I’m an English fan of the Chouette d’Or treasure hunt. I came across the Golden Owl mystery on the BBC website and was hooked by the idea that there’s a valuable prize to find and so much information freely available. I’ve loved treasure hunt books since I tried to solve the Masquerade puzzle when I was 10 years old. My French skills are limited but with the help of Google Translate and my bi-lingual brother who lives in France, I’ve learned a lot about this fascinating armchair treasure hunt.
I have a few (top secret) theories about how to solve this puzzle, and have twice travelled to France with my shovel and metal detector. I didn’t find the treasure but it was great fun all the same! I’m working on a new plan and I’m sure I’ll be digging again soon.
I love that this puzzle is a perfect mix of creativity and logic. It’s all about imagination and insights, and trying to get inside the head of Max Valentin, a wonderful man who tragically died in 2009. It’s also about rational thinking and knowledge, I’ve found so much pleasure in learning about history, geography and science as I try to work out the clues.
I’ve created this site because the Golden Owl has been buried for 30 years and I’d love someone to find it. I hope that translating the clues will help English speaking treasure hunters try to solve this mystery.
Good luck!
TootingJo