justretired

Perhaps Fodorites can help Margie and me find a place to vacation in France or Italy (for those who don't know us, we're an American couple in our early 70s). In two sentences: We'd like a Table d'hôte / B&B / Agriturismo with an international clientele (not all Americans) in which the guests eat dinner most days at communal tables. The area should have enough interesting things to visit within an hour's drive to keep us occupied for a couple of weeks.

The reasoning behind the above, for those interested in more information: I (Larry) speak French, Spanish, Italian, and a little German, and I very much enjoy making use of those languages to meet and interact with people. Thus I'm not interested in a place where all the other clients are Americans.

Margie speaks French at an intermediate level, but would find it difficult if ALL our conversation were to be in French (when we're together, French speakers tend to talk mostly with me, because it's easier).

Does anyone have suggestions in France? Although we might prefer France for our next trip, it could be easier to find what we're after in Italy. That's because Italy has a lot of agriturismi, and France not so many. Here are some places that we've visited in Italy that we've enjoyed, and that have come close to meeting the above criteria:

La Spinosa, Barberino Val D’Elsa (Tuscany). I think this meets all the criteria, although we were there in 2000, 16 years ago. I don't remember how international the clients were back then, or know how international they are now.

Locanda Casanuova in Figline e Incisa, Valdarno (Tuscany). We stayed there in 2008 for only one night, on our way from Florence to Montepulciano. This had exactly the sort of international clientele we adore, and I think they served communal dinners most nights. But it's a bit isolated, and I'm not sure the area has enough of interest within a 1-hour drive to be worth a two-week stay.

The Fattoria Mosè in Agrigento (Sicily). The Fattoria Mosè was just about ideal, except there's not enough to see in the surrounding area for a two week stay, the main attraction being the Valle di Templi (the Valley of Temples). For a Trip Report, search on "Agrigento" in http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...tober-2012.cfm.

Sant'Antonio in Montepulciano (Tuscany). We spent two great weeks there, and there's plenty to see nearby. But dinner was served only one night a week. Trip report: http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...tober-2008.cfm

Iwan2go

We loved our stay at L'Ombriere in the Dordogne, near Sarlat. It's a beautiful B&B owned by an Italian couple, Andrea and Barbara - he's a photographer and she was a university professor, I believe. We had dinner two nights of our six night stay. The first time our fellow guests were from Brazil, and a few nights later we enjoyed a meal with two French and one Belgian couples. We speak limited French, they had limited English, and it was wonderful (and delicious). There is so much to see in the Dordogne! Loved it.

I do see on the website that they do not serve dinner from June to September, so if those are your dates it wouldn't be the best place.

Www.lombriere.com is the link, I think.

rosemaryoz

In the Dordogne you could also look into Domaine des Faures in Monpazier (but like the one mentioned by Iwan2go, it does not do this service in peak summer) or Le Moulin de la Ville in Beaumont du Perigord. Both are beautifully restored farm complexes, and well located on the edge of interesting villages with good services and restaurants etc, and easily within an hour or less of the major attractions of the Perigord Noir.

justretired

Thanks, Iwan2go and rosemaryoz,

We usually travel in late September and early October, but could move the entire trip into October if that would get us the communal dinners we like. Both of these places sound like good suggestions. We have been to the Dordogne before, and liked the area. You can see our trip report at http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-in-sarlat.cfm

ElendilPickle

I'm no expert, but we very much enjoyed our brief stay at Fattoria Poggio Alloro near San Gimignano.
http://fattoriapoggioalloro.com/?lang=en

Lee Ann

justretired

Thanks, Lee Ann. Do you recall if the guests at Fattoria Poggio Alloro were international, or were they mostly Americans?

tomboy

Perhaps you could refine your request a tad.
I sense you're seeking a non-middle class environment, with the equivalent of 50€ plats each night accompanied with 12€ wines, hobnobbing with European factory owners, croupiers, and the like.

I know a place, however, near Sarlat for middle class French which we enjoyed immensely (2X). We enjoyed a pleasant conversation one time with a drafting teacher from Marseille and a Moroccan couple with collegiate daughter, and another time with some other French folks. Our french abilities ... well, to call it pidgin French would be an exageration of our skills. The food is usually from their duck/goose farm, so their cassoulet is excellent. Farm simple, but extremely tasty. And we are foodies. If that's what you're seeking, advise.

tomboy

Forgot to mention: dining is in a hall. One long communal table, seating perhaps 10 couples, both sides, and perhaps 3-4 small tables, seating 4 each.

justretired

Thanks for your reply, tomboy. I don't know what I said that gave you the sense of what I'm seeking that you described in your first paragraph. That would be at least twice the price point I would be after. The place you describe near Sarlat, particularly eating at a long communal table, is just what I'd be interested in.

In a way, Margie and I have different needs. She would like a great deal of conversation just as I would, but she would prefer that conversation to be in English. She also wants the proprietors to be able to communicate in English easily.

On the other hand, I'm primarily interested in meeting people while making use of my foreign language abilities, and practicing my use of those languages. I'm not particularly looking for conversation in English. I get plenty of that at home.

Tomboy, did the mere fact that I speak multiple foreign languages somehow make me sound like a snob to you? I don't understand why you sensed that I'm seeking a “non-middle class environment.” “Farm simple food” is wonderful with me (although after a while eating in the Dordogne can be a bit like playing duck-duck-goose).

spaarne

Seeking B&B with international clientelle
Posted by: justretired on Jun 9, 16 at 7:53pm

The subject implies that B&B guests are locals. Never. However I have seen very little interaction in the breakfast rooms unless I got it going myself. Travelers generally have their own agendas and time is short.

If you want more international then stay in a hostel. There you will find more opportunities and willingness to chat.

