dewima

This is a long shot, but I’m wondering if anyone knows of a cooking class in Nantes. I’m looking for a basic class for my son who doesn’t know how to chop an onion, but he does enjoy good food. A hundred years ago I took a cooking class when I was living in Grenoble. It was a 10 week class geared toward young homemakers and it was organized by an organization somewhat akin to the YMCA. It was great fun, plus it afforded the opportunity to mingle with “real” french folks. Any leads would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

I’m really in the dark about all this break-in stuff. I live in a town of 20, 000 in the states, have a home and two businesses, and have (knock on wood) never had anything stolen in twenty five years!. So, the concept of locking barns and bikes is new to me. We plan to move to France next year, will we be able to survive? I can’t imagine being so “proactive”. It’s just not me, guess I’ll need a big dog so he can worry about those details...

Mexi, I also tried to get more information about the new road but struck out. Good idea posting it here, maybe someone will know.

Maxi, Thanks for the tip about Lautrec. We haven’t been there but I did read about their garlic festival last summer. I love the idea of being near to walking trails so we will check out the town during our next visit. Does anyone have any information about the new proposed road that Maxi mentioned? Just how “proposed” is it, meaning just a pipe dream, or actually in the works? I wonder what path it will take. Believe me, you can’t be married to a Welshman who lives outside of his country for over 25 years and NOT know the word Hiraeth! He’s from Gorseinon, but marriage and the lust for travel took him to far off places long ago. Are you still living in Wales, or do you live full time in France? We’re delighted to know there are other wondering Welsh souls in the Tarn.... Dewima

Maxi, Thanks for the tip about Lautrec. We haven’t been there but I did read about their garlic festival last summer. I love the idea of being near to walking trails so we will check out the town during our next visit. Does anyone have any information about the new proposed road that Maxi mentioned? Just how “proposed” is it, meaning just a pipe dream, or actually in the works? I wonder what path it will take. Believe me, you can’t be married to a Welshman who lives outside of his country for over 25 years and NOT know the word Hiraeth! He’s from Gorseinon, but marriage and the lust for travel took him to far off places long ago. Are you still living in Wales, or do you live full time in France? We’re delighted to know there are other wondering Welsh souls in the Tarn.... Dewima

Maxi. Thanks for the heads up about the music scene. The Gartloney Rats site gives a good idea about their music. It looks like all of them are French but I could be wrong. I wasn’t able to find anything on Nicky Lewis when I goggled but it’s a good Welsh name, and we all know that Wales is know for having beautiful voices! I’ve had a celtic harp for years, and my husband is Welsh - so you’ve given us two good bits of information. We look forward to experiencing a bit of nightlife. Do you have any knowledge about the walking clubs, or the local walks? Dewima

Jeanneclaire, Thanks so much for the information about Albi, it’s always helpful to have input from someone who actually lives in the area. It’s comforting to know that your mother received excellent care when she was being treated at the hospital - we never know when that might come in handy! I’m also glad to know you feel there is indeed some form of nightlife in town. It’s not that we’re party animals, but it’s nice to go out every now and again. Do you know anything else about the local music offering? Do they have a symphony, or regular classical music concerts? We stopped in the walking center downtown and were pleasantly surprised to see such a well organized center in Albi. We love walking and are looking forward to exploring more of the GR’S. Our other interests include swimming and tennis. Was the summer water ban imposed in your area? If so, were you able to fill pools and water the garden at night? We’re also curious about small charming villages just outside of Albi that offer good basic amenities. Just one last thing, are there very many foreigners living in the area? Oh my, these seems like such boring little questions but we really would like to know more about the area before we arrive next spring. Thanks so much, dewima

Miki You’re right, there are some real dogs in the 1 & 2 star hotel category but it is entirely possible to find a charmer! Charm, comfort, and good old hospitality is what it’s all about. I could care less about extra services - having a bath down the hall is just fine. “How does one revamp the CdH business in Francefor goodness sake, when there is certainly no reason to do so ?” This was in reference to the long hours, not the financial success of a business. Teamedup "Maybe there is a space in the market for something else, who knows, what I do know is that I have never not been able to find the sort of thing I am looking for." What exactly are you looking for? “And I know that if I expect extra service, like there being staff available I would have to pay. Employing staff is expensive in France, not only the pay but huge social charges.” This is something I completely agree with! The truth is that even at many 4 star properties they can often be short handed. We experienced this several times this past summer. I’m amazed at some of the service glitches that they’re able to get away with!

