All prices include accommodation in your own en-suite room, transfers from and to airports or train stations, breakfast, picnic lunch, evening meal, and teas, coffees, beer, aperitifs and  wine taken 'chez nous' * 

* except that
Wine with dinner in restaurants is not included in our pricing. Wine at restaurants will be priced according to the relevant wine lists and clients will be responsible for settling their own wine bill.

Most evenings we will take you to a different restaurant in the area so that you can experience a variety of local 'ambience'. **

One or two evenings during the week you will dine "Chez Nous" (Jill is an excellent cook).

And on one very special evening, dinner is cooked and served in the home of one of the most respected chefs in the area, Yvette Pompele (or "Vétou" to all who know her) **

An expert in the cuisine of southwest France, Vétou was featured in Episode 3 of  Rick Stein's television series 'A French Odyssey' broadcast by the BBC in Aug/Sep 2005.

In his Times newspaper feature on the subject of his series, Stein said, "There are restaurants beside the canal, too — not as many as you’d think, but one in particular stands out, in Lagruere, with a lively cook called Vetou. She cooked a beautiful magret de canard for us, with a really good red-wine sauce made from a Côtes du Marmandais, from the Cave Co-opérative de Cocument"

Vétou has since retired from La Halte Nautique but we are delighted that she has agreed to act as your chef for one of the nights you're with us. Indeed it will be the very meal that Vétou cooked for Rick Stein that she will be cooking for you!

Vétou also features in Kate Hill's book "A Culinary Journey in Gascony".

** Note:

Vétou's availability is always subject to her own personal and domestic  circumstances

Restaurant visits depend on restaurant availability and numbers of guests present.

Lunches are not included for non-participating guests. See right for details