{"id":3336,"date":"2024-07-12T11:38:35","date_gmt":"2024-07-12T10:38:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/maisonlamothe.com\/?p=3336"},"modified":"2024-07-13T20:11:32","modified_gmt":"2024-07-13T19:11:32","slug":"the-perfect-autumnal-escape","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/maisonlamothe.com\/en\/the-perfect-autumnal-escape","title":{"rendered":"Retreat to Maison Lamothe this winter"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row el_class=”white fullwidthtext”][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

Retreat to Maison Lamothe this winter<\/h1>\n

As one guest said to me last week, \u2018I don\u2019t want to go\u2026I just want to sit in that chair for the day and read Art Books,\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n

\u2018Come back in the winter,\u2019 I suggested, \u2018and then there\u2019ll be a roaring fire and I\u2019ll make you hot chocolate.\u2019<\/em>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row el_class=”white fullwidthtext”][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text css=””]It\u2019s coming to the end of June and I\u2019ve been back at Maison Lamothe for almost three months.\u00a0 Twelve weeks of energizing experiences with my wonderful guests.\u00a0 I spent the winter living and working in the UK.\u00a0 Apart from the odd few days here and there, it had been a long time since I\u2019d spent any length of time there.\u00a0 And enjoy it though I did, most of the time, my heart ached for Maison Lamothe.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”1582″ img_size=”medium” css=””][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row el_class=”white fullwidthtext”][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]I\u2019ll always be a Brit at heart, but France is most definitely home.\u00a0 Ever since a school trip to St Malo at the age of 10, I\u2019ve wanted to live in France and I\u2019ve realised my dream although it\u2019s been a strange old journey, with many twists and turns that has delivered me to my little slice of paradise. I\u2019ve been in France now for almost eight years.\u00a0 We were, we thought, sensible spending several years renting in various regions of France hoping to discover whether France was really for us for keeps and if so which bit was most us.\u00a0 And then we found this little northerly corner of the Gers and fell in love. All logic went out of the window.\u00a0 Why did two people and a dog need six bedrooms and five bathrooms?\u00a0 Especially when the plan was to retire.<\/p>\n

\u2018We could run a bed and breakfast,\u2019 my husband suggested.<\/p>\n

\u2018You\u2019d be rubbish at that,\u2019 I responded.<\/p>\n

\u2018True,\u2019 he conceded, \u2018but you\u2019d be great.\u00a0 You like having people to stay.\u2019[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row el_class=”white fullwidthtext”][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text css=””]And so with no more hospitality experience than waitressing back when I was at school, I went along with the crazy idea.\u00a0 It was true, I do like a house full of people and I\u2019ve stayed in plenty of hotels and the best ones for me were the ones that feel like home.\u00a0 So what would be better than creating a home and sharing it?\u00a0\u00a0 Like everything we ever did, we attacked the latest hare-brained scheme with enthusiasm and gusto and within weeks had had guinea-pig friends to stay and bookings for the following summer.\u00a0 We were up and running.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”3314″ img_size=”medium” css=””][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row el_class=”white fullwidthtext”][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]Discovering that the Camino de Santiago ran through our village was an unexpected bonus. And then tragedy struck.\u00a0 We had only been in situ for three months, when my husband died suddenly.\u00a0 It was December 2019.\u00a0 Everyone assumed I would pack up and go back to the UK. But it\u2019s amazing what a woman and a dog can do when they have their hearts set on something.\u00a0 Even though 2020 was hardly the best year to launch a new business enterprise, Bertie and me cracked on and discovered that Maison Lamothe is a magical world even in less than ideal times.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row el_class=”white fullwidthtext”][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text css=””]Despite the feeling of calm, isolation and other worldliness, all roads either on car or foot lead to Maison Lamothe and from Easter until the clocks going back at the end of October, there\u2019s a constant stream of visitors from all over the world.\u00a0 Our dinner table is a lovely group which changes nightly; sometimes a dozen or so people eagerly exchanging stories in a mixture of languages, other times smaller more intimate nights whiling away the hours sharing our dreams, marvelling at coincidences and serendipity.\u00a0 And always laughter.\u00a0 So much laughter.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”2140″ img_size=”medium” css=””][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row el_class=”white fullwidthtext”][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]I love that the Camino attracts so many female walkers, often undertaking the journey alone.\u00a0 So many different women with different life experiences, but with so much in common and a craving to make the most of every day. And this year more than ever, there seems more female travellers staying here, amazing women with whom I have made bonds and hope to see return. Indeed many do.\u00a0 And I hope to take up some of the many invitations to stay if I ever find myself in Auckland, New Zealand or Sydney or Montreal or Berlin.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row el_class=”white fullwidthtext”][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text css=””]In winter it is quieter and although this house is always cosy and welcoming; it slumbers in a half-life waiting for its far corners to be inhabited again.\u00a0 Bertie and I miss making so many new friends and welcoming back old ones. It is our guests which make life at Maison Lamothe so special and it is a source of never-ending joy to watch others fall in love; each finding their own unique reason to want to stay here longer.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”3308″ img_size=”medium” css=””][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row el_class=”white fullwidthtext”][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]Above all I want people to feel at home, to feel nurtured and cared for and for lone female travellers to feel that they are in a safe and friendly environment where they can do as they wish, spend time alone or be part of a group.\u00a0 I have a wide range of interests and I\u2019d love to spend the quieter, winter months sharing them with others, be it writing, reading, walking, genealogy, history, visiting the local towns, markets and museums or even doing a jigsaw. \u00a0The list goes on.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row el_class=”white fullwidthtext”][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text css=””]As one guest said to me last week, \u2018I don\u2019t want to go.\u00a0 I just want to sit in that chair for the day and read Art Books,\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2018Come back in the winter,\u2019 I suggested, \u2018and then there\u2019ll be a roaring fire and I\u2019ll make you hot chocolate.\u2019<\/p>\n

