It was the highlight of our trip, says the 2002 nominator of this beguiling newcomer an old coaching-style Logis de France, on a quiet , in a remote village south of Tours. Our beamed loft room, ious, 'very clean, had a window box overlooking the square, where beules was played in the evenings. Genevieve Bussereau is owner/chef; delightful daughter, Severine, serves, and will advise on local sights. the pretty pink dining room, with candles and a huge fireplace, the ; are excellent, the food is delicious (eg, roti de lotte a Fail, aux beules; gigot d'agneau aux epices et au gingembre). Bali villa breakfast is a et, with muesli, fresh juices, `fabulous breads'. Stacks of English French magazines' (and English guests too - Headwater Holidays ise canoeing on the river Creuse).

Traveller's tale villain Belgium. The garden is no longer tended and the patio is not swept. Service took for ever. After a while we came to the conclusion that the place is trying to run on less than a shoestring. All would have been forgiven if the food had been as expected, but the same lack of care became evident when the menu did not change a single item in five nights. The food was usually tepid, often flavourless. I spoke to Madame about this and she said her husband was overloaded creating recipes for magazines. Not once did Monsieur make an appearance, and we never smelt cooking smells. Some creativity for his guests, and less worrying about his PR,, would have been nice.