French chambre d’hôte, Le Lot

My favorite chambre d’hôte in FRANCE is Le Lot (46320 Issepts, France; phone 011 33 [0] 5 65 40 17 61 or e-mail catherineissepts@wanadoo. fr). This is in the Quercy region, just south of the beautiful Dordogne area; Quercy is just as pretty and not as expensive as the Dordogne. Even with the unfavorable exchange rate, you can have a great vacation here for far less than in most regions in France. Our most recent visit was in December ’05.

Madame Catherine Grisé, Le Lot’s owner, has become a good friend over the years since my first visit in 2001. Anglo-French, she is a marvelous cook who once worked at The Hole in the Wall in Bath, England. She also owned a mystery book shop in Brussels before settling in France; thousands of books in English line the walls of her converted grange, which has a spectacular view.

She provides table d’hôte in the evening and a very good breakfast to start your day. Including breakfast, rates run €32-€34 ($38-$40) per room. The evening 4-course meal costs €14 ($16) per person, including aperitif, wine and coffee. Try matching that in most vacation spots of Europe!

While staying in the area, try trips to the charming medieval towns of Figeac, Cahors, Saint-Cirq-Lapopie and, of course, Rocamadour. Also, a little gem of a village called Autoire should not be missed. Take a picnic and go for a drive along the meandering Cele or Lot river. And the grotte du Pech Merle is nearby with prehistoric art drawings.

Dr. KEITH DOZIER
Fort Lauderdale, FL