Charming
Bed and Breakfasts

Just off a narrow street at the heart of the pretty mediaeval village of Forcalquier is the Passère Gallery. The paintings and sculptures in the window invite you in to see more. The gallery opens onto a pretty courtyard with a fountain, off which are another gallery and a staircase leading to the old vaulted cellars. Exhibitions of work by local artists are regularly held there. But this beautiful eighteenth-century building is also home to a B&B. There is a studio apartment overlooking the courtyard, with a bedroom, a bathroom and a kitchenette. On the first floor of the house are the “Moutons” and “Bayadères” double rooms, each with a children’s bedroom and a bathroom. They are decorated in warm hues and the walls are hung with works of art by the owner, who is a painter and sculptor. She lives here in the summer and welcomes travelling artists and guests for a few months. On hot summer days, you can take a dip in the pool surrounded by a small garden at the side of the house. A beautiful place to stay in the Alpes de Haute Provence, a multi-faceted region with both nature and culture.

Backing onto the village of Saint Pierre Aigle,''La Couronne'' enjoys panoramic views of the Retz Forest. This old inn has been converted into a delightful B&B, offering five beautiful guest rooms decorated on the theme of travel or the owners’ family history. They are all on the first floor and overlook the forest, except the''Jardi'' room. The''Jaïpur'' and''Chinois'' rooms are decorated in warm, colourful hues and their ornaments are souvenirs of various travels abroad. The ''Saint Huber'' room is decorated in red and black with pictures of hunting scenes and portraits of Pascal’s ancestors, who were passionate hunters. The “Jardin” rooom is decorated in softer, more feminine hues, with its chintz wallpaper and engravings on the walls. The “Antique” room is the most traditionally decorated. In each guest room are mirrors, sideboards, lamps and cut-out steel panels made by Pierre-Alexandre who is a furniture maker. They are also displayed in the guests’ lounge and dining room, accompanied by many paintings, drawings and collages inherited from the Poulain family. Your host is a creative cook and offers evening meals with unusual flavour combinations. Located close to Compiègne and Soissons, the surrounding area offers many opportunities to discover the countryside or historic buildings.

B&B “Les Bouvreuils” is located in the western suburbs of Paris is a residential district of pretty nineteenth-century villas whose charm is a little faded. Catherine Nesly-Bollack has converted one of the outbuildings of her home into a B&B suite with a large lounge on the ground floor and a bedroom upstairs. Guests can enjoy a very peaceful and private stay, with direct access to the garden and small terrace where breakfast is served in fine weather. Otherwise it is served in the guests’ lounge or dining room (for larger groups). There are plenty of things to do nearby, including golf, walking, cycling, visits to the chateaux at Versailles, Rueil-Malmaison and St-Germain-en-Laye, or strolls along the River Seine at Bougival. Or, if you prefer, you can explore the Paris art market by visiting auction sale rooms and galleries on one of the bespoke guided tours organised by Catherine, a specialist in this area.

“Les Galapiats” is the name that Myriam and Olivier have given their B&B and refers to the popular 1970s TV programme that was filmed nearby. It told the story of a group of vagabonds hunting for hidden treasure... The B&B is well-hidden at the bottom of the Dyle valley, backing onto the La Tassenière wood, and is in an old farmhouse that has been comprehensively converted by this couple who are an architect and a sculptor. Today it blends the old-fashioned charm of the old building with the architect’s stripped-down lines, all decorated with many pieces of sculpture by his wife. The two guest bedrooms are upstairs and are called “Bouton d’Or” with an intense yellow wall, and “Pâquerettes” with a soft green wall. Both have a small office area with WiFi and TV and a very functional shower-room. On the landing is a small reading area where you can find out more about the local area and plan woodland walks with a large-scale map. Breakfast is served on a beautiful wooden dining table made by a local carpenter in pretty earthenware crockery made by Myriam, and includes fresh and artisan-made products from the garden or nearby. Myriam would be delighted to show interested guests her pottery studio located behind the house.

Why not head off to Normandy for a quiet weekend in the country? In the Pays d'Auge with its green hills and pretty half-timbered houses. This beautiful, huge B&B has just opened and has been converted with great good taste. The pieces of furniture had been collected by the owner here and there for years and all blends together well! The owner has not scrimped on space or the quality of the beds and their linen. Each bedroom is a suite, some larger than others, with a lounge and a bathroom. They are all named after operas: "Tosca", "La Bohème", "Roméo & Juliette", "La Traviata" and "Lakmé" as Patrick the owner is a big opera fan. Guests also have access to a large lounge, library and dining room, where breakfast and evening meals are served at separate tables. At lunchtime and in the evenings, Patrick can prepare salads or set-menu meals using fresh local produce. He can also suggest some tailor-made itineraries to help you explore the hidden corners of this beautiful region of Normandy!

