Sawday’s ‘French Bed & Breakfast’ offers the promise of ‘special places to stay’.

I was seeking an overnight stop on my way to our home in the South, in late April (2014) and I discovered a delightful place in Beaunotte in Bourgogne, through which grounds flows a small stream, a tributary of the upper Seine.

The place is the Manoir de Tarperon, described by Sawdays as “uniquely French” and has “ageless charm”, and I agree. As I do their characterisation of Soisick, the busy Madame who runs this turreted place sitting in its “timeless, rambling, whimsical” garden.

All this is what I experienced, even if my motivation leant more toward the rising trout in the pool above this rather ‘whimsical’(!) old bridge, which I did dare to cross!

Le Revinson is a short stream of only 15 kms in length, and the Manoir has 2 kms of this, and its own tributary, La Coquille. It flows over a pebbly mix of limestone and clay, giving it a little colour over all but the shallower runs.

The sun brought out a small hatch, but the showers soon put paid to that, and fishing for just a couple of hours, I rose several small wild fish, and netted two on small Adams.

Madame’s supper was delicious and was enjoyed in the company of an American couple for whom, the Gallic appeal of this Manoir was unexpected and fun.

Thank you, Sawday’s.