Stay on a Lavender Farm in the French countryside

On a recent cycling tour of the idyllic pastures of Northern France, we were lucky enough to find the perfect base to relax and unwind after a day’s hard graft on the saddle. La Paix: La Ferme Aux Lavandes is a little piece of Provence in Normandy, a fully functioning lavender farm tucked away in a quiet corner of Calvados.

What was once some unloved wasteland surrounding a typically Gallic country house has been transformed by the owners into an oasis of lavender, dotted with curious artefacts including an authentic wooden Romany caravan where guests can choose to channel their inner gypsy for the night. Also onsite is a well-stocked café where you can enjoy some locally brewed cider or purchase homemade chilli jam or lavender oil.

For just 60e a night (which includes a very filling petit dejeuner), we had a comfortable double room with stone walls and wooden beams and access to a modern kitchen where we could prepare our meals if we so wished. The wooden stairs from here led up to a lounge area where we could chill out with music or wander onto the balcony to watch the sunset.

On a particularly sunny afternoon, we opted to stay on the grounds and enjoy a picnic prepared by the house. As we made ourselves comfortable in the shade of the old willow tree, relaxing to the sound of sweet birdsong and the gently babbling brook nearby, we were presented with an authentic wicker picnic basket stuffed with all kinds of treats including a crab starter, a plate of charcuterie, some cheese of the region, a warm-from-the-oven French pain, a bottle of chilled rosé and something suitably sweet and sinful for dessert. Mmmm…

Luckily for us we didn’t need to worry about those extra calories as we could just cycle it off the next day. And at La Paix we were perfectly placed to do just that. A couple of lanes nearby lead intrepid cyclists through endless fields of golden crops, where your only company is butterflies and crickets. The lanes continue onto a quiet road where even the most nervous cyclist can proceed without caution. We cycled downhill all the way to a beautiful chateau and encountered many a pleasing fat brown and white cow, horse and donkey on the way.

La Paix is the perfect base to explore the region of Calvados, a rural idyll not only famous for deliciously whiffy camembert but, thanks to those plentiful apple orchards, also the boozy delights of cider and calvados. Look out for signs for cider farms where you can sample the produce. You can also explore the neighbouring towns of Conde-sur-Noireaux, where Thursday is market day, and Clecy where we enjoyed a delicious portion of Moules Frites.

Look out for Part 2 of our cycling holiday in France shortly.

La Paix: La ferme aux Lavandes is situated at 14110 St Germain-du-Crioult, Calvados, France. Rooms from 60e per night. Visit www.lapaixlavandes.com