I promised to post about the Bastide des Oliviers in Grasse as soon as we returned from our trip; so here it is.

The B&B and its hosts were absolutely terrific, a 5* place if there ever was one. Breakfasts were excellent and included such things as an apple galette, strawberries with cream, and bakes apples. Our very large, luxurious room (150 with breakfast) was extremely comfortable, as were the bathroom and separate shower room/toilet. Our room and the terrace, where we had breakfast most days, were superb, going across the plain to the Mediterranean. The swimming pool was beautiful, and the resident Airdale terrier was a sweetie.

The curse? The owners have sold up and will be moving near Paris next month. Both of them developed severe health problems recently and are moving to be nearer their children and grandchildren.

In 2004 the curse struck the excellent château B&B we stayed at in Normandy. with the owner deciding he'd had enough of the damp weather. So this is number 2.

It's a good thing we didn't make it over to Kevin Widrow's place in the Lubéron! Who knows what might have happened there??? I think we'd better stick to hotels in the future and not tempt fate again.

Trip report soon, once severe jet lag has lifted.

I remember wanting to stay where you stayed in Normandy and having them tell me their bad news. This IS getting scary!

Welcome home Underhill!! I am looking forward to your trip report.

And the B&B Curse, I have often said I put a curse on restaurants. It seems every time a restaurant has a fantastic chef he ends up leaving the restaurant and consequently the restaurant is never as wonderful. So I understand your pain.

Welcome home, of course waiting to read your trip report.

DH puts curses on his employers - big companies not mom and pop corner stores. He saw three of these companies leave the San Francisco area, one back to France, one to Boston and one to Alfaretta, Georgia, leaving a lot of employees behind and jobless. Two of the companies wanted him to stay with them, unfortunately it was not the French company. That would have been a major life change that we probably would have made.

The Grasse B&B sounds lovely and we would have loved to have a reference like that for a future trip - well at least you have a perfect memory. Maybe they will open something closer to Paris??

Nina

Perhaps, Underhill, you are meant to purchase one of these dream-places! And make the dream permanent

Looking forward to reading more about your trip...post soon!

Kevin & wife are spending some time in the San Francisco Bay Area starting tomorrow. We're getting together with them the first part of next week. I'll let you know if there is any pending "doom" on the horizon.

Stu Dudley

Very nice indeed. Maybe the new owners will continue the same way.
As the website is still on line and the booking form still available, who knows?

Looking forward to reading the next episode..

Boy, Underhill, I was all set to take down the name, given your tempting description! Keep searching and reporting back to us! Even the Red Sox eventually threw off their curse!
letour