property (often with Izzy and O'Malley, their super cute dog and cat). I also had many opportunities to go and explore the surrounding towns. Both Mary and Ella, their… read more

(Excellent )

05/03/2018

Left by host for Workawayer (Kurtis)

We were very lucky to have hosted Kurtis this winter. We had all sorts of restoration and repairs and Kurtis was definitely the man of the day!

Every day we threw a bunch of new projects out there, changing our minds and priorities constantly and he kept a very chilled out attitude. He is very adept at just about everything, finding intelligent… read more

(Excellent )

28/02/2018

Left by Workawayer (Kurtis) for host

I had the pleasure of staying at Chateau de la Barbeé for a little over a month. My experience was enjoyable, and full of a great deal of laughter every evening.

Mary and Xavier are incredibly generous and respectful, always making sure I was well fed and never thirsty. I particularly enjoyed when we would all prepare dinner together. I also had… read more

(Excellent )

17/02/2018

Left by host for Workawayer (Maria Virginia)

Maria Virginia was such a sweet and helpful girl. She helped with lots of things around the house and especially with some accounting work. She has a very nice attitude and is willing to help with anything. Her english improved noticeably while here and whenever we needed to clarify things we had google translations on hand. It was a pleasure to… read more

(Excellent )

29/09/2017

Left by Workawayer (Maria Virginia) for host

I can not put into words the incredible experience I had. this was my first workaway and I'm glad I did. I spent a few amazing weeks at the chateau. Mary and Xavier are wonderful !! super nice and gerous. Thanks for all the talks and for the time we spent. Thank you for making this experience the best. thanks for everything!!!
I'm going to miss… read more

(Excellent )

28/09/2017

Left by Workawayer (Andrew) for host

Absolute Heaven...this was my first workaway experience and I ended up staying for Two months...
Without doubt, this was the most civilised, rewarding and enriching experience I have ever had in 30 years of travelling...
Im lucky because I get to go back again after my next paying job....and again....enjoy....

(Excellent )

13/07/2017

Left by Workawayer (Cassidy & Nathan) for host

My husband and I's 2 weeks with Mary and Xavier was a wonderful experience! In that short time, they became like family.

We helped restore window panes. The chatuex is incredible, and it was a great experience to be part of its history. We loved exploring the grounds and near by towns. There was wonderful conversation and food. We truly felt we… read more

(Excellent )

21/05/2017

Left by host for Workawayer (Quentin & Lucile)

Lucile et Quentin sont venus deux semaines pour nous aider avec un TAS de choses!

Je ne pourrais pas tout lister mais en gros…

- Remonte la piscine, une operation tres complique qui il s’ont accomplie avec patience et intelligence.
- Passer la rotovateur partout, egalise le terrain, et refait une grande pelouse tout propre.
- Tue beaucoup de… read more

(Excellent )

19/05/2017

Left by Workawayer (Quentin & Lucile) for host

The two weeks we spent at the château were fantastic! Mary and Xavier are wonderful hosts, very kind, welcoming, and they cook extremely well. We thoroughly enjoyed the conversations we shared. We feel lucky to have had the opportunity to help them in their beautiful place. We hope to see them again one day. Thank you again Mary and Xavier. We… read more

(Excellent )

24/04/2017

Left by host for Workawayer (Maria Antonia)

Antonia spent a month helping us with a huge wedding at our chateau.
We had so many things to do and she was an amazing help.
She is up to anything and would find everything that needed to be taken care of, painted, cleaned, or fixed without me even asking.

I really appreciated the fact that she never counted her hours and was always available… read more

(Excellent )

16/02/2017

Left by Workawayer (Maria Antonia) for host

I was blessed to be received by Mary and Xavier, they are wonderful hosts and amazing persons! They are really welcoming and I felt part of the family.
Our original arrangement of a two weeks stay turned into little bit more than a month, and even though it was difficult to say goodbye, I left happy of having new friends.
Every task was as… read more

(Excellent )

27/03/2017

Left by host for Workawayer (Evan)

Evan is a very pleasant young man. He is intelligent, well mannered, easy going, helpful and it is a pleasure to have him with us.
He takes on our daily endeavours with energy and attention and we’ve been getting all sorts of projects done, from cement slabs, to gardening, digging, fence building, cutting wood.
And he loves cooking too!
I am… read more

(Excellent )

18/10/2016

Left by Workawayer (Robert & Patricia) for host

I spent 3 very interesting and rewarding weeks with Mary and Xavier in May 2016, so I apologize for being a bit tardy in submitting this review. If your goal is to improve your French while spending quality time in an historic, peaceful country setting (ie no night life, and limited public transportation), this may be the place for you.

