Chateau de La Ruche
"Our spirits have dwindled with the light as yet again the borders to the U.K. are closed and we face a Christmas without family. The château’s rooms empty, the four of us rattling around by ourselves. We are searching for the silver linings, soothing the disappointed children, seeking solace in the quiet time.
And quiet it will be. No family, no gîte guests, no New Year party guests in the chambres d’hôtes. Hours that were to be packed with preparation now loom ahead, empty and purposeless. “Now you can truly rest, take a break” people say. But we want to work. We want to get on with our business. We want our rooms to be full. We want to create everything we have spent months planning.
We, like so many other little hospitality businesses put in so much work behind the scenes. So much of the magic happens before our guests even arrive. Special stays are carefully considered, every detail thought out, each moment carefully curated.
I have spent months dreaming up festive tables, I have decorated the Christmas trees in my mind over and over again. I have handmade decorations, searched the shops and scoured the internet for beautiful baubles and the perfect pink candles.
Menus and cocktails have been planned and tested, planned again. The cellar restocked. Flowers and foliage have been ordered for wreaths I was just about to make. We’ve tested the heating, bought in extra fuel, made curtains, bought more cosy blankets for our winter guests. We’ve cleaned windows, made chandeliers sparkle, tidied the garden, raked up leaves.
We have put aside everything else to be ready. We’ve invested huge amounts of time and money to create Christmas for our guests, to make sure that their stay with us is perfect. We do it willingly, but it’s hard not to be heartbroken when it all, again, goes to waste. When the Christmas trees will have no one to look at them, when the flowers will fade without having their moment centre stage. When all that work and energy comes to nothing.
And it isn’t just us. Small businesses everywhere are feeling the same. Every cancelled meal, every abandoned stay, every stolen moment represents so much time, so much financial risk. And we’re tired. We’re all so tired of this rollercoaster ride. We just want it to stop, just as you all do.
It seems though it’s not time for it to stop yet. So I will decorate the trees and arrange the flowers, we will mix the cocktails and cook the party food. We will share it with you all instead. You can be our guests from afar while we wait for everyone to come back. Hanging on as best we can through the lean winter months.
And then we’ll put on our pjs and try and make the most of the festive season again as just us four. Feeling a long way from family - separated again by a small stretch of sea and a virus that won’t go away."
my posts, hope real life is keeping you busy, since you don't post anymore. 
@Reader's digest
WARNING
man