But then on a cold, crisp sunny winter\u2019s day, I also like to take my hot chocolate lying on a sun bed next to the swimming pool hypnotized by the inviting but freezing water.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”3324″ img_size=”medium” css=””][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row el_class=”white fullwidthtext”][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]This is a great place to make friends and spend time in company, but for those that seek solitude; this is a quiet, relaxing space where they can pursue their own passion amidst this beautiful rolling landscape with people and activities only if and when they want to join in.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row el_class=”white fullwidthtext”][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text css=””]I hesitate to call what I want to create in the quiet winter months female retreats, more escapes from real life.\u00a0 A pause for self-care and joy, tailor-made for the individual tastes of the group with a soup\u00e7on of spontaneity thrown in.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”1025″ img_size=”medium” css=””][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row el_class=”white fullwidthtext”][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]I will be holding the first Escape Week from Monday 4 November to Saturday 9 November.\u00a0 Prices start at \u20ac725 for five nights in a single room with en-suite bathroom, breakfast, dinner and daily activities.\u00a0 Twin rooms are available at \u20ac1,175 based on two people sharing. Pick ups can be arranged from Agen TGV station, Valence d\u2019Agen station or Toulouse Airport at extra cost. I can also arrange massages, spa trips and other well-being treats. \u00a0For more information drop me a line at contact@maisonlamothe.com<\/a>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row el_class=”white fullwidthtext”][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text css=””]I am so excited about my new plans to fill my winter with the warmth of others, sharing the secrets of this fabulous corner of France and would love to see you here.<\/p>\n

