Cover image of show Coffee Break at the Château

Coffee Break at the Château

Podcast by Bérengère CASAMAYOU-BOUCAU (Le Mortier) et Mascha KEERN (Les Belles Ruries)

English

Culture & leisure

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About Coffee Break at the Château

Welcome to Coffee Break at the Château, the podcast that opens the heavy oak doors and lets you see what’s actually happening behind the closed shutters of the Loire Valley. Hosted by Mascha (Les Belles Ruries) and Bérengère (Le Mortier), this is the English-language sister to our French podcast "Pause Café Au Château" -but with a twist. While our French episodes dive deep into various topics (heritage, businesses, farming, forestry...), our English version is a shorter, punchier, and more spontaneous look at the absurdity of our daily lives. Expect wit, a bit of grit, and plenty of "Château reality." We’re talking about: The Château Tax: Why a bag of cement costs more when you have a turret. The WiFi Wars: Trying to get a signal through three meters of tuffeau rock. The Garden of France: It sounds lovely until you’re the one mowing five hectares of grass. If you love France but prefer your history served with a side of humor and a strong cup of coffee, you’re in the right place. Join us every fortnight for a glimpse into the beautiful, expensive, and hilarious chaos of managing a French monument. Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

All episodes

3 episodes

episode #3 The Empire Illusion – High Ceilings and Frozen Toes artwork

#3 The Empire Illusion – High Ceilings and Frozen Toes

In this episode of Coffee Break at the Château, Mascha and Bérengère pull back the velvet curtain on the "glamorous" springtime reality of living in a 19th-century masterpiece. While the exterior of Les Belles Ruries looks like a dream of white and pink blossoms, the interior has become a literal ice-box. When the estate’s temperamental boiler, "The Beast," enters a permanent coma, Mascha is forced to host professional video calls with Dutch clients while wearing a fur hat, a scarf, and her husband's heaviest hunting jacket. Meanwhile, just one kilometer away at Le Mortier, Bérengère reveals the "High Ceiling Tax"—the classic trade-off between the prestige of a Grand Salon and the warm toes of a cozy farmhouse. Topics covered in this episode: * The "Empire" Illusion: Why 19th-century architecture was designed for light, not for modern heating. * The Beast vs. The Humans: The struggle of managing a historic boiler that prefers hibernation. * Expat Diplomacy: How to explain purple knuckles and thermal layers to logical Dutch clients as a "local fashion statement". * The 1km Commute: When to abandon the "Lady of the Manor" title for an espresso and a seat by a working stove. 📌 Subscribe now to join our community and never miss one of our upcoming coffee breaks! ✨Follow us on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/pausecafeauchateau/]and Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/PauseCafeAuChateau/] ✨More info : Château Le Mortier [https://lemortier.com/] & Les Belles Ruries [https://lesbellesruries.fr/] Music | Title : More Coffee ©Ealot Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy [https://ausha.co/privacy-policy] for more information.

9 May 2026 - 5 min
episode #2 Monnaie - A History of Horses, Highways, and Heartaches artwork

#2 Monnaie - A History of Horses, Highways, and Heartaches

Join Mascha (Les Belles Ruries) and Bérengère (Le Mortier) as they dive into the surprisingly gritty history of their home village, Monnaie. While the name might suggest a town built on gold, the duo discovers that Monnaie’s legacy is actually paved with mud, exhausted horses, and the "petites pièces" of 18th-century travelers. From its origins as a vital "service station" on the road between Paris and Spain to the modern-day "boss fights" with the Bâtiments de France over historic stones, this episode explores what it means to live in a town where the walls are older than most countries. Grab a coffee and listen in as they discuss the "Monnaie Stare," the struggle for modern Wi-Fi in 5th-century structures, and why a collapsing wall is technically a "historical narrative". 📌 Subscribe now to join our community and never miss one of our upcoming coffee breaks! ✨Follow us on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/pausecafeauchateau/]and Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/PauseCafeAuChateau/] ✨More info : Château Le Mortier [https://lemortier.com/] & Les Belles Ruries [https://lesbellesruries.fr/] Music | Title : More Coffee ©Ealot Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy [https://ausha.co/privacy-policy] for more information.

19 Apr 2026 - 5 min
episode #1 Welcome to a coffee break at the Château artwork

#1 Welcome to a coffee break at the Château

Based in the village of Monnaie (which literally translates to "Money"—the ultimate irony), Mascha and Bérengère introduce you to their respective estates: Les Belles Ruries and Le Mortier. In this episode: * Mascha explains why her life is less "silk gowns" and more "searching for WiFi." * Bérengère reveals why a château is actually a sentient being that eats money. * We discuss the "Instagram vs. Reality" of the Loire Valley. * The mystery of the bridal suite leak: Is it a pipe, or is it a ghost? (Spoiler: Either way, it's going to be expensive). * Grab a coffee (or something stronger) and join us for the first—and hopefully not last—episode of the season! 📌 Subscribe now to join our community and never miss one of our upcoming coffee breaks! ✨Follow us on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/pausecafeauchateau/]and Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/PauseCafeAuChateau/] ✨More info : Château Le Mortier [https://lemortier.com/] & Les Belles Ruries [https://lesbellesruries.fr/] Music | Title : More Coffee ©Ealot Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy [https://ausha.co/privacy-policy] for more information.

1 Apr 2026 - 4 min
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