It just occurred to me that the bed and breakfast where we stayed in Carcassonne (southwest France) recently, was not only the first B&B we’ve stayed in in France, but it was also a real one, in the sense that you really are staying in someone’s house. In this case, you’re chez Patricia and Andre Ledu.

We loved it.

“Aux Anges Gardiens” means “With The Guardian Angels,” and you’ll feel like your guardian angels were watching over you when you selected this b&b as your home away from home while taking your holidays in Carcassonne.

Patricia and André fled a hectic lifestyle in Paris to embark on a completely new adventure with their B&B. They bought and embraced an 18th century “fixer upper,” took it under their wings and completely restored it. The result of their hard and thoughtful work is a warm, welcoming sanctuary where you’ll feel comfortable and cozy. The house and your hosts will quickly put you at ease and you’ll readily be able to settle in and feel at home. Aux Anges Gardiens is another one of those rare places where you’ll not want to leave.

The rooms are spacious and luxurious, and all have their own private bathroom, so you won’t have to share facilities with other guests in the house. You might be able to tell by the names of the rooms that this place is ideal for couples.

For example, we stayed in the room called, “la Chambre Nuptiale / The Honeymoon Suite” but you have other choices. Oui oui. How about “la Chambre Cocoon / The Love Nest” or the “la Chambre de Maitre / The Master Suite”? Does it sound like a perfect romantic getaway?

It is.

If you’re into more chill kinds of vacations, you will LOVE the patio and pool area at Aux Anges Gardiens. Grab some much needed French rays (remember your sunblock) out there, and laze to your heart’s content during your stay. You’ll be one happy B&B-er.

Since it is a real and true B&B, and we’ve talked about the first B (bed), you’ll be glad to know that the 2nd B, breakfast, is pure YUM. French coffee, fresh bread and baguettes from a nearby bakery, homemade jams, baked cakes made in-house, fruit, yogurt, fruit juices. The REAL breakfast of champions à la française.

Much like Après La Sieste in Provence, Aux anges gardiens is another ideal location that you’ll be able to use as a convenient base but in the region of Langedoc-Roussillon. The medieval city of Carcassonne is just minutes away. Drive or grab the bikes at Patricia and Andre’s to get there or to the neighboring lake. Nearby cities include: Toulouse, Perpignan, Narbonne, Montpellier, and if you have a couple of hours, you’re not very far from Barcelona. Just cross the border and you’ll be speaking Catalan in no time. On a semi-sidenote, from Carcassonne you’ll find really cheap flights to Ireland on Ryanair. I mean, really, really cheap (based on an advanced purchase): about 20 euros roundtrip. REALLY.

Back to the guardian angels. If you’re in the area for business or travel, consider staying at this absolutely fabulous B&B. You will not regret it.

Aux Anges Gardiens, Bed and Breakfast in Carcassonne
Open all year, highspeed internet, 3 rooms, breakfast included
Contact: Patricia et André Ledu (English, French spoken)
2 rue du Barry - hameau de Villalbe - Carcassonne - France
Tél. +33 (0)4 68 47 14 03 - cell .+33 (0)6 64 90 70 13
Email : floledu@aliceadsl.fr
Website: Aux Anges Gardiens, B&B in Carcassonne (more photos, rates and availability)

Tags: france, carcassonne, b&b, bed+and+breakfast, travel, ryanair

A brand new website dedicated to Paris accommodations has recently launched and is looking for owners of hotels, apartments, gites, and chambres d’hotes (bed and breakfast) to be included on the site. If you know someone with a place to stay, please feel free to let them know about it.

Please register your Paris accommodation here.

For about a week now, we’ve been back in the land of foie gras, confit de canard and truffles, at our favorite accommodations in Sarlat, which is in the southwest region of France called, Dordogne (in Perigord Noir) and - a couple of days ago, FINALLY, the sun was out!

Today is different, though, and there’s grisailles galore but since we’re here to work, the gray weather couldn’t be better.

It occurred to me that Au pre de l’arbre (independent fully equipped (self-catering) chalets in a forest) is a great place to escape to - from where ever you happen to be, and if absolutely necessary, (like us) take your work with you. On days like these you can be very productive.

Also worth noting is that it’s a great place to base yourself if you’re house hunting in the Dordogne area. Each of the rental houses here is fully equipped with high speed DSL and if you don’t want to bring your computer, you can use one provided by Au pre de l’arbre. They even have a list of real estate agents for you. That’s service if you ask me.

You don’t have to be workaholics like us, to stay here. Most of the people who come to Au pre de l’arbre are here to vacation: to explore the prehistoric drawings (Lascaux), to visit the wonderful villages (La Roque Gageac, Rocamadour, etc.) nearby, to participate in outdoor sports like rock climbing, horseback riding and canoeing - all within the unique backdrop of Dordogne’s signature stunning scenery. After a full day of travel, it’s a sigh of relief to come back to your comfortable chalet at Au pre de l’arbre. And then, take a swim in the gigantic pool that overlooks a forest.

The beautiful thing about Au pre de l’arbre is that it’s open all year ’round. We like to come outside of the busy season, but if you want to come during the summer, make sure to secure your reservations right about….NOW.

