French Leave

Everyone has two countries - his own, and France. In common with thousands of travellers, France for me is the loveliest place on earth outside my own country. Some people dislike it; they say they cannot get across it quickly enough. They make no effort to get off the well-trodden paths and no attempt to choose, with care, where they rest their heads each night, or where they eat each day. For me, this phase lasted just two or three years, some 25 years ago. My opinions were changed in three ways: firstly by the writings of Elizabeth Nicholas, who opened the door to so many of the hidden treasures of France; secondly, through an active interest in competitive motor rallying which took me off the beaten track; and finally, by a new interest at that time in good food.     By my early twenties, I had become a member of that other club, made up of the type of traveller who, year by year, continually discovers the many pleasures of France and grows to love it, accepting its faults and shortcomings. What dividend those years have brought me.     France is fortunate in having all the ingredients that provide the perfect holiday recipe for the independent visitor. It is a huge country, with a vast variety of seductive scenery. It has tens of thousands of minor roads which enable you to leave the crowds behind. I implore you to use those minor roads; the best hidden corners of any country are not to be found on ma]or roads. This guide points you to the most rewarding of those hidden corners. I deliberately do not make hotel or restaurant recommendations which take you to the great cities or into the centres of large towns.     Every one of the 12 regions in this guide offers the visitor a special reward. At each of the four corners of France are the widely-differing regions of Brittany, Alsace, the Côte d’Azur and the Southwest. In the west are the quiet charms of the Loire and Dordogne valleys, straddling two of the greatest French rivers: to the far east are the inspiring mountains of the Jura and Savoie. The history-filled regions of the North and Normandy, Burgundy in central France, and sun-drenched Provence in the far south, stretch across the complete length of the country; with differing countryside, history, climate and culture. Finally, there is the un-crowded, unspoilt countryside of the Massif Central, and, on its north-eastern border is the Lyonnais, full of treasures and the heart of all the marvels of French cuisine. Having had the good fortune to explore most corners of the French countryside, I have built up a personal record of well over 400 hotels and restaurants covering all regions, at all price levels, and some visited many times over. About half of them appear in this guide.     All the recommendations made in the guide have been on the basis of each of them meeting my own personal criteria. These introductory pages and many of the individual entries set out what those standards are. Where criticism is needed I have made it; even at Michelin three star level. I have chosen to omit many restaurants, at both two star and one star level. You may not always agree with my comments - one man’s meat is another man’s poison - but I am certain disagreement will be rare. No establishment listed is aware of its inclusion, or the publication of this guide.     The next decade will be a better time than ever to explore France. Not only will the dividends received be considerable in terms of pleasure; increasingly, it will become more and more uncommon to find them anywhere else. Discover France for yourself.