Once upon a time... the house before the B&B

Once upon a time, in a little village known as Charmeneuil within the township of Le Thou on the west coast of France, there was a big house built around 1850 by Veronique's great, great... grandfather Jean Bouyer. Today she represents the fifth generation living in the house.  What follows is the story of a region, a village, a house, and a family - a story we are continuing to discover...



The Big House or Maison de Maitre built around 1850

Veronique's sister readies the tractor in 1950s.

Veronique's mother Colette pictured 
on the right and some of her children.

Leopold, Veronique's great grandfather, 
striking a very French pose.

The first mention of Charmeneuil dates back to 1475 when Guillaume des Chaulmes, the seigneur or 'lord' of  Charmeneuil declared his allegiance to the suzerain or 'overlord' above him and delineating the boundaries of his lands - landmarks that Veronique can recognize even today. Nothing more, before or much after that date, regarding the fief of Charmeneuil can be found in the records. The next mention, a mere 300 years later, is about the paroise or 'parish' of St. Pierre du Thou en Aunis, renamed the Commune de Le Thou by the revolutionaries after 1789.  It would take ten years for the town to have its first mayor and he would not be elected by the people but rather appointed by the New Republic. He was to be picked from among the best local men of substance and wealth.  In post-revolutionary France, perhaps not all men were so equal.

 Le Thou in 1910. The houses are still standing today in the center of town

A view from the front door in simpler times.

Much of today's stone house in Charmeneuil had been built sometime after the railroad arrived in the 1850s. Jean Bouyer, a man of wealth, farmed and cultivated grapes for use in both table and fortified wines.  Nearby distilleries also enjoyed a measure of success in producing brandy, eau de vie, and the AOC designated local plonk, Pineau des Charentes (a sweet, strong mix of eau de vie and freshly pressed juice from any number of grape varietals).  In fact, as more land converted to the production of grapes, the mid 1800s brought tremendous prosperity to the region and ushered in something of a golden age.  The new railroad network arrived in 1857, linking Le Thou and other nearby communities to both coastal cities and the interior.  Subsistence farmers and their new found wealth soon became known as the bourgoise des bouchons or, loosely translated, the 'gentry of the wine corks.'  Substantial houses known as Maison de Maitre similar to ours were built, sometimes by "investors" who lived elsewhere, and still can be found throughout the region.  Itinerant or resident farm workers brought in the harvests and tended the lands in the owners' absence.

Veronique's father Joseph reaping the wheat harvest in the early 1960s.

Joseph atop a precarious load of hay.

By mid-19th century, military officials and politicians had determined a coastal line connecting La Rochelle to the naval shipyards of Rochefort was too vulnerable to attack and would be better served by a rail junction some 20 kilometres inland with separate lines branching out towards each city.  This exact spot of the new train station happened to be located within the fiefdom of Charmeneuil.  Originally named La Gare de Charmeneuil, the nearby and larger town of Aigrefeuille took ownership of the station and renamed it after their own town.  But enter Jean Bouyer, by then the mayor of the township of Le Thou which including Charmeneuil, who in August of 1890 boarded a train carrying the French President Sardi Carnot en route to La Rochelle on an official trip.  Jean requested and was granted an audience with the President and in a moment of civic pride, pled his case that the station be named after Le Thou.  The victory proved to be only half realized in that the station came to be called La Gare d'Aigrefeuille-Le Thou.  

*As a footnote, with the introduction of the go-fast trains or TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse), most of the smaller stations across France closed including Aigrefeuille-Le Thou.  The remains of that station, a large locomotive roundhouse and maintenance yard are still visible today.  In a final note, there has been talk of reopening the old station for local service to La Rochelle - one that would allow bikes on board and at the same time reducing traffic congestion.  However, it will be a few more years before our guests can take advantage of this service.

A sportive and young Joseph

and his buddies on tour

A dashing Joseph Deplanne

The above mentioned golden age for local farmers collapsed with the arrival of the phylloxera epidemic beginning in the 1860s and quickly brought the French wine industry to its knees.  The disease may have originated in North American but English botanists accidentally imported the insects that ravaged the vines and nearly halted wine production.  Up to that point, our region was covered with vineyards almost to the exclusion of all else.  But phylloxera and its devastating impact on the local economy served to highlight the inherent dangers in any unsustainable monoculture.  In a strange twist of fate, the remedy for phylloxera also came from North America as French wine growers eventually grafted resistant American root stock to their vines and the plague was contained.   Thereafter, the agricultural economy of Le Thou and the department of Charente Maritime became more diversified with an emphasis on dairy and grain production.  One happy result of this dramatic change exists today as the butter from the nearby Surgeres co-operative dairy (founded in 1888) can be found the world over - Veronique came across it once in a small grocery store while visiting New Orleans. With a slightly higher fat content than American butters, it is sought internationally by discriminating chefs and consumers.

