THE STORY: You’re never quite prepared for encounters like this… Even the most seasoned travellers would agree with that upon arriving at Le Monneton, greeted by its south-facing panorama and sweeping 180° views of the Pyrenees. This little Gascon paradise owes much to Laurence Corona who, after a rich career in the press and publishing, discovered the region when she founded Les Ateliers de Couthures, a festival focused on “living” journalism. In 2019, she and her family bought the old farmhouse of Sainte-Christie, dating back, judging from the remains, to the 16th century, in this small village of just 500 inhabitants. And she has since poured plenty of soul into every last detail of this meticulous renovation, blending antique furniture with hand-painted china and plush fabrics. To welcome modern-day musketeers, the estate’s central building offers three spacious guest rooms, including two charming attic rooms, plus a communal kitchen and living room that open out onto outdoor spaces filled with three-hundred-year-old cypresses, olive, fig and palm trees, rosemary bushes and lavender. A touch of the Mediterranean splashed across this beautiful Gers landscape that the elder Dumas himself would have approved of. Double rooms starting at €140 a night. · Amerigo Clafoutchi

TOILETRIES: Shampoo and body wash provided.

BREAKFAST: As delicious as it is organic, prepared fresh every morning by the owner herself and featuring homemade yogurt, scrambled eggs from the chicken coop, pancakes or crêpes depending on her mood, homemade jam, pastries and hot chocolate made with whole milk, seasonal fruits and vegetables from local producers…

LITTLE LUXURY: Channel your inner Gascon musketeer by going on a bucolic horseback ride through the Gers countryside, suitable even for beginners.