Mary… read more and Xavier were welcoming and gracious hosts. I had spoken with Mary via Skype and phone 3 or 4 times prior to coming, to have an idea of what to expect, and what would be expected of me. So there were no surprises or misunderstandings.

As I reflect back upon my time at their country chateau, the following things come to mind as making for a worthwhile adventure.

First, my room and bath were comfortable, private, and spacious, and I was able to come and go as I pleased. Breakfast and lunch were mostly left up to a time of choosing of the workawayers; that is, help yourself to the food in the fridge and pantry. I really liked that flexibility, and to be able to start my day as early as I wanted and be done with chores by lunchtime, or work extra hours one day and have more time off the next. Dinners were always together as a “family”, time to recap the day and talk about history, culture, politics, personal interests, whatever. Thanks to Xavier, there was never a dull moment at the dinner table. And there was always plenty of food.

As stated on the host web page, the chateau is in the process of being restored. Mary was very attentive to matching me up with a job that mirrored my skills, interest, and physical abilities. There are many different tasks to be accomplished, so there is probably something you can do there, too. What I appreciated in particular was the fact that I was left to work on my own, at my own pace, without someone looking over my shoulder to see if I was doing my job (in my particular case, furniture restoration, and pool cleaning). Xavier always said “thank you” or “good job” if he happened to pass by where I happened to be.

Mary knew that I had a keen interest in seeing some of the nearby sites of historic interest, as well as to be able capture some interesting photographic scenes. So, when her errands took her by places she thought I would enjoy, she was sure to ask me if I wanted to accompany her. One special moment was to attend mass at the Abbaye Saint- Pierre de Solesmes, and to hear the chanting of the Benedictine monks; another was visiting a friend with a working water mill alongside a beautiful river setting. Without Mary’s thoughtfulness and planning, I never would have had these, or several other cultural (non-touristy) experiences. I am most grateful to Mary for these opportunities.

Finally, my French fluency had really deteriorated over the years for lack of usage, and I wanted to immerse myself in the French way expressing my ideas. Both Mary and Xavier were very accommodating in this regard, being attentive to teaching me colloquial expressions that really put me in touch with the language. “Un ‘tiens’ vaut mieux que ‘deux tu l’auras,” n’est-ce pas Xavier?

Merci infiniment Mary et Xavier pour un séjour très agréable.

(Excellent )

14/09/2016

Left by Workawayer (Christopher & Crystal) for host

Mary & Xavier are kind, fun, and very generous hosts. We recommend them and the area highly. They bent over backwards to make sure we enjoyed ourselves. We were sad to leave at the end of our three week stay and look back fondly at our time with them.

A typical day consisted of getting up early to get as much done as possible before it… read more got too hot. My husband did a lot of carpentry and handyman projects. I spent much of my time working in the gardens and cleaning with with Ella but I also got to work quite a bit with my husband cleaning out and helping him rebuild the walls of a sixteenth century gate house. It was fun to have projects to do and I wish we could have stayed to finish the last project we were working on. After work we were pretty tired and filthy dirty so it was off to take a shower and a little nap. It felt good to do physical work and to see results. Xavier, especially, took time every single day to say thank you. It felt good and reminded us of the importance of doing the same here at home with our employees.

We usually had a quick lunch on our own or with Ella. There was always plenty in the fridge to grab and go. Sometimes we joined Xavier or Ella in the fountain, which doubled as a their swimming pool.

Mary should be a tour guide because she gave us great suggestions and mapped out a plan for us every single day. Sometimes we headed out for the afternoon on their bikes and sometimes we drove to a destination that Mary had suggested. We would recommend having a car. There is so much to see and do in the area. We absolutely loved it. The driving is pleasant and easy. The road signage is excellent and Mary's map is well marked with a highlighter. If you don't have a car, don't worry. You can see a lot by bike. The biking is easy and there are plenty of roads with almost no traffic. The best part is that you are in France. Beautiful farms, quaint little villages, historical sites, and lovely river views are everywhere. Then of course there are the pastries, especially the apricot tarts. The benefit of being a Workawayer is that you burn up a lot of calories. You will be able to enjoy Mary, Xavier, and Ella's cooking, fine wine, and even go out for pastries in the afternoon and still lose weight. What could be better than that!

