I tried a writing retreat in the stables of a French castle

In May 2021, I was burned out—not just as a writer, but also emotionally. 

We’d had several lockdowns in Paris, and I needed to get out of the city. What’s more, my editor had just suggested adding brief fairy tale excerpts to my novel-in-progress, The Ingenue. I felt like trying to write these excerpts in the city would be impossible, but I didn’t have a ton of money for a writing retreat.

I talked about my issues to a friend, who suggested looking at the properties on Pierres d’Histoire. These are rental properties around France, some in the Paris region. And that’s where I found my answer.

The Property

The Château de Fleury is a castle in the Ile-de-France region. You can’t rent the main castle. However, you can rent a room in the old stables attached to the castle. Other options include a tower room and a room in the arch over the entryway. But I love horses, and the stables appealed to me, so I went with the old stables.

Even better? The price was around $150 a night.

The location, about 45 minutes south of Paris, was key. I didn’t yet have a French driver’s license, and my American license was no longer valid in France (driving in France is only OK for a year on an American license). But at that distance, I could book a long-distance taxi for around a hundred euros.

I made the booking.

My Arrival

I was excited about my trip, but also wary. The castle had self-check-in, which I appreciated given the pandemic. But if things went wrong, I’d be stranded in the middle of the French countryside—notable for its lack of cell reception.

But what greeted me after passing through the gates of the castle was surprise after great surprise.

The castle is at the far end of the estate, imposing and lovely. The stables, to the left near the gates, were far enough away that nobody going in or out of the main building would disturb me.

I easily retrieved my key from the lockbox in the tastefully decorated hallway and followed the email instructions to my room.

The Apartment 

The large studio apartment was adorable. The decorators had used an equestrian theme, and horses were everywhere. The stone walls and tile floor kept the room cool even though the weather was warm.

Everything was in absolutely perfect condition. I sat down on the bed to take off my shoes and struggled not to curl up then and there. The mattress was one of the best I’d ever felt!

My Stay

Over the next few days, I alternated reading in the garden and going for long country walks in the surrounding villages. All the apartments in the complex share the walled garden. 

But either there weren’t other visitors when I was there or we missed each other on our garden visits. Every time I went out there, I had the green space to myself.

I hadn’t planned on reading or walking so much during my time at the stables. I’d thought that writing the fairy tales would take up so much time that I’d have to focus entirely on my writing.

That wasn’t the case. “Stay at a castle” might not be a universal cure for writer’s block, but it was for me in these particular circumstances. Not having to think about things like shopping, going out in the city, masking, or other daily errands lifted a huge weight from my shoulders.

My Writing

It finally felt easy to write! The only sounds were of birds outside and the wind in the trees. And, on one day, the patter of rain. Beyond anything else, the rural quiet and idyllic castle setting made the perfect combination for the new fairy tales I’d promised to write.

In the end, I read three books on my Kindle and walked an average of five miles a day. I wrote thirty-plus fairy tales in the four days I was there—more than I’d been able to write in months. They ended up in the book with very little editing.

Pros and Cons

The stables offered so many advantages. I hadn’t felt bone-deep relaxation like that since the pandemic. The quiet countryside made me feel like I could finally breathe. I was working on my own schedule and feeling like royalty for less than two hundred dollars a day.

Not everything about my stay was perfect. Although, I knew about the drawbacks beforehand. The apartment was self-catering, so I had to bring along a refrigerator bag of food for my stay from Paris. (There were delivery options, but they were expensive and complicated.)

The ride to and from Paris was also expensive. Trains and buses weren’t a possibility because none got me close enough to the estate. This was particularly a problem because of all the food I was bringing with me!

After I returned, I posted photos from my trip on social media. A friend of mine told me I was lucky. Apparently, students from a nearby university like to use the castle as a party location. If the students were there at the same time as me, I didn’t hear them. But knowing that now, I’d hesitate before booking the stables during school vacation periods.

Looking Ahead

Would I go back? In a heartbeat! I’ve spent the last few days looking at other Pierres d’Histoire properties for this summer. They’ve opened other properties in the three years since my visit, but the prices at the stables haven’t gone up much.

Some of the properties that interest me most are a bit farther from Paris. Now that I can drive in France, I’m considering going up to the coast or down south for a few days.

I’m not as stressed as I was in May 2021, but I do like a plan, and I love to plan vacations! Besides, this summer, the Olympics are coming to Paris, and the city is going to fill up. It just might be time for another relaxing retreat… 

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