Colette with part of the herd. The water trough is today used for flowers and plants

Back at the family farm, Jean Bouyer's son Leopold was born, raised and lived in the house. He became something of a village grandee or notable with horses for both town & country.  Said to have produced fine brandy but awful wine, Leopold married and fought in WW I. Their daughter Jeanne married a local dandy named Rene and moved to the adjacent commune of Cire where Veronique's mother Colette was born in 1930.  Leopold also was elected mayor of the village but left office after WW II never to return. In the following years the house was occupied by tenants who worked in the fields until Colette and Joseph Deplanne married and moved to Charmeneuil in 1953. The house and farmland were a wedding gift from Leopold to his favorite and only grandchild, Colette.

A portrait of Leopold circa 1920.

 Rene and Leopold's daughter Jeanne in 1926

Colette as a young women just after the war

And so came to pass the 'salad days', the happy times, for Joseph and Colette. The young Deplannes raised seven children, expanded the house and enjoyed success operating the farm.  Following a by now well established family tradition, Joseph was also elected mayor of Le Thou and served 2 terms before retiring and handing over the reigns of government to our friends Bernard Marchand and later the current mayor Christian Brunier. We will be living in Charmeneuil year round soon and one wonders if Veronique will feel the draw of political service? If not mayor, perhaps assistant mayor like her mother after Joseph passed away? But given her obligations at the b&b, as well as her seemingly endless projects, there is probably not enough time in the day for Veronique to assume any additional responsibilities. But in the meantime, subsequent posts will begin to highlight life in Charmeneuil and in the big house.


Joseph and Colette on their
wedding day in 1953



Colette and her little family in 1960.  The baby Veronique, the fifth of seven children, is pictured in the center 



A montage of the children growing up at the big house. 

Veronique, on left, and her siblings sit still long enough for a portrait.



"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..." Charles Dickens

As we write from DC, we are very excited to return later this month for a 6 week working vacation and then again for the 3 month summer season beginning in June.  It has remained a New Year's resolution to get "Postcards..." up and running by the beginning of this year.  Our intention is to trace the developments at the property as it transitioned from a family home to a B&B while also offering a glimpse into everyday French country living.

By way of background, Veronique was born in this house where she spent her childhood years up until her late teens.  She then worked for most of the next 30 years in the US and traveled extensively in the Caribbean, South America as well as touring across most of North America in her RVs.  An accomplished photographer, she continues to work as a catering chef/manager.  Peter, a United States national, also has many years in the hospitality industry.  Born in Charleston, SC, educated in New England and California, he splits his time between Washington, DC and Southwest France.  Married in 2001, we keep an ungrateful barn cat as our constant companion during our visits.  Like Henri, le chat noir, Pichoune (or 'little one') is a master of camouflage but cares not whether she is seen.

La Belle Charentaise B&B

The house at the time of purchase in 2005

In brief, elements of the house date back as far as the 18th century.  Like many French farm houses, additions were built on and up by succeeding generations when time, need, opportunity and funds allowed.  Veronique's family has lived in Charmeneuil and farmed the nearby fields since before both the American and French revolutions.

We purchased the property from Veronique's siblings in 2005 and work began soon after.  Before demolition and construction could begin in earnest, converting part of an adjacent old farm building into a finished, two story apartment for Colette, Veronique's mother, became a priority.  We both have fond but scary memories of Colette sitting in the big house living room knitting with her cat, dust falling on them both, as we knocked the walls down upstairs.  After 5 years living alone in the original house following the death of her husband Joseph, the small apartment provided her with a cozy new home and a grand view of the house and garden.  With a front row seat and a fresh vantage point, Colette witnessed yet another transformation of the Maison de Maitre (master's house) which she had inherited from her grandparents.  As with most great tasks, the project required a giant leap of faith.

