Tourista, Book Two

I had seen the Château d'Etchaux in pictures: in a brochure, online, but that had not prepared me for its majesty in person. The four corner turrets remind one of a castle seen in fairy tales. A real piece of history, too. For some reason, I thought it was only 100-200 years old. It in fact dates back much further, to the 12 or 13th century! My misunderstanding probably stemmed from a quick reading I had somewhere that in 1850, the chateau had changed ownership, and I misread. The structure has undergone various restorations, most recently in the mid 2000s. Historical accounts state that various bishops and chaplains and governesses have resided there, and none other than Charlie Chaplin once took a room (which has since been specifically designated as "the Chaplin room", complete with some photos of the auteur).

Each of the 7 guests rooms has a theme. In addition to the Chaplin are:

-The Monsignor Suite: named after Betrand d'Etchauz, whose family were members of the Court of Navarra and of the Court of France. The suite has a smaller room (within a tower) in the rear that sports a 500 year old bed!

-The Chavelier: This is the room in which my wife and I stayed. Adorned with armory pieces and a solid canopy bed. Very airy and bright. As with most of the rooms, spectacular views of the town of St. Etienne de Baigorry down in the valley. Nice vantage points of fields with grazing sheep, as well. Farms are all round. On a side note: the basement of the Château also has a full armory, complete with several suits of armor, swords, and other primitive weaponry.
-The Romantique: Edwardian themed. Fine view of the Nive river. More splendid antique furniture.

-The Chasse or Suite Desvicomtes: The hunting room. There is some disturbing taxidermy within glass cases in an adjoining room: a beast (fox or wolf, can't recall) has a bloody bit of prey in its jowls, for one. My FIL stated that some young ones were spooked by it. My wife also informed me that the much missed "comfy couch" which was once in her apartment years before, is in this suite. I fell on it and my body remembered every luxurious inch.

-The Marechaux Room: Empire style, with photos of Napoleon III about the walls. The room is named after the groom (Marshall Jean-Isadore Harispe) of Marguerite d'Etchauz Caupenne.

-Suite Navarraise: 1000 squre feet of impeccable taste and decor. A salon and bedroom comprise this area, which is often used for receptions.
The common areas of the Château are also marvels of interior design. I especially liked the formal dining room, with its huge open fireplace and enormous hutch on the opposite side. The kitchen is very bright and modern, yet feels old world enough to maintain the overall motif. The first night we stayed we were treated to an amazing meal courtesy of a chef who is friends with my FIL and his girlfriend. He arrives often to prepare meals for guests. He is in sufficient demand also to warrant periodic jobs in Miami and San Francisco gourmet spots.

Our first night he had a cooking class, and a family from Connecticuit were helping him prepare the foie gras (served over country apples) and fruit filled crepes (which were allowed to harden into shells). It was great fun to observe the creation of and even better to savor the cuisine outdoors on the grounds later. Views of the Pyrenees greeted us from our tables.
I also learned something especially interesting about the Château's history: Nazis had taken up residence for some 13 months during WWII. One day last year a young man knocked on the huge doors of the Château, identifying himself as the son or grandson of a certain German affiliated with said group. He had photographs of the Germans clutching wine glasses within the salon, the very one in which we spent a few nights chatting and watching television. As I stared harder at this particular photo, I noticed that some of the current wall tile and the fireplace looked identical. So eerie, looking at a picture of soliders and accordian players standing right where we stood now, over 60 + years ago. What conversations must've taken place there! I felt equal parts fascination and disgust. Weird.

Even odder was the German grafitti defacing the walls in the large attic. Amongst the unfamiliar words were drawings of individuals with what appeared to be syringes. We took a few pictures of these scrawlings, but because I don't read German I will not post any of them, for fear that they may be anti-Semitic. The room itself contained impressive wooden rafters and a small stage that had been recently used for community theater productions!

My FIL has managed various hotels over the years, most recently the dearly departed Plaza Inn in Palm Beach. I really miss that place and as I often say, I will compose a separate entry for it later. The Plaza Inn had a nice wooden bar dubbed "The Stray Fox Pub" which was later shipped to the Chateau before the wrecking ball hit the former. It was (mostly) seamlessly split in two to fit in the current corner. One traverses the library before setting foot there for a nice Glenlivet or such.

The Château d'Etchuaz is a jewel tucked in the Basque country that is a must if you are ever in that lovely part of the world.