The first time we visited La Lauze, we were in absolute heaven. We are a family of five, and despite the variety of ages in our party, everyone's needs were met and exceeded for the duration of our visit - not an easy feat! The beauty, warmth and charm of the property and the Souquet family cannot be matched. From the moment of our arrival, we were amazed at how lovely and well-equipped the home is, as if every possibility has been anticipated and planned for.
The location of La Lauze is ideal. Surrounded by fields and nestled in a valley, the tranquility of the property is incredible. Yet, within a two hour radius, you will find everything you could imagine - from small medieval villages to bustling cities like Avignon to the Mediterranean Sea; from the Luberon to the Ardeche. No matter where the day brought us, the oasis of La Lauze awaited our return. A typical day went like this: Wake up around 7am, head down to the boulangerie for our baguette and croissants, return and sit in the courtyard over tea and croissants while perusing the schedule of the marches. We haven't been to that village yet? Then let's go!! We would grab the market basket and head out. The scenery while driving through the countryside is beyond anything I could hope to adequately describe - just stunning. Once at our destination, we would do our marketing, and then explore the village. If it was a larger village or city, we would perhaps stay and have lunch so we could do a bit more exploring. Then, back to La Lauze, where we would retire to the courtyard to read and relax for a time and where the children would play croquet, or rehearse 'shows' they had developed. Then, the absolute pleasure of preparing dinner with the bounty we'd found at the marche that morning. We might eat at the dining table in the kitchen, or in the courtyard, or on the terrace outside the courtyard (a favorite place to stage the shows). Then, bath and bedtime for the children, and time for my husband and I to relax in the courtyard or off the terrace with a glass of wine and watch the sun set over the mountains. How could it be more perfect than that? We did spend some days venturing further out and coming home just to roll into bed, but we found we missed our time at La Lauze and would find ourselves sticking closer the following day. Our 'once-in-a-lifetime' trip was so amazing, we had to return, which we did, two years later. We can't wait to return again!!