Chambres d'Hôtes Le Bois Trinquille

We booked this chambre d'hote in the middle of "nowhere" to relax, vege for a few days, and get over jet lag before moving into nearby Brive (pop. circa 70,000) to attend three days of wedding festivities. It turned out to be the perfect choice. Our room, Sucre, whose wide, shuttered windows overlooked a freshwater swimming pool and fields of corn beyond, was of generous proportions. It was centered by a low queen-sized bed (unusual in B&Bs in our experience), with a table and lamp on each side. It contained two armchairs and a table; a faux-chest of drawers that we eventually discovered was a hidden, foldout single bed; another chair and a desk on which stood a flat-screen TV, and lots and lots of closet and shelf space behind mirrored sliding doors. The bathroom was huge, with a shower (no tub and those god-awful handheld hoses!) with two shower heads--one the rainforest type--and four other nozzles that streamed water on your body. Copious baskets for storage were lodged under the generously long counter, made of neutral mosaics. The sink was stylish, two mirrors hung on the wall, and there were stacks of thick towels and washcloths (another rarity in any kind of European lodging, although these were the French mitt variety). There even was a hair dryer and box of tissues. Not to mention a wealth of electric outlets (in the bedroom, too) or the quick and efficient hot water. But the best part was our dynamic hostess Dominique, complemented by quiet and ever-helpful host Alain. He even insisted on carrying the tray of lunch accessories they lent us from their kitchen down to the lovely gazebo where we ate our store-bought sandwiches, cheese and wine looking out at the same view as our room--twice! Breakfasts were bountiful (even though we ate at 8am we never were hungry at normal French restaurant times, hence so many picnics). We forewent the indoor dining room for the pleasant outdoor patio to enjoy baguettes, croissants, crepes (!), a choice of seven homemade jams (all delicious and a perfect texture although I really loved the red plum), yogurt, fresh fruit, tea and coffee. As diabetics, we had requested a boiled egg to counteract all those (tempting) carbs and each morning there they were, straight out of the hens on property. You can't get fresher than that! Dominique also happily complied with a few other advance requests: a floor fan in our room, as we knew the temperatures were going to be unusually high and they weren't air-conditioned (indeed, temps hit the 90s and that fan was a life-saver); a sheet/blanket instead of the usual (too warm) duvet. Really, she could not do enough for us, down to ironing our suitcase-wrinkled wedding clothes. Although the property is in close proximity to the Autoroute (for sightseeing) and towns/villages where we found convenience stores and restaurants, it was amazingly quiet and peaceful. We really hated to leave for our next "urban" hotel. Oh, and we can't forget Aura, their oh-so-sweet, 13-year-old dog, who flopped at our feet at breakfast and "guarded" us during our gazebo meals. We felt just like family. Thanks, Dominique and Alain, for a wonderful, memorable three days!