My mum has been going through old photos lately, and she sent me this one of my grandparent's little chateau in Languedoc, France, in its previous incarnation, before they began to renovate. On the back is written an excited paragraph from my grandmother to my mother, dated 1965, and beginning with the words: "Dear Eva, I have decided to buy this castle. It is far more wonderful than this card can tell you, and in good enough shape despite its age to make it a dream of a place for all of us. The price is $2,000, less than a Ford car!..."My grandparents designed and executed a stunning renovation, and lived in the chateau for many happy years. It now belongs to my aunt and my sweet cousins Poppy and Sophie in England. I have so many beautiful memories of childhood days spent playing in this place, the perfect spot for a child's imagination to run wild. It makes me happy just looking at this photo and it's joyful post script.
Footnote: My grandmother was French, my grandfather Dutch, and my cousins British by birth. My mum was born in Holland and raised in France until the family came to the US during the war. It's a bit convoluted, I know. My grandparents lived in the US for many years before returning to France after their children were grown.
