La Petite Cimentelle

You drive through Burgundian hills and the village of Vassy and there it is, a huge grand house (a onetime cement factory) in grassed and hydrangea’d grounds, with a swimming pool and lovely long views. Here live the Oudots, a hands-on pair of professional chefs who run B&B in the big house and love organising truffle hunts and cookery classes. Your stone gîte, single storey with arched gatehouse windows, is equally handsome, and very comfortable inside. There’s a dining area in the wide hall, a compact kitchen as well equipped as you would expect, and a serene old-flagstoned sitting room with swish leather seating and fabric panels gliding open to separate the sitting space from the bedroom (the first of three). The decoration is immaculate – contemporary here, antique there – and pinks, lilacs and purples abound, on walls, rugs, bedcovers, towels. You can dine with your hosts – regionally and extremely well (macaroons are a speciality!) – or head off for glorious Vézelay, cultured Avallon and wine-soaked Chablis. Ride, fish, play golf, swim; zap down to Dijon.