Description: When my wife and I talked about travelling to southern France, Gwen reached into her voluminous clippings files and produced pages torn from Gourmet Magazine a few years ago. The article described Hotel le Mas de Peint, a hidden treasure at Le Sambuc, in the heart of the Camargue, Mediterranean land at the mouth of the Rhone River. Gwen was sure this destination should be be on our final list.
Some 400 years ago, ancestors of Jacques Bon built a home on untamed land south of Arles. Jacques followed his family’s rice growing tradition but moved into breeding of sheep and cattle. Now, with architect wife Lucille, Jacques has converted part of the ranch to an elegant guest enclave. Eight bedrooms, three suites and a central hall with dining rooms and lounges accommodate guests who travel here from around the world.
The rooms are luxurious and comfortable. Food reflects high standards of the Bon family and is prepared and served by staff who would be comfortable in the finest restaurants of Paris. Enjoy breakfast here — this is not a traveller's typical early day meal. We lingered over sumptuous French foods and freshly made coffee, brought by a friendly server in the very sylish dining room.
Décor of the interiors reflects ranching traditions of the Camargue region but does so with grace and sophistication. Simplicity is the theme but everything is complete and combined with extraordinary care. Not one thing out of place.
Outdoors, guests can sit by the pool or stroll through the meadows beside an extended pond. Or, as we did, explore by car, including the salt lagoons that produce fleur de sel, sold for extravagant prices back home by gourmet grocers. It is an easy drive to Arles where you should spend a day exploring outstanding Roman and Romanesque monuments. We enjoyed lunch on a plaza overlooking the amphitheatre, dining on Mediterranean specialities.
If the timing is right, Jacques Bon will invite you to the bull games on his ranch. This is not Spanish style bull fighting. It is the more gentle French adaptation that leaves no injury to man or animal.
Here is one cautionary note about wildlife of the Camargue. Despite time spent in Northern Alberta, we have never encountered more aggressive mosquitoes than those that chased us back to the car from the Mediterranean seashore. Next time, we’ll be equipped with strong insect repellent.
The south of France is filled with treasures. Hotel le Mas de Peint is one of those.
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