Le Chateau Poupas and the man from the mountains

Housesitting and local hospitality

Our 5 week house sit at a little acreage near Poupas, France has been an excellent experience. The warm hospitality of the folks who live in this area of the Midi-Pyrenees is unrivalled. 

For example, shortly after our arrival at Poupas, Sam and I were invited to the town Mairie Christmas gathering. We spoke to many people at the event but I spent most of the time conversing with a fella named Michel. He was intrigued by our travel plans and I by his ventures and so we were fast friends.

• What is a Mairie? Essentially this is the mayors office for a local area.

Michel is a French businessman who started up in the area of Paris some time ago. Throughout the years his family business grew and expanded to a significant online presence. This venture, now web centred, has allowed him the freedom to close down his storefront and operate remotely. Goural.fr

Settled in the Midi-Pyrenees

Michel and his wife Marylaine spend some of their time in Valencia, Spain and love the Mediterranean seaside feel. However, in the end have ultimately decided to settle in Poupas. They have purchased a restoration project where Michel and his family can all be together. A family endeavour for now and the future.

The mountain man revealed

He and I exchanged contact information and planned to meet up for a tour of his property in a few days. On our way out from the gathering he came to see Sassy. Suddenly, with a big smile he said ‘This is my bike, look at the name!’ Michel explained that his last name is Go-ural. Which means man from the mountains. His family history is also eastern European and therefore could very well have been from the Ural mountains where Sassy was built! How cool is that. Once again Sassy comes through making connections with people. The Ural Delay Factor at work again.

The tour of Le Chateau Poupas

Michel and I stayed in touch and a few days later he opened his home for us to explore. It was a no holds barred, all access tour of the amazing property. The attached photos are but a small offering of the amazing intricacies held within. This historic property dates back to the 14th century but also holds some major modern upgrades.

Michel spent the better part of 2 hours showing us around every nook and cranny of this incredible piece of rural France. Over the last six months they have made significant progress. New heating elements have been installed including a forced air augmented Polyflam log burner for the East wing and a pellet stove for the Kitchen. 

As seen above, the exterior has also undergone a major transformation already with excess vegetation removed and the driveway re-paved with white crushed stone.

There are many new exterior doors and windows installed and the roof has been inspected and repaired throughout. The septic system and water delivery have been updated.

The history

Michel has not, as yet, been able to find a lot of specific records of the farm’s history. The following are a few details he has been able to work out. 

The west tower is thought to be the oldest part, likely constructed in the 14-15th century.  It has stood guard over this area for a long time indeed. And with views like this, one can easily see why they chose this location.

The property is said to have been a major grain operation centre with tenants working 400+ hectares of land at one time. The Goural’s now have estate grounds totalling approximately 14 hectares.

Legends and lore

Legend has it that ‘The Black Prince’ would not allow the east wing to be built to match the height of the west tower as the owner of the time wanted. This stance was due to the fact that building height was a sign of status and wealth. The Prince didn’t want someone to try and outshine him, so it stands only at the height of the central wing.

He has heard tell there may have been a tunnel from this castle to the one at Marsac some 3.4 kilometres away. Would that have been possible? If so, a tunnel was possibly a way to support each others defences in protection of local assets. 

Roman settlement at one time?

There are sections of round columns which have been incorporated into the landscape retaining walls and the foundation of the barn. These are believed to be from Roman structures nearby or maybe even from this site before the construction of Le Chateau Poupas. 

Throughout the year Michel says that all four sides of the property see the sun at one time or another. 

Le Pigeonniere, a rare find

There is Pigeonniere in the northeast corner of the east tower, second floor. This is a room which was designed and built to house pigeons. These type of aviculture facilities were generally only owned by wealthy people. It would have housed many small boxes fastened to the walls from floor to ceiling for nesting. The pigeons, their eggs and even scat were all collected and used. The dung was a highly prized fertilizer. There is a very special ladder inside the tower that allowed workers to not only move up and down but also rotate around the tower for ease of collection. This innovative antique ladder may very well be the last of its kind in France.

Coffee time

Following the incredible tour of the property, Sam and I were invited to have coffee with Michel, Marylaine and their eldest son Côme. We talked a bit about the Chateau as well as our journey for the year. Then we spoke more about how this lovely family came to be in the rural Midi-Pyrenees.

Michel, like so many people, was engrossed in the business world near Paris for many years. His business forced him to take too much time away from his family. I can truly understand his situation as when I was younger and building a business in Canada I also worked 7 days a week. We often miss too much of our children’s lives by working so much. I applaud him for the decision.

Michel described his sentiments to us as follows. The business world and society these days is that of individuals who only see others for what they can potentially earn for you. He did not want to pass this on to his children. Michel goes on to describe his dream to spend more time with his family. Fast forward to Le Chateau Poupas.

The decision and philosophy

In the summer of 2018 Michel and Marylaine decided that the fast paced life in Paris was not for them any more. They pulled up stakes, closed down the store front, located and purchased a  property where they could all be together. They purchased the dilapidated Poupas Chateau with grand plans to renovate, refit and make this their family home for generations to come. 

Firstly, he dreams of a home where he can work shoulder to shoulder with his family. In that way, he can be present in the everyday moments that count with his children and Marylaine. 

Even more than that, he is a proud French citizen and understands that the restoration of historical properties such as this, is of National importance. The future generations should be able to touch and see the past in the present. He believes in a community where people work together to support one another. A strong country, close community and above all a tight family unit.  

The family Goural:
Michel and Marylaine
Son: Côme
Daughter: Gallianne
Son: Hermengaud
The pup: Orcet

Our thanks to the Gourals

Many thanks to Michel, Marylaine and Côme for the invitation and tour of their fantastic new home.  We feel privileged to have been given this opportunity.

The community inspired

I know from speaking with community members that the village was saddened by the previous deterioration of this iconic local property. However, over the last number of months, Michel and his family’s vision and progress have breathed life and hope into the Chateau Poupas Estate. And corrospondingly to the community.

This passionate undertaking is to the benefit of the whole community and equally in line with Michel’s philosophy of giving back to the vibrant history of France!

Thank you for following along with our mid-life gap year adventures as we meet amazing people and see incredible places. Don’t hesitate to share our stories with your social media groups!

Take care and keep on travelling,

Dan&Sam

8 Click if you enjoyed this post