Yes, Catalpa, I agree a nice log fire in the sitting room would be lovely on a rainy day. So let’s say a guest made a reservation for three nights in a B&B and a storm moved in on the second day. Would the innkeeper rather have that guest lounging in the lounge, or check out so they can stay at a hotel? Hum... “Running a b and B is very hard work and you need your privacy and a few hrs off sometimes, I personally love the job however I do wish that people who book into a bed and breakfast understand the full meaning of the word Chambres d'hotes,” Lizzy, it does indeed sound like you are an excellent innkeeper and that is partly because you love your work. But maybe you hit the nail on the head when you said you wished people fully understood the difference between a B&B and a hotel. I realize that B&B’s have been around forever in the UK but perhaps younger travellers aren’t up to speed on the expectations, and older travellers are too old to remember! (smile) Certainly American guests will not be aware of the difference, so I guess they will need to be told, or the expectations need to be adjusted. Otherwise, it just creates frustration. I stated before, I’m completely in the dark when it comes to running a lodging business in France. That I admit. But I have owned (and still do) a very successful 24 room inn for over 25 years in another country. We have a solid nine month season with five months running over 95%, so I fully appreciate the need for down time. Believe me, I understand. I’m not too sure that your analogy of a student nurse is akin to a guest. Plus, I’m sorry, I never meant to imply that a guest should dictate how a business should run. It’s just that guest offer a perspective that an innkeeper can be too busy to notice. In my mind, some of our best policies and decisions have been based on customer input, and our experiences of being a guest. We travel for at least two months each year as a way to keep in touch, and keep fresh. The concept of innkeepers needing to work such long and ridiculous hours in France needs some serious revisiting. I have tremendous respect for those of you who do it, but I can't help but wonder if it couldn't be done differently.

izzy, Clearly, you take great pride in your business. Just one glance at your website lets everyone know that you have carefully thought about the needs of your guests because your CDH looks charming and comfortable. Actually, it may even be more upscale than some of us need on any given night (I mean that in a positive way). Your rooms have been given the personal touch and I’m sure that most guest are delighted by your creative touches. “Also I have found people who have no experience in the trade and don't work in it have the habit of telling us our jobs just cos they have stayed in a b and b once! I would 'nt go to your place of work and tell you your job would I!” I think I understand what you’re saying, but do you really mean to infer that you don’t value the opinion of your guests? All business owners want to think they are the ones in control, but aren’t we dependent on the person(s) who actually purchase or use our products? If that’s true, then doesn’t it stand to reason that the consumers input has some merit? Granted, as the owner you know your side of the fence inside and out. But what about keeping in touch with the other side of the fence, in this case with the guest. Innkeepers can easily get wrapped up in their day to day affairs and lose site of the guests perspective. So, for that reason, I would think the opinion of the guest could be helpful. Just a humble potential guest to anywhere...

Now I understand... In the past, when we travelled in France, our family would eagerly seek out small signs that indicated “chambre” or interesting looking gites or CDH. We were always in search of that charming little inn that would make us feel at home and offer a sweet little room with a comfortable bed. Then reality would rear its ugly little head. Too often the beds were rock hard, the shower was iffy, the room lacked any semblance of care, and we rarely had a decent nights sleep. Little by little we started turning towards small family run hotels and now I realize why. In family hotels we have been welcomed by warm and gracious professional hosts, enjoyed delightful beds, had plenty of hot water and heat, and we’ve enjoyed terrific meals. But even more importantly, we were able to be independent - our decisions were not dictated by the rules of the innkeeper. Granted a hotel can be slightly more expensive but the additional privacy and independence make it well worth it in my eyes. I don’t really know anything about the B&B or CDh business in France, but I do know about being a guest. When I’m on the road there are certain things that make me feel comfortable, and there are other things that can take all of the joy out of travelling. Feeling restricted or being made to feel guilty are big no no’s on my list. Apparently I’m not the only person who feels that way. A B&B movement started in the United States about 12-15 years ago and they were the newest thing since sliced bread for a number of years. But, their time is up. Why? You guessed it - lack of freedom, too restrictive for the guest. Now owners are selling up like crazy, that is if they can find a buyer. So, now it seems that both the guest and the owner feel the B&B concept is too restrictive. Interesting...do you think maybe the life of the B&B is over? Perhaps it’s time to revamp the way the business runs. It’s indeed a mystery to me to know that people in the lodging business in the UK and in France are required to work such long hours. It seems either the system needs to be revamped, or there needs to be a better way to work within the system.

Greetings, It's nice to know there are some folks in the Tarn. Our family spent some time in Albi this past summer and we felt it offered some pleasant big city perks in a small town atmosphere. So do others feel that way? We plan to rent a house there in the spring so we can know the area a bit better before looking to purchase a property. Our first impressions were extremely positive. Friendly people, good infrastructure, lovely old section with delightful distractions, pretty town with a river setting, near to Toulouse, and even in August the weather wasn't too hot. Am I wrong??? I'd love to know! The only thing that stumped us was that the old section of town was charming in the day but it was empty at night and it found that to be a bit odd. Where are all of the restaurants? Are there any good cafes where one can sit and people watch at night? We're looking forward to exploring other towns and villages in the area and any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Dewima