Discretion and Duty

“Don’t tell anyone you’re buying a chateau.” Such was the refrain from everyone we spoke with in Paris: Parisians will be jealous. Parisians will think you’re a fool. People will try to take advantage of you. These warnings came, almost verbatim, from Americans, Brits, and even Parisians themselves. Of course, the default mental setting for … More Discretion and Duty

The French Chateau: Myth and Reality

One of the fascinating aspects of life here in France is the mystique of life on a French chateau. The phrase conjures up visions of verdant landscapes, towering stone turrets, the portraits of ancestors lining wood-paneled corridors, sipping a glass of champagne near a huge, roaring fireplace. A life of privacy, privilege, and ease. That’s … More The French Chateau: Myth and Reality