Michelle Martinez – June 2024[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”2868″ img_size=”medium” css=””][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[vc_row el_class=”white fullwidthtext”][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””] Retreat to Maison Lamothe this winter As one guest said to me last week, \u2018I don\u2019t want to go\u2026I just want to sit in that chair for the day and read Art Books,\u2019 \u2018Come back in the winter,\u2019 I suggested, \u2018and then there\u2019ll be a roaring fire and I\u2019ll make you […]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3310,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3336","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nRetreat to Maison Lamothe this winter | Maison Lamothe, Gers<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/maisonlamothe.com\/en\/the-perfect-autumnal-escape\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Retreat to Maison Lamothe this winter | Maison Lamothe, Gers\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"[vc_row el_class=”white fullwidthtext”][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””] Retreat to Maison Lamothe this winter As one guest said to me last week, \u2018I don\u2019t want to go\u2026I just want to sit in that chair for the day and read Art Books,\u2019 \u2018Come back in the winter,\u2019 I suggested, \u2018and then there\u2019ll be a roaring fire and I\u2019ll make you […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/maisonlamothe.com\/en\/the-perfect-autumnal-escape\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Maison Lamothe\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-07-12T10:38:35+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-07-13T19:11:32+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/maisonlamothe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/IMG_9806-1.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1440\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Marco\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Marco\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/maisonlamothe.com\/en\/the-perfect-autumnal-escape\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/maisonlamothe.com\/en\/the-perfect-autumnal-escape\",\"name\":\"Retreat to Maison Lamothe this winter | Maison Lamothe, Gers\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/maisonlamothe.com\/en#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/maisonlamothe.com\/en\/the-perfect-autumnal-escape#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/maisonlamothe.com\/en\/the-perfect-autumnal-escape#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/maisonlamothe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/IMG_9806-1.jpeg\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-07-12T10:38:35+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-07-13T19:11:32+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/maisonlamothe.com\/en#\/schema\/person\/44189cb74fa892cbabf90f0c72b88bfe\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/maisonlamothe.com\/en\/the-perfect-autumnal-escape#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/maisonlamothe.com\/en\/the-perfect-autumnal-escape\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/maisonlamothe.com\/en\/the-perfect-autumnal-escape#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/maisonlamothe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/IMG_9806-1.jpeg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/maisonlamothe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/IMG_9806-1.jpeg\",\"width\":1920,\"height\":1440},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/maisonlamothe.com\/en\/the-perfect-autumnal-escape#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/maisonlamothe.com\/en\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Retreat to Maison Lamothe this winter\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/maisonlamothe.com\/en#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/maisonlamothe.com\/en\",\"name\":\"Maison Lamothe\",\"description\":\"Just another WordPress site\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/maisonlamothe.com\/en?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/maisonlamothe.com\/en#\/schema\/person\/44189cb74fa892cbabf90f0c72b88bfe\",\"name\":\"Marco\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Retreat to Maison Lamothe this winter | Maison Lamothe, Gers","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/maisonlamothe.com\/en\/the-perfect-autumnal-escape","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Retreat to Maison Lamothe this winter | Maison Lamothe, Gers","og_description":"[vc_row el_class=”white fullwidthtext”][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””] Retreat to Maison Lamothe this winter As one guest said to me last week, \u2018I don\u2019t want to go\u2026I just want to sit in that chair for the day and read Art Books,\u2019 \u2018Come back in the winter,\u2019 I suggested, \u2018and then there\u2019ll be a roaring fire and I\u2019ll make you […]","og_url":"https:\/\/maisonlamothe.com\/en\/the-perfect-autumnal-escape","og_site_name":"Maison Lamothe","article_published_time":"2024-07-12T10:38:35+00:00","article_modified_time":"2024-07-13T19:11:32+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1920,"height":1440,"url":"https:\/\/maisonlamothe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/IMG_9806-1.jpeg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Marco","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Marco","Est. reading time":"8 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/maisonlamothe.com\/en\/the-perfect-autumnal-escape","url":"https:\/\/maisonlamothe.com\/en\/the-perfect-autumnal-escape","name":"Retreat to Maison Lamothe this winter | Maison Lamothe, Gers","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/maisonlamothe.com\/en#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/maisonlamothe.com\/en\/the-perfect-autumnal-escape#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/maisonlamothe.com\/en\/the-perfect-autumnal-escape#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/maisonlamothe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/IMG_9806-1.jpeg","datePublished":"2024-07-12T10:38:35+00:00","dateModified":"2024-07-13T19:11:32+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/maisonlamothe.com\/en#\/schema\/person\/44189cb74fa892cbabf90f0c72b88bfe"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/maisonlamothe.com\/en\/the-perfect-autumnal-escape#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/maisonlamothe.com\/en\/the-perfect-autumnal-escape"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/maisonlamothe.com\/en\/the-perfect-autumnal-escape#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/maisonlamothe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/IMG_9806-1.jpeg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/maisonlamothe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/IMG_9806-1.jpeg","width":1920,"height":1440},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/maisonlamothe.com\/en\/the-perfect-autumnal-escape#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/maisonlamothe.com\/en"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Retreat to Maison Lamothe this winter"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/maisonlamothe.com\/en#website","url":"https:\/\/maisonlamothe.com\/en","name":"Maison Lamothe","description":"Just another WordPress site","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/maisonlamothe.com\/en?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/maisonlamothe.com\/en#\/schema\/person\/44189cb74fa892cbabf90f0c72b88bfe","name":"Marco"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/maisonlamothe.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3336","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/maisonlamothe.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/maisonlamothe.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maisonlamothe.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maisonlamothe.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3336"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/maisonlamothe.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3336\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3342,"href":"https:\/\/maisonlamothe.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3336\/revisions\/3342"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maisonlamothe.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3310"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/maisonlamothe.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3336"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maisonlamothe.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3336"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maisonlamothe.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3336"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}