Welcome Back!

On our 2008 trip to Wales and the Languedoc region of France, we had two nights at Le Couvent, a wonderful B&B in the countryside north of Béziers, run by two equally wonderful women, Ali and Lizzie.

June that year was the rainiest in 50 years there, and it was coming down in torrents when Ali and Lizzie met us at the gate with oversized umbrellas and a very warm welcome that immediately made us feel at home.

We fell in love with the rambling old building, the rooftop six-foot statue of the Virgin Mary sheltering a bee hive in the crook of her arm, the masses of interesting books in every room (my personal idea of heaven), the eclectic art everywhere, our serene and simple bedroom, the heart-of-the-home kitchen where we gathered with Lizzie, Ali, and the other guests each morning for a leisurely, luscious breakfast...

You get the picture. I had to go back. It was on my "bucket list," just as kissing me on one of the bridges in Paris was on P's. Good reasons for a sixth trip to the region of France we love so much sometime in the next few years, we thought.

And when Ali and Lizzie announced they would be taking a sabbatical break from running their B&B after the 2011 season, we knew we had to go this year -- and this time, for more time.

On our first night there, we walked down one of Roujan's main streets to Lou Baralet for dinner. The night was balmy, so we ate in the restaurant's courtyard. The simple Mediterranean dishes were very fresh and nicely prepared, and the house white wine, from a winery only a few miles away, was nothing short of amazing.

We strolled back to Le Couvent replete and content.