A note: You can stay for as short as a weekend or even longer term. And here’s a little secret: if you come during the low season, feel free to barter a bit with Marc to lower your rent. (I swear, he likes that!)

Au pre de l’arbre - Open all year
Website: Au pre de l’arbre (in English and French)

Nathalie et Marc Pinta-Tourret
Rue Lino Ventura, “Le Mas Cavaillé”
24200 Sarlat-la-Canéda
E-mail: sarlat@aupredelarbre.com
Phone / Fax : +33 5 53 59 33 33
Mobile: +33 6 73 79 12 87

Related to Dordgone: Sarlat, Terrasson, Plum Village, Beynac, Cassoulet, Big Door, Gourdon

tags: france, dordogne, dordogne holiday cottages, sarlat

Maybe, just maybe once during your trips to France, you will venture out of “the comfort zone” of your little Paris. Yes! There’s a whole ‘nother world outside of Paris that might amaze you even more than looking at the teeny tiny, glass-enveloped, security guarded, popularity queen, The Mona Lisa, which could quite possibly be a replica (Ok, the latter is just my own conspiracy theory).

A little detour to Provence (south of France) will literally be a welcome breath of fresh air once you exit the cities. We’ve been in Provence, of course at our favorite Après La Sieste, the best place to stay in Provence, in our humble opinions. In addition to being the most beautiful and relaxing B&B ever, they have a heated salinated pool, (which is like being in a comfortable hotspring more so than like being in a chlorinated pond), and an in-house chef for a memorable gastronomic meal that goes perfectly with local wines from the famous Chateauneuf du pape.

After exploring the region’s lavender fields, the surrounding “most beautiful villages in France,” the seaside Camargue and Callanques, the wine cellars and vineyards for tasting award-winning wines and more, you may, after all the day’s activities, feel pretty beat albeit happy. Lucky you because if you stay with Jacques and Chloe at Apres la Sieste, you can get a heavenly massage, a perfect Provençale denouement.

Apres la Sieste’s newest addition is an in-house masseuse, who will erase your little aches and pains and simply make you feel wonderful. You might not ever want to leave.

Apres la Sieste opens officially for the season on March 21.

Après La Sieste
2 suites, 3 rooms; breakfast included
Contact: Jacques et Chloé (English and French spoken)
Email: info@apreslasieste.com
Website: Après La Sieste
(Visit their site for more room photos, massage and chef meals details and rates)
Telephone : +33 4 66 50 33 94
Mobile Phone: +33 6 61 84 58 40

From Reuters:

“The French government is selling a 13th-century prison in Avignon to be turned into a luxury hotel as part of an effort to bring fresh cash into state coffers.

The 7,000-sq-metre (75,350-sq-ft) prison in the southern French city is advertised for sale on the condition that all or part of it be turned into a four-star hotel.

Bidders have until January 23 to make an offer for the stone building, which served as a prison until 2003, Le Figaro newspaper said.

The daily said that in the next two years, nine other prisons could be sold, generating millions of euros for the Justice Ministry’s budget.

The government hopes property sales will add 800 million euros (576.8 million pounds) to the budget this year.

“We will raise nearly 800 million euros this year, whereas our original aim was 500 million euros,” said Public Accounts Minister Eric Woerth in Thursday’s La Tribune newspaper.

The government has already raised 142 million euros by selling the building that used to house the Ministry of Cooperation, Woerth said.

It has also sold a conference centre which used to house Nazi headquarters in occupied Paris during World War Two.

France has faced criticism from its European Union partners for slipping in its commitment to balance its budget.

Question have been raised over whether President Nicolas Sarkozy will be able to push through reforms without extra money to help smooth the way.”

From The Sun: WELCOME to the world’s most exclusive hotel – a one-room designer PREFAB boasting a spectacular view of the Eiffel Tower.

Guests at the Hotel Everland – plonked on the roof of a Paris building – get a king-size bed and mini-bar.

They are only allowed to stay one night and the room costs £313 (442 Euros or $648). But at least breakfast is delivered to the door – and stealing the towels is ENCOURAGED.

The Swiss-built prefab is actually an art installation – with guests as part of the exhibit.

Its designers insisted…

Read the whole article

Note: You can book your rooms until December, 2008! The Hotel Everland is sitting atop of the Palais de Tokyo, Paris right now. Reserve your room here.

A Sponsored Post:

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“The entryway to this former hunting lodge in the heart of the Loire Valley is a large pond with floating swans. The 33 rooms have 19th century furnishings, marble baths and flat screen televisions. The on-site garden reaps the vegetables and herbs for the property’s restaurant. Visit dozens of fairytale castles, including Chateau de Chaumont, Henry II’s residence, and the 440-room Chateau de Chambord, the summer home of Louis XIV…”

[from Forbes: Wallet Friendly Luxury Hotels]

Hotel Information
Domaine Des Hauts De Loire
Route de Herbault - 41150 Onzain France
Tel : + 33 (0) 2 54 20 72 57
email : hauts-loire@relaischateaux.com