Perfect Venue for a DataLounge Convention!

Is there a buffet? Because if there's not, I think most of us will have to take a pass.

Hell no! With all these negative bitches and the trolls - the perfect venue would be a mental health facility. It's not even a choice. Gather the top 100 posters in one room somewhere in the South of France - be it the nicest hotel in the world - it would automatically become a mental health institution.

R1 - Mais oui! However, be advised that the standard trip is “une fois autour du jardin”; “prime de récolte” will cost you extra.

R2’s vision of DataLoungers in France:

Amateurs.

I think it would have to be a budget hotel in Chicago.

I'm setting up a GoFundMe account right now!

""The previous owners were very, very private," explains Engel. "So some of them [the villagers] had lived in the village their whole lives and never been inside."

As the French normally are rather conservative and private, don't see why this comes as a shock to this American couple and others from USA.

Scattered all over France like many other places in Europe there are tons of these old great houses either left abandoned, or up for sale. Families just cannot afford cost of maintenance and or remotely bringing properties few to several hundred years old up to modern standards. This includes central heating and modern plumbing.

Since the revolution by law local government or France itself has first right of refusal on any property put up for sale. It is only when they pass at buying that something comes onto market.

Speaking of which, wonder how this couple has managed many years later with their chateau purchase and subsequent renovation.

Based on the looks of the husband at R9, he lives in the stables.

We soap queens need our own wing. Could I please be domiciled near Original Recipe Donna/ORD, Felicia's Feathered Boa, Ada's Dishrag, and the glorious AuntLiz?

It'd have to be somewhere seedy.

R11 You'll be in my room, of course - I'll start there, then you can replace me....LOL

And somewhere in the night, someone will slip a note under my door that reads: "Worst Recast of 1987."

Love ya, ORD.

Right back atcha, BNSD! ❤️🍷

What is it with the British and Americans selling up and buying these run down properties in France? If it isn't France it's Italy, in particular Tuscany. Suppose if one had to choose it would be the latter, but still.

Smooches!

Italy seems to be having a fire sale. Some of those small mountain towns will sell those buildings for a euro!

Depopulation...

This looks surprisingly dull.

What did you expect of a old ruin of a chateau in France? Versailles?

Where will you house the lesbians and fraus?

[quote] Where will you house the...fraus?

Is there a cafeteria? They can have a potluck.

Drab fab.

We need a big salad bar for Once Around the Garden

All I can think about is how expensive it is to heat that place, as well as how do you deal with the hotter parts of the year.

I'd be willing to share a room with ElderLez if she would be agreeable to the idea . . .

R26

Well now you understand why sellers were keen to unload this property. They join many other French who own huge homes, chateaus, etc... that simply cannot afford to keep them up.

Energy prices being rather dear in France (like most of Europe) concept of central heating to point of broiling so can walk around nude indoors during winter is alien to French. Things are kept "warm", but IIRC average indoor temp is around 68 to 70 degrees F. during winter.

Installing central heating in an ancient or just merely old (as in built say in middle or late 1800's) is neither easy nor inexpensive. Many owners of large properties such as chateaus only bother installing central heating in small number of rooms used routinely by family and perhaps guests.

Air conditioning is another matter. While it does become rather hot and humid in say Paris during August, things aren't like say New York City. Things start off chilly or cool in morning, can be warm to hot by afternoon, then cool off towards evening, and back to chilly or at least cooler by late into overnight. OTHO places like NYC you can have days on end of hot/humid weather where nights aren't that much cooler either.

Many buildings in Paris or larger cities have installed central AC, and of course as have some private homes or apartments.

In the countryside of France things are cooler and thus may not need AC at all.

Back to heating in France as with much of Europe hot water via rads tends to dominate. Course issue then becomes what fuel to use in boiler. Oil is expensive, coal isn't always or ever an option, then there are wood pellets, and so it goes. Either way to install and run central heating in even a small chateau isn't going to be cheap.

As someone stated upthread, if it's not the Americans it is the British buying up and restoring these old French chateaus.

Some have plans to make them a family home, but nearly always that comes with some sort of holiday camp/hotel/ B&B/ events hall or whatever as well. Unless one has decent to vast wealth there just isn't any way to make these sort of projects pencil out.

Buying a property on cheap is one thing, restoring these ancient barns to modern livable conditions is another. Then comes simple fact of taxes (which in France are considerable), and just simple costs of ownership means again either one must have vast wealth, or make the property generate some sort of revenue.

I thought us gurls were going to buy a remote island off Scotland.

I prefer that option for some reason.

Do we know where this is, exactly?

I wouldn't want to drop the soap with too many DLers around.

R30

Location is mentioned in OP linked article.

Chateau is in Avensac, France.

If these two can pull it off, they'd up the AirBnB game for that area considerably.

[quote]I thought us gurls were going to buy a remote island off Scotland. I prefer that option for some reason.

R30 - Knock yourself out:

This looks exhausting. Why bother? I'd prefer a more manageable old farmhouse with barn on some acreage.

Who's making the nutloaf?

"remote island off Scotland..."

Have you any idea how cold and damp the climate of Scotland is sweetie?

If you're looking for a town to host the convention, I understand Peapack hasn't had much economic activity since 2009. Likely can get some cheap rates there.

I highly recommend Peapack.