Our places of rest have varied from city to city and country to country. In Rome, we stayed at the Irish Pontifical College. In Paris, we rented out an apartment flat for the week. But once we headed back to France and were deep into the countryside, we began hopping from one B&B to another. Michele, in her marvelous way, had researched these places. But of course the website will only show you so much...
One of the places we stayed, in the little country town of Cherville, ranks among the very best of places! We were staying on a farm, and one of the buildings had been refitted as a place for guests. Wooden beams, a beautiful room with a view out to the courtyard, and a hostess that was full of help and encouragement – this little inn was at the top of our most enjoyable and relaxing. (Unfortunately, we took no pictures here. We were so relieved at being in a "real" bed, as opposed to the bunks at Taizé...)
Then, there was another one, on our way to Caen. As we pulled into the driveway – whoa – there was road kill nailed to the garage door! I couldn't figure out if it was a boar, or a bear, but it was big and brown and looked like whatever had once been attached to it would've ended up on a plate.
At this B&B, the surprises never ended. When we were shown to our room, both of our jaws dropped. There was knight's armor casually standing in the corner, a synthetic tiger skin next to the bed, and then we happened upon the sink.
The sink was a thing of wonder: all wooden, a three-tiered homemade marvel hewn out of a hunk of tree. When you turned on the spigot, you heard water begin to gurgle about the height of your forehead, and eventually the stream would fill up one trough, then another, and then another... Until it finally cascaded over your toothbrush!
Nothing ever whipped up by Holiday Inn could compare with such a thing!
Now, today and tomorrow, we are at the last of our stays in France, and we are staying at a wonderful villa out in the middle of nowhere... But close enough to our last two visits, to the Abbey of Solesmes and the birthplace of the Congregation of Holy Cross, in LeMans. This picture will give you a little idea of the neat living area that we're in for the next 48 hours.
Finally.... In the B&B at which we encountered the road kill on the garage, there was one more surprise. In the shower – was a tree. I jest not. We are SO looking forward to staying in the (safe, cozy) homes of friends in Ireland!
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Location:A lot of places in France
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