Along the same line, stay in a university dormitory. These have more patrons in your (and my) generation.

tomboy

Sorry, justretired, I misjudged. But better that you know in advance that it's non the Ritz Carleton. As stated, we've been twice, and were we to go back to the Dordogne, we'd stay there again.

Here's their website: my experience is to communicate with them in French. As stated, neither of us know much French beyond the civilities, but there were always 2 or 3 people that would labor to converse with us. We enjoyed just being able with people from a totally different culture.

http://mazet.roland.free.fr/

If you tire of duck/duck/goose, you can always go in Sarlat (15 miles west) for some cassoulet

There's also a walnut oil mill somewhat nearby, if you're interested.

StCirq

Nobody goes to Sarlat for cassoulet. It's not a regional specialty. And it generally involves duck, anyway.

If you want a multi-language experience, you might want to check out the Vézère Lodge on the road between Campagne and Le Bugue. The owners are Dutch but speak English and French and maybe other languages, too. It's an inexpensive but clean and attractive place where visitors of all nationalities converge in summertime. We've had multilingual conversations there with other patrons many times, but it's up to you to engage with other people. It's not communal tables at all, but people are close enough together that you can engage if you want to. I go there when I want to practice my very faulty Dutch.

Meals there cost a lot less than 50 euros and are a combination of Dutch and French specialties. The owners are delightful.

Christina

I don't think the subject implies the guests are "locals" if you mean from the immediate area, but I do think a lot of lower to mid-level B&Bs in France would have more French guests than some international mix. That's certainly the case in any such place I've been. I think it's the upscale places that would have to be written up by guidebooks or known to travel agents that would have some international clientele as I don't know how that would happen otherwise. Unless it were some place known on a particular circuit of some kind (like some pilgrimage route), or were for some language course or something. Otherwise, I just don't know how a particular B&B could be known to have an internationale clientele of Spanish, Italian, German and French people.

I know of some B&Bs that have communal breakfast, at least there is one table, people aren't summoned at one particular time, but not generally communal dinners.

This one in Provence does (has a communal table d'hote for breakfast and dinner), but it is mainly French clientele, which is what I would expect.
http://www.la-maison-du-castellet.fr/

If spaarne thinks guests are rarely French in French B&Bs, perhaps he or she can name some examples.

annhig

The subject implies that B&B guests are locals. Never. However I have seen very little interaction in the breakfast rooms unless I got it going myself. Travelers generally have their own agendas and time is short. >>

my experience, admittedly small, of a french B&B [booked through the gites-de-France website], was the opposite - a communal table, the guests [all french apart from us] very "sympa" and by the end of 3 days our french was much improved.

I think that this sounds like a really fun holiday, justretired; the only thing I'd be worried about is your wife getting enough people with whom she can converse,

justretired

Thanks, everyone, you're giving me some good leads. spaarne, we've gotten a little too old and pampered to stay in a hostel or university dormitory. These days, we need a private room with a private bathroom.

In the places I mentioned in the original post, I did often find mixes of guests from many different countries. It's a little bit the luck of the draw - it depends on whom you happen to hit that week. We've had dinner tables with French, Italian, German, and Dutch guests all mixed in, usually with a few Americans as well. Some of the websites my search has led me to are posted in multiple languages. But during one week in Bonnieux, Australia was in the World Cup finals, and all the other guests in our complex were Australian.

Thanks for your reply, StCirq. If you look at the trip report I mentioned above ( http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-in-sarlat.cfm ), that was the trip where we visited the Grotte du Sorcier, next door to your house. Thanks for your suggestion of the Vézère Lodge.

rosemaryoz

If you want to move around a bit to see different parts of the Dordogne, another beautiful chambres d'hotes is La Libertie, in Campsegret, a small quiet hamlet about 20 mins north of Bergerac. If you like wine tasting, it is right near some of the best vineyards of the Pecharment appellation (mainly reds), and you can have an easy drive half an hour or so north to Perigueux to explore things in and around that town.

ElendilPickle

>>Do you recall if the guests at Fattoria Poggio Alloro were international, or were they mostly Americans?

sparkchaser

Interesting question. I don't have a direct answer for you but I would suggest the following:

1. DO NOT book anything in a Rick Steves Guide

2. Book something published in a Marco Polo, Reise Know-How, or ADAC travel guide of you want to hang with Germans. Be sure to check the GERMAN versions.

3. Do #2 for the other languages you want to speak. This requires knowing what travel guides are geared to those nationalities.

f1racegirl

I just returned from 6 days in Cotignac - which is in the Var region of France, but also part of Provence. It's a lovely little village with at least a dozen restaurants and few, if any Americans. There are a fair number of Brits though. As well as some Norwegians, and perhaps Germans.

I loved visiting the nearby town and markets that seemed to be nearly tourist-free.

Maybe you could look for something in this area?

Sarastro

Interesting that someone would use what is an important travel site for vacationing Americans for suggestions on ways to avoid Americans.

Sparkchaser has the right idea, read Rick Steves books and avoid any and all of his suggestions, particularly hotel/restaurant recommendations.

Use the French versions of sites listing B&Bs and avoid anything calling itself a B&B. Consider the following, choosing listings for chambres d´hôtes, particularly those in someone´s home:

http://www.fleursdesoleil.fr/
http://www.cheznous.com/
http://www.gites-de-france.fr/

Perhaps I am not the only one who thinks it unrealistic to want a host, sufficiently fluent in English to be able to talk with Margie, but one who would not advertise their fluency as a draw to Anglophones. If you want to avoid Americans, find a host who does not speak English and one who requires all reservations be made by telephone. They do exist.

Lastly, consider Auvergne. It´s a wonderful part of France yet one not often mentioned in guide books. Rick Steves has probably never visited there himself at all.