Château des Fougis
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France
All images © 2021 Notting Hill Nomads
This was our first ever Workaway assignment and we had a blast.
Château des Fougis is a 16th century castle situated on 138 hectares of sculpture park, farmland, several fish ponds, walking trails and forests. The estate belongs to the heirs of Erich Engelbrecht, a German artist who created 29 striking steel sculptures across the property.
Our hosts were the delightful Christine and Christophe, and their son Jérôme. Christophe has a background in graphic design, websites and paintings, while Christine also has many talents but we loved that she is the lead member of a German-English-French rock band.
We felt like part of the family from the moment we arrived and had welcome drinks on the terrace. We stayed in a self-contained cottage on the property so we had our independence, but also spent time with the family which was always enjoyable. More family members live in the castle and we were treated to a tour to see the amazing building and the beautiful art.
Our daily work consisted of laying sheep wool on the road in the sculpture park as an organic way to suppress weeds, and painting windows at the event venue. We also trimmed some hedges and helped look after the chickens.
We had access to bicycles, sun loungers, fishing rods and the ponds so our free time was spent exploring the property. The highlights were the dinners, wine and brilliant stories from Christine and Christophe, the BBQs, the party at the castle, the champagne-fuelled fishing trip, the outing with Christine to help her local village association, and just being with the nicest people in such a unique place with sculptures and wildlife all around.
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Testimonial
“The visit of Caroline and Fiona was really nice and charming and we spent great days together. The two spread a good mood.
Both are communicative, intelligent and can work completely independently - in various technical domains, as well as in the garden and for renovation - and on the computer. They are very familiar with online projects and can help with online presentations.
Caroline is also the queen of barbecues. She hosted all guests professionally at our event. Everyone was enchanted by her charm. Fiona is also accommodating, forward-looking, reliable.
You could give them the keys to your house and go on vacation for a long time - your house would be perfectly maintained when you get back!
They're welcome back at any time!”
- Christine, owner of Château des Fougis