Les Lavandes cottage in Ste. Alvère, France

This item appears on page 47 of the September 2008 issue.

The Dordogne Valley is dotted with beautiful medieval villages and castles, prehistoric painted caves and famed farmers’ markets. The Lot and Gascony regions are nearby. An ideal base from which to visit this region is Les Lavandes (Ste. Alvère, FRANCE; phone +33 [0] 553 071775, www.leslavandes.com).

Owned by English expats Ken and Linda Austin, Les Lavandes consists of three properties set in a lovely parkland: La Bergerie and La Trufferie, each of which have two bedrooms, and La Vigne, a one-bedroom cottage where my husband, Ed, and I stayed Sept. 16-22, 2007.

Each unit includes a radio, a TV, a music player, a library (selections mostly in English) and everything needed in the kitchen to assemble a meal. Farmers’ markets are nearby for purchasing ingredients. There is a large swimming pool.

Ken and Linda pampered and charmed us. 2008 rates for one week in the one-bedroom cottage we had are €350 ($550), April, May and October; €450 ($708), June and September, and €575 ($904), July-August.

We plan to return.

ANGÈLE KHACHADOUR

Novato, CA