Laze in the pools, gazing at the stars. Chrissie and Simon run a spa business in the Alps so know what they’re doing! Their pale stone, two-storey, two-stair house, its pillared entrance swathed in wisteria, is just outside the village of St Aubin in the wide Lot valley. It’s an easygoing place with a mix of old and new features and furniture, and masses of room outside and in for family groups and for four couples. The master bedroom is the biggest, with a walk-in shower and French windows straight out to the garden; the other three charm too, touches of colour lifting the white theme; all have bathrooms with roll top baths and retro washbasins. The airy, light ground floor has a conservatory off the open-plan living space with its fireplace, huge cream sofas and TV (behind closed doors). And, separated by an island unit, is the low-key and extraordinarily well-equipped kitchen – doesn’t everyone need an ice cream maker? You can canoe on the river five minutes away; it’s ten to medieval Monflanquin. Hire a bike to visit castles and vineyards and return for a soak in the hot tub. Good fun.