The house & old barn during Colette and Joseph's time

Work in the big house began with extensive demolition, removing and ultimately replacing walls, restoring wood floors, sandblasting ceiling beams and cast iron radiators, etc.  Though especially miserable during the winter months, we remained dedicated to hard work, attention to detail and an unwavering commitment in our pursuit of excellence.  Warm weather in summer provided an opportunity for Veronique to climb the scaffold (see below) every day for weeks as she first chiseled away the old grey concrete around every stone and then replacing it with a more neutral, sandstone grout.  Peter busied himself year round and in all weather hauling debris to the village dump.  We worked at a feverish pace for a period of years and were rewarded with significant progress at the end of every visit.  As luck would have it and given the seasonal nature of our work in food&beverage here in DC, it was within the realm of possibility to fly over to France for extended periods of time at least twice a year.  

The main facade gets a face lift...

Restoration before, during and the after of the western and northern facades. Note: parts of the original 
stone structure in top photos were briefly visible as is the red brick addition 
and outdoor staircase Veronique's father completed in the 1960s

Friends & relatives from across France and as far away as the US helped out 
with a variety of tasks during their visits

Local artisans provided the expertise for most all of the new electric, plumbing, masonry and the heavy work on the grounds.  But we assisted where and whenever possible, often with family and friends.  This included moving new material in and the old stuff out, gardening, carpentry, painting, crépi (a rustic plaster), tile work, design, and so forth.  In time, we became proficient and our skill set expanded to such a degree that we saved a small fortune.  Producing the cache misère (literally a 'hidden misery') quickly became a specialty for us during renovation years and the property is full of them.  As shown in the pictures below, for example, it was important to conceal the cinder blocks of the old barn.  When originally built, the second floor had been left open as storage for hay to feed the animals below.  We elected to cover it all with rustic boards set on top a simple wood frame. 

Colette's apartment was completed in 2006. On the left,
note the exposed cinder blocks used to enclose the stable attic

In 2011, we built a studio to the left of Colette's apartment at the
 ground level. The following year we added a separate loft above

Work was often delayed by unforeseen problems.  Furthermore, whatever Joseph built was strong and made to last.  As our friend Jean-Claude noted, "This old house has many surprises and secrets."  But despite the occasional set back we always returned to the US with a genuine sense of real accomplishment.  Over time, improvements to the house and grounds began to take shape and we could move inside to begin tiles, painting, selecting art work and other furnishings, adding decorative touches... blah, blah, blah.

One of the last major projects before opening for guests was redoing the terrace between the kitchen and the pool.  What followed required important decision making, problem solving, big head and back aches, and more surprises. Initially, and after much debate over cost/labor estimates, materials, aesthetics, design and layout, we devised a plan that would require the help of two talented maçons or 'stone workers', a surveyor and no small amount of work on our part.  But less than halfway through we all realized there would not be enough stone to complete the deck and more of a similar pattern could not be purchased anywhere.  Some quick and nimble thinking, mostly by the experts, produced a well thought out formula (don't ask) and ultimately satisfying solution.  With this essential project behind us, everyone can now enjoy the terrace after a swim, take a bain de soleil, read a book or play a board game, perhaps even share a picnic or simply to just relax before drinks and dinner. 



The terrace during Colette's time

A contractor rips up the old terrace in early fall 2007

Today for our guests to enjoy...  

And so it is open!  Even though the paint was literally drying around the front door when the Gîte de France (the B&B national organization) officials came to inspect the property in July 2008, we still passed.  We started with 4 bedrooms and another one was finished in 2010.  Our Chambre d'hôtes or 'guesthouse' as they are known in France, can accommodate up to 18 persons.  The B&B operates at near capacity during the summer. Several nights a week, we cheerfully proposed to our guests la Table d'hôtes or 'guest table' - a 4 course family style dinner preceded by an aperitif.  Not surprisingly, the menus rely heavily on local products including those from our vegetable & herb gardens, fruit trees & bushes.

The learning curve for us both was extremely steep every inch (or centimetre) of the way.  Yet the results mostly speak for themselves and are enjoyed by everyone.  In summer the house is full of friendly guests and excited children, quiet nights and sunny days, fresh breakfasts and family style dinners.

With the large scale projects behind us, it remains important to maintain what we worked so hard to achieve.  A house of this size with a indoor pool and multiple gardens require near constant attention but we will continue to create new postings for interested readers in the coming months and years.

Even the barn cat takes a moment from her busy day to
take in some afternoon sun on the terrace