A French road trip with my high-maintenance dog

Transcription

1 A French road trip with my high-maintenance dog How will the luxury hotels of the Côte d Azur deal with the demands of the furry diva, Madame T? By her owner, Gerri Gallagher BY GERRI GALLAGHER THURSDAY 10 AUGUST 2017 This summer, I m hitting the road with Madame T, my 13-year-old Welsh terrier (and copilot). Our plan is to spend four weeks driving through France, something we have always wanted to do. Madame T has spent most of her life padding about the third floor of Vogue House, but we ve gone freelance and decided now is the time. Madame T sleeping on the job

2 So from the damp greenness of Oxfordshire we re heading for the sun-scorched Côte d Azur by way of Dijon, Nîmes, the Ardèche and Provençe. And then back again. Madame T is a lousy navigator, but she s a dream in the car mostly sleeping, but panting and yawning at me when she wants to make a pitstop. This is our story... DAY ONE: From Westwell, Oxfordshire, to Château de Moulin Le Comte, Aire-sur-la-Lys MILES TRAVELLED: 226 HOURS SPENT IN CAR: Five TOP DOG: Our maiden voyage on the Eurotunnel and Madame T s first foray out of the UK. I m an old hand on the Eurostar but a Eurotunnel newbie, and I was thrilled by it: easy, efficient and FAST. GROWLINGLY BAD: The realisation that my right-hand-drive car means that at EVERY toll I have to jump out, race round to the toll machine, take the ticket, pay and dash back before drivers behind me wig out. ME TIME: No me time. Instead, I enlisted the help of a fellow motorist to assist with positioning the blooming headlamp converters. He was even more clueless than I was, despite the directions and diagrams. Gerri and Madame T outside Château de Moulin le Comte

3 7 J U L WE WERE DOG TIRED IN Château de Moulin le Comte, an 1880s brick-and-stone building with a sweeping staircase, five antique-filled guest rooms, nine resident chihuahuas, and all brilliantly close to Calais. This charming former flourmill was renovated in 2011 by Francis Van der Elst, who runs it as a B&B with his son Cedric. Both are dab hands in the kitchen you won t find more meticulously julienned vegetables in all of France. They welcome all kinds of animals: dogs as big as ponies, birds, fish, even a snake on the odd occasion. WALKIES: The gardens here are big, beautiful and fenced, so Madame T wandered and sniffed while I enjoyed a glass of rosé and celebrated not being behind the wheel. MADAME T'S VERDICT: Nine chihuahuas? Ce n'est pas vrai! I didn t see, hear or meet a single one. Book it: PetsPyjamas offers one night at Château de Moulin le Comte, from 70. O 2 Madame T chilling in Beaune

4 DAYS TWO & THREE: From Château de Moulin Le Comte to Abbaye de la Bussière, plus a day in Beaune. MILES TRAVELLED: 378 HOURS SPENT IN CAR: Five hours and 20 minutes, plus one and half hours to Beaune and back TOP DOG: The spectacular scenery of the Côte d'or, between Dijon and La Bussière-sur- Ouche bales of recently harvested wheat (fields of gold) and the albino whiteness of the Charolais cattle and then on a day-trip to Beaune, visiting Hôtel-Dieu, Hospices de Beaune, with its eye-catching pitched rooftop and stone turrets covered in multicoloured tiles. GROWLINGLY BAD: The squat toilet on the A26. YUCK. ME TIME: Wanting to see something other than the A26, we diverted to Troyes. The medieval old town with its narrow, cobbled streets and colourful 16thcentury half-timbered houses was just what I craved, as was the lobster and crab salad at Le Valentino. A triumph in my book but not for Madame T. See below. Madame T in her favourite pair of Jimmy Choos WALKIES: Madame T is NOT a fan of cobbled streets. They hurt her feet (this from a dog who has been known to don a pair of Jimmy Choos, see above). She loved Beaune, though two hours of exploring the parkland at L Abbaye de la Bussière and the banks of the neighbouring River Ouche was just the ticket. WE WERE DOG TIRED IN Abbaye de la Bussière, a wowser of a place: formerly a 12th-century Cistercean abbey (lots of Gothic flourishes, vaults, stained glass) set in 15 acres of private parkland where two teeny Shetland ponies graze. Chef Guillaume Royer has gobbled up every award there is, so many come here just to eat. But don t miss the chance to stay; British owners Tanith and Clive Cummings have got everything spot on.

5 Madame T having breakfast at Abbaye de la Bussière Book it: PetsPyjamas offers one night at Abbaye de la Bussière, from 271 GOOD TO KNOW PetsPyjamas offers 2,000 pet-welcoming hotels, cottages, pubs with rooms and B&Bs around the UK and Europe. Pets go free and a complimentary pet travel kit worth 20 is standard for all stays. All breaks are bookable via PetsPyjamas expert Pet Concierges, a dedicated pack of dog lovers and experts who help their furry customers and owners find the perfect break. For more information, visit petspyjamas.com.