The entrance to this B&B is through a sculpture garden and a delightful barn where many works of art are on display. A creative environment to say the least, where guests can buy works of art. The two tasteful guest suites are behind the farmhouse in two small wooden buildings. The lounges have wood-burning stoves for long winter evenings and breakfast is served in the dining rooms and the ground floors are completed by modern bathrooms. The bedrooms upstairs in the attics are reached by windmill-style ladders. Both suites have private terraces overlooking the garden, which is home to chickens and a dog, and which is sometimes visited by pheasants and hares from the neighbouring countryside. In short a warm, convivial atmosphere which will immediately make you feel at ease. Each morning, your hostess will bring you breakfast made up of fresh local produce. This place has all the ingredients for a pleasant and relaxing stay.

"Jadis et Naguère" ("Long ago and Not long ago") is a poem by Paul Verlaine after which, somewhat appropriately, this B&B is named. It is situated in the middle of the village of Noduwez, which is surrounded by the beautiful Brabant countryside. Formerly a farmhouse, it has been converted out of all recognition: the old barn has been replaced by five beautifully spacious guest rooms. They are all decorated in different styles but everywhere the hand of your hostess is visible in her choice of furniture, ornaments and fabrics, as she made her dream come true. And how! Upstairs is a small reading-room for a moment's peace and quiet, whereas on the ground floor is a large lounge with an open fireplace for meeting your fellow guests. Next to the lounge is a dining room with a large table, where guests are served breakfast or evening meals, and which overlooks the courtyard where guests have their own terrace. The B&B welcomes reduced-mobility guests and two of the bedrooms have been specially designed for them, something that is still unusual enough to be noted. Another plus is the cabinet-maker who has set up his workshop in a wing of the farmhouse, and who displays his work for sale. Some of his pieces have been used to furnish the B&B. A delightful B&B where you will be simply but warmly welcomed.

The town of St-Valéry-sur-Somme overlooks the estuary. The seafront of this former fishing port includes many beautiful nineteenth-century villas, the historic town centre and the town walls. Next to St Peter's church, this former bicycle shop has been renamed "Au Vélocipède" and now houses four pretty guest rooms, a bistro, an art gallery and a few bicycles. It's difficult to choose between the rooms Bike 1, Bike 2, Bike 3 or Bike 4! Each guest room has its own particuliarities. The furniture is amusing, antique and contemporary, picked up here and there. The en-suite bathrooms are delightful. Guests are served breakfast in the bistro, opposite the bar and lounge area. The dish of the day is chalked on a blackboard, and on Saturday evenings everyone eats the same food: delicious dishes using fresh local produce. The art gallery overlooks a small courtyard and has just opened. It displays works by local artists. A delightful, welcoming establishment which offers food and accommodation, with many possible nature or cultural walks starting from St-Valéry.

This is a real gem of a house, where you will constantly be making delightful discoveries! Located on the side of a hill overlooking the pretty fishing-port of Honfleur, it has a Neo-Classical-style facade facing the garden and a more Mediterranean-style facade overlooking the walled garden. The guest rooms have been decorated and furnished with great good taste: the colours of the walls, soft furnishings and bed linen follow the latest trends, and the furniture is mostly delightful antique-shop finds. The guest rooms are named after the owners' favourite other B&Bs ("Aubrac" and "Lourmarin"), while the "Bord du mer" ("Seaside") suite's name is self-explanatory, as are those of the "Boudoir" and "Terrace" rooms, which have lovely views of the harbour. Guests are welcomed warmly like old friends. Jean-Claude and Fan are well-known in the local area as they ran the "La Petite Chine" tea-room in Honfleur for 25 years. The delicious breakfasts served on a prettily-laid large table demonstrate that Jean-Claude has lost none of his skills as a pastry-chef, and in the evenings, Fan and Jean-Claude will happily recommend their son's restaurant "L'Endroit", recently opened a few streets away, among others. Beautiful photographs by Jean-Claude decorate the walls of the house. A lovely spot, guaranteed to create a genuine feeling of well-being, where you will be tempted to extend your stay!

A stay at the Champs Mélisey is definitely a one-off experience. Your hosts, the Ogier family, run an international musical-theatrical-dance troupe called "Au Cul du Loup" that performs regularly in France and in other countries. Having recently decided to "go green", the family have converted this double-fronted family house on the edge of the village of Mélisey in the Tonnerrois region into a B&B for theatrical and other guests. The guest rooms are decorated in an unusual style, with patinated walls painted in lively colours, tiled bathrooms, antiques and junk-shop finds everywhere and "home-made" beds. There are also several rooms where breakfasts or evening meals are served, but which can also double as games rooms, meeting rooms, workshops, rehearsal rooms or relaxation rooms. Your hostess will happily display her considerable cooking skills on request by preparing delicious evening meals that combine exotic flavours with fresh local produce. Definitely one to try!