Wendy_S

Yes,  Jon I agree. I now have a couple of quiet days with no guests, so now have to make the jams and chutneys from the garden fruit and veg for next years guests, but not before I go into the garden for a well earned spot of sunbathing and once again, late lunch nearly 2pm here again! Wendy

Yes, gites are much easier.  Sometimes our gite customers request that they join our B & B guests for an evening meal and this is not a problem.  Although the majority do cater for themselves, which makes life more relaxing for me. However, I normally charge 18 euros (it is going up slightly next year) for 4 courses, which include a starter, main course, cheeses and dessert and of course wine, bread, water etc.  I charged the other customers in question 15 euros because (to be quite truthful) I could not be bothered with starters as well for 6 nights!  They came from Marseille, so I do not think they were on a low budget, just did not understand the concept of Table d'hotes. I would agree most customers prefer chicken or fish for main course, local cheeses and tasty pudding. Where possible using fruit and veg from garden. Also, we can have many different nationalities eating at any one time, so the decision is always do you have to provide bigger portions because they are English or Dutch, or do you provide French size portions (and then the others may complain they do not have enough)? Having laid the table with all the food for one main course and then returned to the kitchen to do a few dishes, a certain Dutch lady returned to the kitchen and said could she have some more chips!  "No" was my reply, bearing in mind that I do not have a chip fryer, I am not a restaurant, it takes 20 mins to reheat the oven and then 20 minutes to cook more chips, and anyway what did she expect for 18 euros! Having said this, no one else has complained in 5 years so we must be doing something right.

Yes, I know what you mean.  The last time I had guests turn up early for their B & B room, after a very stressful morning of other guests leaving and all the rooms to do etc. I told them to go away as they were too early.  I had said it before I realised it was not a very welcoming first approach! However, they apologised and said they only wanted to leave their luggage and would be back later.  Must engage brain before mouth next time. We have had very clean and good customers in our gite this summer and also our B & B rooms, but one couple having stayed a week in the B & B did not feel happy until they had made various comments.  They wanted a room with an ensuite bathroom so that they dog had somewhere to sleep.  Not a problem I gave them the room as requested. Next they had not realised that the room was on the 2nd floor, did we have one on the first floor as problem for the dog to climb 2 sets of stairs.  Next day I showed them to the now empty room on the 1st floor.  They decided not to take this as it meant the bathroom for this one was across the corridor and too far away from the dog! So back to room one. Dog problem solved they put it into a bag and carried it up the stairs!  However, room was too hot, obviously my fault that it has been 30c each day for most of the last 8 weeks.  Put fan in room for a few hours, seemed to cure problem.  Not happy with having to pay 15 euros per night for the meals (3 courses including wine).  I suggested, very politely, that they could go to a restaurant and did not have to eat with us, this they declined and so it went on.  I know you can't win them all and some people are just plain difficult, but does not make me a happy bunny, when I think of all the sunshine I have missed doing "housework" and cooking meals.

Why does everyone head for France in the same week-end every year.  They know they will be stuck in traffic for hours.  We had guests arrive last night for an overnight stay (in the Auvergne), from Holland on their way to Spain.  They were driving for 17 hours and spent the usual 3 to 4 hours of this just trying to get around Paris.  The previous night we had some guests, again for a one night stay on their way from Holland to Spain and they arrived at midnight, so yes too late for the prebooked evening meal.  Luckily they phoned us a couple of times en route, so we had not started to cook the meal.  All the others guests were nicely tucked up in bed and fast asleep by the time they arrived. Still can't complain the sun is shining, summer has arrived, the French have reappeared from their winter hibernation behind the shutters and everything in the garden is rosy.  Just now waiting for the remainder of tonights guests 3 adults plus dog and 2 adults plus baby, must be held up around Paris again! Wendy

Well I just hope your same guests do not decide to stay here next year, as we also have cows in nearby fields as well as a friendly donkey that likes to talk to people very loudly and a few tractors. [:)]

Surely no one can be this bad, are you sure it was not just a bad dream! Just out of interest what nationality were they?

Last year, we had two different sets of guests arriving with cats.  It was explained to us that they are appartment cats (they lived in Paris) and that they put leads on them in the car, so that they can get some exercise when the owners are driving, not so that they can go out for walks!  Might explain some of the eratic French driving in Paris! Wendy  

Dave, Your gite updates are definitely not boring, as it is easy to picture these things happening! and they help to give me a break from other things around the house.  Today I am trying to lasure some of the outside windows in the B & B before the predicted hailstones arrive! Had a visit from the local Gendarmes this morning, wanted to know if I had any bookings for the summer yet.  When I said not very many, they said this was the same answer that they were getting from other gite owners in the area, not surprising really as in the Auvergne we need the sun to be shining to make the bookings arrive, then there is no stopping them. Wendy    

You could be right [:)]

Dave, How do you manage to get so many customers, that not only are you full all summer, but winter as well?  If you get really fed up with them you can always send them to me![:)]  Wendy - Le Boucharel

Hi Dave, Well you could think yourself lucky.  We have been running our Bed and Breakfast in the Auvergne for the last 4 years and only last year finished renovating a small gite.  The summer was quieter than previous year, but the Gite was brilliant compared to the B & B.  At least with the Gite we only had to do the "change over" on a weekly basis.  Due to the financial climate most people only wanted one night stays in the B & B, to you can just imagine the work involved in "daily change overs"!  It is only a short season in the Auvergne, but it seemed a lot longer last year and I was longing just to sit in front of the t.v and watch Eastenders for half an hour!  I enjoy meeting new people and it is the only way to improve the French language, but winters are too long so I am now watching the t.v and have time to go on long walks in the forest, but I am bored out of my brain and can't wait for the season to start again. Everything would be OK, if I had a gym in the vicinity,but my gym is 40 minutes drive through many villages, usually in snow in the winter, so I do not get out much!! Well let's hope the season is not too bad for 2009 and I am hoping for B & B visitors to stay a bit longer than one night! Wendy - Le Boucharel