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Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Maison Dix

When we decided to travel to the Languedoc region in Southern France our first choice bed and breakfast was already booked for the nights we needed.  We were so bummed - where were we going to stay now?? After looking around online and asking our friends and coworkers for suggestions, Maison Dix was recommended to us.

You know how they say things happen for a reason?

Maison Dix happened to us, and the reason why is because it's awesome.


Greeting us at the door, one of the resident chow chows
From the moment we arrived late in the afternoon on Saturday the owners, Erica and John, were warm and welcoming. This English couple uprooted their lives and made the permanent move to Neffies a little over a year ago and seem to be living the dream. Their beautiful old wine makers home has been lovingly restored to the highest standard. The bed and breakfast is comprised of four guest rooms and a guest apartment. They don't except children under the age of 16 so this is a perfect retreat for adults looking for a weekend getaway.

Upon checking in we were brought right up to our rooms so that we could settle in. We stayed on the second floor in the Syrah room (all guest rooms are named after local grape varieties - a cute homage to the buildings history). Our room was spacious, clean and tastefully decorated. The shutters were closed to keep the afternoon sun out and the terra-cotta tile floors helped keep the room nice and cool. The soothing blue grey walls and crisp white linens paired with the dark wood furniture made me want to pack up this room into my overnight bag and take it back to London with me.




Next we were shown around the common areas of the house, starting with the kitchen. Like the guest rooms the kitchen was refinished to the highest standard. The cream cabinets made me swoon at first glance and it had all the modern comforts of home (I nearly screamed with joy when I saw the Nespresso machine available for guests to use) - and guests can make use of an honesty bar for refreshments and treats (and at 1 EURO each it's a steal). The kitchen opens out into a comfortable living room area outfitted with oversized, comfy leather couches and a large table for those (rare) days when the weather prohibits having breakfast out on the patio. There is also a guest den, with a big screen TV (in case you just can't live without football for a few days), a large bookcase filled to the brim and a selection of movies for you to enjoy at your leisure.






After a quick run into town to grab a few necessities before the shops closed we decided to relax on the patio by the pool. There are various tables and sun loungers scattered along the patio from which you can take your pick morning, noon or night. There is an shaded, outside kitchen and living room at the back of the courtyard where you can relax, play some games or chat with other guests. Most mornings breakfast is served on the patio and I can think of no better way to wake up - warm french press coffee, fresh baguettes from the village boulangerie, local yogurts, sun ripened fruit and homemade jams...I'm drooling now just thinking about it.

There is another honesty bar in the outside kitchen area which also contains your complimentary bottle of local rose wine. One of the best moments of our entire weekend trip was spending a hot afternoon lounging by the pool, drinking the rose wine and playing board games. It really doesn't get much better than that.





If you have more time, or are feeling particularly active, you can take advantage of the gym or the bikes that are available for guests to use. We, unfortunately, ran out of both time and energy. Maison Dix is located in the small town of Neffies, which has a boulangerie, a small general store supplying locals with basics (and some of the best cheese we've had in a long time) and a superb restaurant, Les Goutailles, which draws in locals and visitors alike. We heard there was also a local bar, but after several bottles of house wine at dinner, the most we could manage was to stumble back to our home away from home - Maison Dix.



Interested in staying at Maison Dix? Check out their website here! I'd like to give a big THANK YOU to Erica and John for making our stay at Maison Dix warm, welcoming and perfect in every way! We can't wait to return again in the (hopefully) near future! Cheers!
Posted by tracy lynn at 21:50 Labels: , , , , , , , ,

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