Le Moulin Vieux

A home away from home!

Claude & Sylviane were gracious hosts who saw to our every need.

Not only do they run an immaculate B&B in the heart of Provence, but they do it with passion and an encyclopedic knowledge of the area. Their advice was invaluable when planning the itinerary during our delightful 5-night stay.

As the name suggests, Le Moulin Vieux is an old mill dating back to 1659 yet it’s anything but old as they’ve overseen a tasteful refurbishment. The beds and sheets were without a doubt the most comfortable we experienced on our entire trip and just goes to show their attention to detail when it comes to customer comfort.

The first morning we awoke to what we thought were leaves cascading past the skylight above our bed but we later discovered they were small birds being blown by the strong and bitterly cold Mistral wind.

The sunrise that morning, and in fact every morning, was divine and reminded me of how we had been blessed with such excellent weather.

The mill has several rooms upstairs and we were treated to two adjoining double-rooms that had been recently renovated at great expense and as a result they were perfect.

The modern plasma TV, free Wi-Fi connection, shower facilities and thermostatically controlled air-conditioning were juxtaposed with antique French-provincial furniture.

A spacious common area upstairs near our room provides guests with a convenient place to read or play board games. What’s more, the property boasts a swimming pool and BBQ which would be great during the warmer months.

Downstairs in the dining area each morning we were thoroughly spoilt by a petit dejeuner of croissants and other French pastries, fresh baguettes, local fromage, yoghurt, juice, café au lait, and organic, home-grown apples from next door.

They even went to the trouble of baking small muffin-like cakes every day. We couldn’t have asked for more.

Both Claude & Sylviane speak excellent English enabling us to make the most of our daily sojourns into the countryside. Yet I have long said that travelling is a pleasure not because of the view one sees but rather the people one meets and this was so true with our hosts.

We shared long conversations on a wide range of topics regaling them of our day’s exploits and plotting our next excursion so we could make the most of our all-too-brief stay.

Our one regret is that we didn’t get to see Provence and it’s lavender in full bloom so we will definitely need to return some day. And when we do we’ll be staying at Le Moulin Vieux.

Kim*