Dinners consisted of long evenings outside in front of the fountain with Mary & Xavier. We enjoyed getting to know them; the time flew by. They are very easy to talk to. Xavier in particular loves to talk about history, which was great for us because we were there to learn as much as we could.

All in all it was a great summer. We spent three weeks in Scotland and three weeks in France as Workawayers. We took some much needed time off from our regular jobs and came back refreshed and with a much better outlook. We could have had a regular vacation and even had a free place to stay along with a car in the south of France but we wouldn't have had the same experience.

(Excellent )

04/09/2016

Left by Workawayer (Andrea) for host

I had a wonderful week in this chateau.
Mary and Xavier are really fantastic hosts. Mary is great, she is very kind, she helped me from the very beginning, verifying with me the best travel solutions, the car pools i took (she contacted the drivers, since my French is really really bad) and as you can read in previous reviews, I confirm that she… read more

(Excellent )

21/05/2016

Left by host for Workawayer (Alessandro)

Alessandro has been very helpful and willing to take on just about any task.
He has a very keen mind and we've had lots of interesting conversations but he is also happy to have time on his own to study and read.
We're impressed with the progress he made in french while here.
He also makes an excellent Brazilian bean soup!
We thank him for all… read more

(Very good )

21/05/2016

Left by Workawayer (Alessandro) for host

Nice Chateu with good atmosphere, and a lot of things to be done in preparation to daughter Xavier and Mary's wedding. Every corner of the house has the French history embedded. They have a huge and beautiful garden.
I improved my English skills quite substantially.
Thank you so much.

(Very good )

22/04/2016

Left by Workawayer (Karina) for host

This is my first experience in Workaway and has been such a wonderful pleasure. It´s far beyond my expectations, it's surreal to be here, with so interesting and special people as Mary and Xavier. They are cult, intelligent, kind, helpful, funny, concerned about the well being of people, very polite, well-connected, and refined with an exceptional… read more

(Excellent )

22/04/2016

Left by host for Workawayer (Karina)

Karina has been with us for 2 weeks and will be on her way soon. I am writing this review in advance to help her find her future hosts, because she has been such valuable help and a pleasure to have.
She is the most discreet and refined person you could wish for, and at the same time having great conversations and fun. She’s very good natured and… read more

(Excellent )

21/04/2016

Left by host for Workawayer (Jillian)

It was a real pleasure to have Jillian with us.
Jillian is the most chilled out person and so easy to have around.
Everything she undertook, she did with care and attention and was onboard for any sort of job.
We cooked up alot of nice meals together, painted, made daily bouquets, did wall tapestry, and more.
And she took very good care of… read more

(Excellent )

20/04/2016

Left by Workawayer (Jillian) for host

I had an amazing month with Mary and Xavier! The chateau is so lovely and the grounds are excellent for having a walk with Izzy the dog and kitty when she feels like joining! The two animals are best friends and it is adorable. As for the accommodation, I stayed in the blue room which has amazingly comfortable beds and I had the best sleep of… read more

(Excellent )

03/04/2016

Left by Workawayer (Isabel) for host

I stayed with Mary and Xavier for two weeks in November and had such an amazing time! The chateau and the surrounding lands is breathtaking. The work varied from scraping and painting windows, clearing out the old servants quarters (finding lots of treasures) and some gardening.

Mary taught us to bake and cook traditional french food (I bake… read more

(Excellent )

22/01/2016

Left by host for Workawayer (felicia)

Felicia came to us as a last minute workawayer.
She was galavanting somewhere in eastern europe when I contacted her and she literally jumped on the first train and arrived in our country home within 2 days.
I was impressed and amused by her flexibility and improvisation.
But do not think her whimsical, she stayed through our agreed length of… read more

(Excellent )

30/12/2015

Left by Workawayer (Ellen) for host

Sorry about the late review, but better late than never I guess!

We had an amazing time. The chateau and the surroundings
are just absolutely beautiful and it’s pure joy to be there. The work was varied but we spent most of the time painting, and we also spent two days cleaning the top floor where we found a lot of old and interesting stuff!… read more

(Excellent )

06/12/2015

Left by Workawayer (Laura Jayne) for host

Mary and Xavier are absolutely amazing hosts! I had the pleasure of staying at the Chateau for two weeks and my only regret is that I didn't stay longer.

