Mom scores!

 I'm sure you'd agree that road trips with all 4 kids across a foreign country would typically not be the ideal time for risk taking when it comes to accommodations.   So when 9 PM the night before we left for a drive across France found me having not even begun to pack, barely halfway through the wash and sitting in front of my computer with absolutely no idea where we would stay the next night,  I did what any sane person would do and reserved 2 rooms at the nearest Ibis (budget hotel in France) just off the interstate and that was that.

Or not..

I've always wanted to stay in some type of farm house in the French countryside, and I just couldn't let this opportunity pass up without seeing if there was something, anything out there that we might could take advantage of during this portion of our trip.  I started searching B&B sites and sent several inquiries to see if there was any availability.  I got several quick responses back reminding me that this was peak summer season and they were very sorry that they could not accommodate us.  However, there was one place that was available and not only available but actually cheaper than 2 hotel rooms and a meal for our clan and I just couldn't pass it up.  

My sweet husband was understandably skeptical.  In my eagerness to find "the perfect spot" in the past I may have led us astray a time or two.  The most memorable was after Jason's second surgery just after he was diagnosed with cancer.  My parents had agreed to come keep 15 month old Abbey, so Jason and I could get away for the weekend before his chemotherapy started.  We were heading to New Orleans and a friend that I worked with suggested a B&B "close to" the French Quarter that she described as "quaint and full of character".  I even refused an offer from my mom's sister who knows New Orleans very well to make us reservations at her favorite, quite reputable spot and went with the unknown B&B.  Umm, suffice it to say that her definition of "quant" was quite different than mine and although it was definitely "full of character" it was somewhere along the lines of The Shining meets Norman Bates in Psycho and was very much NOT the "character" we were looking for in our weekend get away.  We checked in, walked to our room, turned right back around and headed back to the "front desk" (which was anything but).  I totally played the "my husband has cancer card and this hotel is not at all what we had in mind", asked for our money back and we found a Quality Inn a few blocks over.  Alls well that ends well though (meaning we did not become the latest New Orleans murder stats in some weird, creepy old hotel), but this is why I tell you that Jason was somewhat skeptical....  

Anyway, I just had a gut feeling, woman's intuition if you will, that this was THE place.  New Orleans incident aside, my gut feelings are usually pretty spot on.  So anyway, I booked it and the next morning we hit the road.  

The farmhouse was northwest of Lyon about 30-45 minutes off the main road.  Unfortunately about the time we exited the autoroute, the rain started and it got amazingly foggy and we really couldn't see much around us.  We could see enough to know that the countryside was absolutely beautiful and full of more green than any of us had seen in a long time.  

I didn't get a lot of pictures of the outside due to the rain but here are a few....

The view was amazing.  It was so amazingly quiet and peaceful. 

Although the outside was beautiful, our room was definitely our favorite part as a family.  

It was a loft style room, that was perfect for us.

The upstairs was segmented into 2 "rooms".  You can barely see Jason and Anabelle in the background below playing with legos that were in a hand painted trunk and available for play.  There were also hand painted table and chairs and stuffed animals.

 So much character in this little space!

Our window opened out into the lovely countryside.  Perfect spot for a good read or sisterly chats....

The next morning we were treated by our hosts Nicole and Gerard to a traditional French farmhouse breakfast including butter and yogurt from a nearby farm, and fresh bread and homemade jams from the local produce.  

We had a few hours that morning to relax but all in all not near enough time!

I think we were all thrilled this time that I took a risk and went with the unknown...

We all hope that one day we'll have a chance to visit Aux 3 Sapins again!  As my girls said, "Mom you really scored with this one!"