Who needs Languedoc or Provence when you have such a beautiful, undiscovered gem as the Midi-Pyrénées. We say this tongue in cheek, of course, but this part of the world is surely reminiscent of what its more famous neighbours in this part of the world must have looked like many years ago – a bucolic paradise unencumbered by mass tourism. And to cap it all, the area offers places such as the Cuq en Terrasses, an ideal setting to use as a base and take it all in.
Located quite near Toulouse, this adorable place is perched atop a tiny village that surely holds no more than fifteen houses. It may be small in terms of dwellings but huge on charisma, plus the views are an unalloyed pleasure wherever you look out. All seven rooms take advantage of the great panoramas, some overlooking the hill and others overlook the village square.
All views are gorgeous, and so are the rooms which are decorated in a simple manner but in very good taste. Wood, for example, is used liberally throughout, giving that warm, intimate ambience whilst large windows make the most of the beautiful natural light of the area. The garden and pool are lovely too, yet even taking into account the beauty of the house and area, one of the highlights of a stay here will surely be enjoying a meal in the in-house restaurant.
Like the house itself it is simple, unfussy but utterly delicious. It more than mitigated the fact that the immediate surroundings do not serve up many restaurants or places to eat. That’s no great loss when you have the Cuq en Terrasses to fall back onto.