So, you're on holiday in France. All morning you've been driving along those
gorgeous French D roads that make you feel as if you're in a car
advertisement.
The sun's shining. There's no other traffic apart from amusing rural moments
such as a farmer moving cows to new pasture. You have stopped for the
obligatory midday pause in an achingly decrepit village, with one
unprepossessing bar where the entire local community snorkels into the plat
du jour. That little carafe of vin rouge that washed down your meal has just
kicked in. And, then, you suddenly remember that you don't actually live
like this all the time and that, sooner or later, your holiday is going to
end. You get stressed, obviously.
At times like this you need some quality backrub. And, in the interests of
helping you to get some, I went to visit Les Deux Abbesses, in the Auvergne.
It's not that the two abbesses do massage on the side. No. Les Deux Abbesses
is the name of a hotel in the village of St Arcons d'Allier, in the Haute
Loire. The village is perched on a rocky outcrop overlooking the Allier
River and the chateau in the centre forms the heart of this unusual and
remarkable hotel.
Rescued from dereliction by the present owner, the hotel is spread out across
the hamlet in a number of restored houses. Tucked away in these basalt stone
cottages, each tastefully decorated room is a spacious love nest. With a
friendly welcome from Laurence Perceval Hermet, the owner, you can have
communal time in the salons of the castle, or chill by booking a session
with the therapist, Irene Rowlands.
In the gardens of the chateau, next to the herb garden that supplies the
necessary for home-brewed herbal teas, there is a small Bergerie de Beaute,
where Rowlands dispenses healing therapies, from massage and shiatsu to
reflexology. I plumped for the back and neck massage, and soon Rowlands's
firm hands were sliding up and down my spine aided by an oily blend of
ginger, juniper, cypress and copaiba (a kind of Brazilian palm).
Reassuringly, Rowlands trained in the UK and is married to a Scotsman, so
there's no need to worry about whether your translation of "Do you do
deep tissue massage?" into French has all gone Kevin Costner.
In brief
USP Great lofty place for friends to gather and book the
whole hotel.
AMBIENCE Rustic and relaxing. Les Deux Abbesses is the name
of a hotel in the village of St Arcons d'Allier, in the Haute Loire. The
village is perched on a rocky outcrop overlooking the Allier River and the
chateau in the centre forms the heart of this unusual and remarkable hotel
comprising basalt stone cottages.
EXPERIENCE In the gardens of the chateau, next to the herb
garden that supplies the necessary for home-brewed herbal teas, there is a
small Bergerie de Beaute, where the therapist Irene Rowlands dispenses
healing therapies, from massage and shiatsu to reflexology. I plumped for
the back and neck massage, and soon Rowlands's firm hands were sliding up
and down my spine aided by an oily blend of ginger, juniper, cypress and
copaiba (a kind of Brazilian palm). It was professional and calming.
FOOD Light lunches, full dinner menu, and delicious cakes in
the afternoon.
IN CROWD Brits abroad who've been driving the D roads all day
and have aching backs.
WALLET WATCH Treatments are €80 (£55) for a session. Rooms
cost from €190 to €310 a night per person, but there are packages available
that work out cheaper.
NEED TO KNOW Les Deux Abbesses Hotel, St Arcons d'Allier,
Auvergne, France (00 33 471740308; www.lesdeuxabbesses.com).
