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La
Paichero - in the heart
of the Languedoc
Clifford
Mould discovers a B&B that thinks
it's a luxury hotel
 Some
friends suggested that we visit this
little gem, tucked away in a village
full of character about 20 minutes
drive from the airport at Carcassonne.
It's run by an English couple who
just like to be known as Colin
and Margaret. Colin picked us
up from the airport, and as soon
as we had unpacked our bags, there
was tea ready for us on the terrace,
complete with a delicious home made
cake. Indeed, Margaret's lemon
drizzle cake was so good that I took
away the recipe, and I've made it
twice since, and so have my culinary
students.
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Feedback
from a reader
My
wife and I have just returned
from a week long stay at "La
Paichero" in the Languedoc.
On our return we read Clifford
Mould's article on Dine Online
about the "B&B that thinks
it's a luxury hotel" and felt
we just had to drop you an
email to endorse what he had
to say, both about the quality
of the accommodation and Colin
and Margaret's hospitality.
After
setting ourselves up with a
great breakfast that always
included freshly baked local
bread and
croissants we spent the day
visiting Carcasonne and other
interesting locations in the
region, local markets and vineyards.
In the evening we enjoyed Margaret
(and Colin's) cooking and eating out
at Le Jardin de la Tour in
Carcasonne.
All in
all a thoroughly enjoyable
and relaxing holiday and we
would recommend "la Paichero" to
anyone seeking a similar experience.
Regards,
Carol and Terry Babbs
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The
house was built for an important
vineyard owner and it has high ceilings,
a grand marble staircase, and huge
cellars of course. It was built in
the nineteenth century incorporating
parts of a very much older house.
Knowing that our French is bound
to pretty bad, the ghosts didn't
bother to haunt their English guests.
There are four double bedrooms, each
with its own private facilities.
Ours overlooked the vineyards and
the clear waters of the river Lauquet,
which gives its name to the village.
There's a river bathing pool a few
minutes walk up the quiet road and
it looked most inviting even on a
cool spring day.
Colin
and Margaret are wonderfully welcoming,
and have that happy knack of being
unobtrusive, yet always available
- one of the hallmarks of excellent
hotel keeping. The dining room is
rather grand, and the beautifully
proportioned sitting room is there
for guests to enjoy. If the weather
is uninviting for expeditions then
you can chill out (or rather, warm
up, in front of the log fire), unlike
some chambres d'hôtes that
kick you out during the day. If you
ask in advance, C&M will send
you off for the day with a packed
lunch, and at the weekend, Margaret,
who is a very good cook, will show
you just what the phrase table
d'hôte means.
We
stayed during the low season, just after Easter, when we qualified for a winter
weekend break. La Paichero runs a package for €295 which includes airport transfers,
three nights accommodation for two, breakfast and evening meal with wine (or
a ride in and out of Limoux and Carcasonne to a restaurant). That works out
at about €50 per person per night, and we thought it was excellent value. Single
nights start at €48, but there are discounts for further nights. Details of
the room rates and masses more information can found on their website, www.la-paichero.com
It's
a great place for visiting vineyards
and tasting lots of different wines.
The walled city of Carcasonne has
to be seen to be believed, and the
tourist shops are actually quite
good, though I wouldn't buy food
or wine there. There's a good range
of restaurants: we had an excellent
meal at Le Jardin de la Tour, and
the next day, on a Sunday morning
tour of the City, we liked the look
of Chez Saskia (sophisticated), La
Marquiere (traditional) and the Auberge
des Liques (full of French families).
 It's nice to be able to recommend
somewhere really good to stay
without any fears that anyone will be disappointed. Colin and Margaret deserve
your custom and I promise that you'll have a great time.
La Paichero - chambres d'hotes - www.la-paichero.com
1 Avenue de la Paichero, Ladern sur Lauquet,
11259 France
Tel: 00 33(0) 68 69 05 85
email: la.paichero@wanadoo.fr
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