Everything from the horses, the river, the gardens, the forest, the rooms were beautiful. The memories of sitting in the library reading in front of the fire whilst Xavier plays piano, or… read more

(Excellent )

04/12/2015

Left by Workawayer (Jonathan) for host

I was supposed to stay with Mary and Xavier for two weeks but was lucky enough to stay with them for a month. The Chateau is beautiful and holds a wonderful ambiance, especially in the library where it's warm and cozy when the fire is lit. The surrounding grounds are spacious and you have your choice to walk in the fields among the horses, or… read more

(Excellent )

03/12/2015

Left by host for Workawayer (Jonathan)

Jonathan planned on staying 2 weeks with us but we managed to keep him for a month.
He is a great workawayer and we enjoyed his company.
He proved to be very helpful with all sorts of projects, wether it was outdoors in the garden, cleaning and painting shutters, stacking firewood, cleaning the attic, feeding the chickens, he delved… read more

(Excellent )

26/10/2015

Left by Workawayer (John) for host

Much praise and appreciation has been accorded to Mary and Xavier by many before me; suffice for me to say that I wholeheartedly concur. I will always remember my stay with them with particular affection and thankfulness. Dare I say it, Mary's and Xavier's many and historical Irish connections ensured for me a big welcome.
To have played a… read more

(Excellent )

21/10/2015

Left by host for Workawayer (Wade)

Wade was an exceptional workawayer.
I could not begin to tell how much we enjoyed his company, discreet demeanor and all his fun stories about youth in the “outback”.
He has a very strong work ethic and is qualified to do and repair just about everything. He helped us above and beyond whatever we asked and was always very appreciative of the… read more

(Excellent )

06/09/2015

Left by Workawayer (Wade) for host

I was welcomed into Mary and Xavier's life on short notice for two weeks. As my first workawayer experience, I felt very comfortable with their clear understanding of what different people could offer them in return for a true insight into French lifestyle and a naturally beautiful area. I re-glazed some Windows on the chateaux and my efforts were… read more

(Excellent )

30/07/2015

Left by Workawayer (Jacopo) for host

I spent 2 months at this 18th Century château, offering web design, photography, SEO, and web marketing for their french cookery courses, and it was excellent!

I also felt very honoured to look after their estate and pets for one week when they needed to go to Paris, and I had an amazing time there.

The property is a historical monument and… read more

(Excellent )

05/05/2015

Left by host for Workawayer (Jacopo)

Jacopo is amazing. We get along extremely well and he is doing a wonderful job on our website. I hope he stays forever!

(Excellent )

13/06/2015

Left by Workawayer (Theo) for host

I have just had a fantastic week with Mary and Xavier. I helped restore some of the front door shutters. I had a fun project team who helped from time to time - I still don't speak Russian! I have learnt a lot of new French and English phrases from Xavier which I will never forget. I'm looking forward to using them. Mary and Xavier and friendly… read more

(Excellent )

18/05/2015

Left by Workawayer (James) for host

Mary and Xavier were kind enough to host me at the last minute and made me feel welcomed. The work was varied but not hard and allowed me to explore the entire grounds which happens to be a rather historic Chateau. I loved taking nature walks throughout the property and especially down to the scenic Loir River. Mary was kind enough to invite me… read more

(Excellent )

05/05/2015

Left by host for Workawayer (James)

James spent a short time with us but was very helpful. He is quite independant and always found things that needed to be done when I was not available. He is good company and I highly recommend him. Just wish he could have stayed longer!

(Excellent )

05/05/2015

Left by host for Workawayer (David)

It was a pleasure to have David with us for his 2 week stay. He is very good natured and helpful in any way he can. He dug big holes to clear out draing pipes, pulled thousands of nails out of the walls of the conservatory, cleaned and repaired the green house, helped clean the house, kept the kitchen tidy, and more. He is very knowledgable and we… read more

(Very good )

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Host ref number: 197677338938

Homestays, Volunteering & Working Holidays in France Homestays, Volunteering & Working Holidays in Europe Homestays, Volunteering & Working Holidays in Pays de la Loire Family France Last minute Homestays, Volunteering & Working Holidays in France

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