gascony

Gascony is often referred to as the Tuscany of France. It is famous for its gentle rolling hills, stone bastides, market towns, hilltop farms and pigeon towers. There is a magical quality to the light here, and to way it touches the stone from which villages and houses like Miradoux House are hewn. It is because of the light, and the clear blue skies (even on a crisp winters days) that so many artists and writers come to this area to seek inspiration.

Gascony is a gastronomical delight, famous for its duck and foie gras, wines and Armagnac. But even if you are a vegetarian, don't be discouraged, because this is also the place where in summer time tomatoes taste as you have never tasted them before, and there is an abundance of fresh produce with which to experiment: fruit from our own gardens, vegetables, herbs and trees laden with figs.

A trip to Gascony is a trip back in time. The pace of life is slow. It is an ideal opportunity to disconnect with the world, switch of your phone and experience nature. There are many beautiful walks around Miradoux house, indeed if you want to you can walk for miles without seeing a soul. There will be the occasional deer, hawks scarfing the air - but not much else.

The air is pure and pollution free. Many visitors to the area find that on the first couple of nights they tumble into their beds at an early hour, the freshness of the air not being something to which they are accustomed if they have flown in from a busy city.

Miradoux is on the famous St Jacques de Compotelle pilgrim's route - and if the mood takes you, at the end of the course you could just keep on walking...