There’s a real clamour at present for no-fly holidays and Château Lazuline, a pristine 17th-century private rental in the tranquil Duchy of Normandy in northern France, fits the bill rather nicely for a few days’ R&R. Picture the scene: fields of dairy cows in sleepy hamlets flanked by rustic medieval cider barns and lush green fields help to convey an air of deep serenity and contented calm. Its bounteous lands have given rise to the region’s long-held tradition of serving up hearty, flavoursome fare where family definitely doesn’t have to hold back. In fact, the pleasures of the table are a big part of what we’re about to experience over the coming days.
I have sympathy for Normandy. In that it’s almost too close to the UK for most Brits to stop at, as we zoom down the A26 in search of hotter climes, stopping off for an overnighter in Dijon or thereabouts en route. It gets undeservedly overlooked. I’m a huge admirer of the ease with which the Eurostar propels you to Paris in just over two hours. And after a summer of discontent with Air Traffic Control restrictions, frequently late flights and cancellations, it was something of a relief to be travelling by rail, and, with an incredible 90% reduction in carbon emissions compared with flying, there’s the added bonus of being more sustainable. And did I mention the generous baggage allowance? Two suitcases and one piece of hand luggage per person with no weight restrictions and no excess baggage fees.
Once at Gare du Nord we were whisked away by private transfer and, a little over two hours later, were in the Eure départment of Normandy. Château Lazuline, where the nearest village, Bourg-Achard, is a 10-minute drive away, is accessed via a snaking country back road, which all adds to the feeling of secluded bliss. Just as you turn a bend for the final approach, there she is, revealed in all her gleaming ecru and grey-turreted magnificence, set against an avenue of tall trees and manicured lawns. It immediately reminded me of the house in Normandy where Tom and Daisy Buchanan stay in Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. Set amid 10 acres of gardens, the elegantly gated property has its own 6m x 13m outdoor heated pool with a spacious mosaic-fringed patio and al fresco dining area. Inside, the show-stopping Orangerie with a wonderful blue and silver professional La Cornue kitchen at its opposite end, is a fitting venue for Oliver’s Travels’ esteemed concierge team to arrange private chefs to descend and whip you up Michelin-starred meals. In true French tradition, Lazuline has its own rather cavernous wine cellar, well stocked with liquid refreshments to help keep you hydrated.
The property boasts six bedrooms across two floors, including two en-suites. Our party of four drew straws and I bagged the four-poster on the first floor. Decor in the bedrooms is on the quirkier side of a World of Interiors style aesthetic. Restful nights of uninterrupted sleep are pretty much guaranteed here – it is so quiet at night. Downstairs, there’s ample living space: from a rather sumptuous living/smoking room with plush velvet sofas, to my personal favourite, a formal dining room which is a striking vision of blue-and-white proportions, featuring elegantly hand-painted de Gournay silk wallpaper.
While Normandy is known as the land of the four Cs: Calvados, Camembert, cider and crème – and it’s fair to say you eat your own body weight in the latter while you’re here – there is also a bounty of freshly caught seafood and endless supplies of still-warm baked baguettes and croissants delivered to your door daily. Our gourmet extravaganza began in style with a cooking class led by local Michelin-starred chef Frédéric Poyer from Restaurant L’Amandier in Bourg-Achard. Having seen the master at work before he departed (we would meet again the following night as special guests at his restaurant), his hungry apprentices devoured three subsequent courses of shrimp and prawn coleslaw, veal filet à la Normande and apricot and almond tart, glasses always well topped-up with perfectly paired Sancerre and Bourgogne Tonnerre from Chablis. But we weren’t finished there: another private chef, courtesy of Dineindulge, rocked up at the Château on our last night and rustled up another incredible three-course feast, the highlight of which was a divine crab and calamari ravioli. We toasted the occasion with bottles of Tradition de Delagne Brut Champagne, as you do, before hitting the sack.
What to see
The Château is ideally placed to explore all manner of attractions, including the limestone arches of Étretat, the D-Day beaches, chi-chi Deauville and Monet’s Garden in Giverny. While we had a delectable fish platter lunch at Restaurant La Boucane in Fécamp, followed by a fascinating tour of Palais Bénédictine, home of the famous liqueur, I must give a shout-out to Rouen (40km away), the capital of Normandy and ‘city of a hundred spires’as Victor Hugo once famously described it. Its old town is an unexpected delight. Dominated by the staggeringly beautiful Gothic cathedral of Notre Dame (the way in which the light fell upon its facade at various times of the day fascinated Claude Monet, to the extent that he painted it more than 30 times), beautiful timbered buildings, bars, brewery taps and a buzzing restaurant scene, it’s a real under-the-radar weekend break, worthy of further inspection.
How to get there
Take the Eurostar from London’s St Pancras International to Paris (Business Premier rates from £325). Once you’re at Gare du Nord you have several onward travel options: either catch a regional train to Rouen via Gare St Lazare (approximately two hours) and get a cab to Château Lazuline, or hire a car or private transfer for the duration of your trip. All told, just shy of five hours’ travel time.
Prices from £9,808 for a week for 12 people via oliverstravels.com
Château Lazuline, 27310 Épreville-en-Roumois, France
Lee Osborne is creative director of Secret Trips
