Dinner will be in the castle, sir

As mentioned previously I am in France for three days for a sit down meeting between three major companies to discuss a joint engineering and marketing plan. The location is a corporate training center for one of those partners. It is located approximately 30 minutes outside of France in a small town few have heard of, thank goodness for GPS in the taxis. Now many companies have corporate training centers which encompass a hotel rooms, meeting rooms and of course team building supplies but there was something different here. We approach a massive solid steel gate in the taxi that has just a small name of the villa (no company logos etc) and a small intercom button. The taxi driver runs up and hits the button explaining who we are for a couple of minutes before the massive 20 foot tall gates begin to electronically open. We drive no more than around one turn in the tree lined street before meeting with huge cement barricades next to a guard house. Now it is my turn to show ID before the cement barriers recede down and we are finally able to drive up. The tree lined street is breathtaking but not as amazing as seeing the sight of a huge castle over the horizon. When I check in at a very modern looking building the receptionist informs me that my meal for the night can be taken in the castle where I will meet my co-workers for the week, I will be staying in Villa 2. Yes indeed they have separate villas, my name tag is actually also a wafer thin RFID tag that not only lets me into all buildings simply by proximity but also lets me into my room also just by proximity.

I quickly throw my belongings into the room and decide to walk around the grounds. It is the start of winter so it is about 50 degrees and quite a bit of rain, but at the moment a brief reprieve from the rain. The grounds have immaculately cared for gravel paths, almost as if the very rocks have been smoothed by hand. I was struck by how absolutely barren the grounds are without any staff ever being seen. The castle we had seen looming in the distance was around the corner and was as spectacular up close as it was from a distance. During dinner I found out it was designed by the same architect who made the Eiffel Tower but was completely rebuilt recently down to the wire frame that runs throughout. What has been preserved is an elaborate tunnel system below all the buildings including the Villas and the castle for all the workers to move around unseen by us on the surface. Even the shipping dock is located underground so as not to disturb the tranquility. I have to hand it to them they seem to have thought of everything.

It is now 3am and I think I need to try to head back to sleep, more on this place soon.