Le Perche; Country Living Just Outside Paris

Trip date: September 2023

The 2nd stop on my month long vacation was to France to see the BFF. And since her and I have spent a lot of time in Paris together I requested to spend a long weekend out in Le Perche, where her and her husband have a country home and spend ½ their time. This is a wonderful area, where the very southern border of Normandy meets the very northern border of the Pays de la Loire.  

I flew from WA DC, using points to fly United Polaris Business Class, and arrived at Dulles airport at about 8pm for my 11pm flight. It was so hot in DC that I was very happy to check into the Polaris Lounge and take a shower! It was a really nice, big private room and it felt great to change the clothes I had been in all day!

I had a light dinner and a martini in the lounge before boarding the Boeing 767-400. I was very happy to see that I'd gotten a plane with the new retrofit which included better seats and a 1-1-1 config. My pod felt very private even though it didn't have a privacy doors like on some other airlines. 

I hadn't flown Polaris before and I was really looking forward to it! Besides the common layflat seats, they are known to have custom Saks Fifth Avenue bedding and mini Away suitcase amenity kits. Well the Saks bedding was very nice, but there was no Away bag or pj's which I thought was odd for an overnight flight (turns out pj's are only on United flights over 11 ½ hours).

Drinks, dinner, a movie, some sleep... and in 7 ½ hours I landed at CDG. I took a taxi to my friend's apartment in the 15th and since I was packed for a month, I did a quick repack for the long weekend and left the rest at the apartment. Then we were out the door to the train station; we were wasting no time getting out to the country!

Unfortunately, the machine at the station I was trying to go through with my ticket was malfunctioning and we were close to missing our train. My friend's husband told me just to go through, which I would have done anyway, but I was caught by a station agent. My BFF was ahead of us and hadn't noticed we weren't with her until she was on the train. As my friend's husband and the agent had a heated conversation about the situation, the train left. I ended up paying the fine and we caught the next train while my friend got off hers at a stop and waited for ours to arrive so we would all be together again! Geez! Not the smoothest transition, especially considering I was just off an international flight!

But as soon as we arrived at the country house it was just all relaxation! Forest put together some tasty aperos and cocktails, while Thibault grilled up some steak and veggies for dinner. It was hot so we sat outside all evening and caught up.

The next day Forest and I went to lunch in the tiny town of Digny; approximate population 1000. 

Afterwards we stopped at one of the local farms to pick up some things for dinner. The farm has a small building that houses a few vending machines so that you can still shop even when they are closed. And besides just offering the farm's produce and meat the machines are filled with literally everything you would need for a full dinner including fresh produce, fresh oysters, wine, cheese, and even desserts like macarons! It wasn't cheap but it was handy (and fun!).

We went into the farm's store and picked up some ribs for dinner that night. And on the way out we stopped at another machine, this one from the bakery in Digny, and bought some bread. You can choose your loaf from their selection, all with varying degrees of brownness!

The next day, we made a quick stop at the town's brocante. In French a brocant can mean anything from a yard sale to a flea market and can be a regular event or a one-off. This was mostly yard sale items from the locals in the commune. I love how a lot of Americans get a bit dreamy of the thought of the French, so stylish and sophisticated, and then you see they are selling the same junk as the rest of us! CDs, kids clothes, old magazines, etc. 

I've done some day trips around Le Perche with Forest in the past, but this time we were going to spend a few nights away, so after she said hello to the neighbors we were on the road. This area is absolutely littered with adorable barely-there towns and I was very excited to explore more!

We stopped at the Brasserie du Perche, which sits on a little lake and offers visitors the chance to rent pedal boats, fish, hike the property, visit the goats and of course grab a bite. A lot of folks come here and buy a BBQ kit, basically a cook-it-yourself experience. But being this is France the contents could be something like a terrine, two fillets of meat, potatoes, 1/2 camembert and apple tartlets. We just had a glass of wine by the lake and enjoyed the view as it was only about 11:30am.

Forest had picked a great spot for lunch; Chez Nous in Tourouvre au Perche is a farmhouse restaurant, permanent brocant, and boutique. We ate outside in their big garden, browsed the antique farm items, and shopped their cute modern housewares. Super nice!

Further down the road we stopped in Belforêt-en-Perche for a walk around the adorably tiny town and then sat for a glass of champagne at what may have been the only bar in town.

We were having dinner that evening at Après l’École Restaurant in Saint-Cyr-la-Rosière but we were a bit early so we spent a little time driving around the area. We saw a sign for a dolmen and, although we have been thwarted by these signs in the past, we gave it a shot and went in search. Again we drove down a road following the direction of the sign, only to come to another sign pointing back where we had just come from. The neolithic Dolmen de la Pierre Procureuse was not to be found (by us anyway) but we did spot an incredible Chateau!

The Angenardière manor, a 15th-century manor house, was most likely British owned until 1449. The grand chateau was built as a residence, even though it looks quite fort-like, and is still privately owned. Denis Gouyon's parents bought the manor and its farm in 1964 and he still lives there from what I could find. Forest and I had gotten out of the car for a better look and as we were walking back she heard someone call. She spoke to them briefly and learned that sometimes they will open the manor during the Les Journées Du Patrimoine or French heritage days. It's really a stunning property!

We got back to the restaurant Après l’École right when they opened and had some lovely wine while enjoying the view on their terrace. Then we shared some fantastic clams, local veggies, an amazing steak, and some local cheese. It was early when we ate, and as we left the restaurant was just getting going with lots of locals who knew each other and the owner. A great spot for sure!

We had about a 30 minute drive to our home for the next 2 nights in Rémalard en Perche. D'une Ile is a 10-room bed and breakfast on an old country farm. We arrived after dark so we only had time to check into our room and then grab a Calvados night cap outside on their lovely patio. 

D'une Île means "an island" and the next morning we could see that the property was indeed like an island in a sea of forest, orchards, and gardens. There is a smattering of buildings, most likely used for farm workers back in the day, now remodeled into rooms, social spaces, laundry, kitchen, etc. Our room was on the end of the room block and looked out onto the gardens. 

When we checked in the night before and I asked for the key I was told there weren't any as it was very safe out in the country. That may well be but the property wasn't fenced in, there was no security, and anyone could have come and helped themselves to our stuff. The room was both sparse and stylish and I think Forest summed it up best by saying "similar to natural wines, they get a lot of press for being unique, but they could always be better!" So there were a few precious moments!

Breakfast offerings were simple; fresh baked bread and brioche, butter, jam, yogurt, coffee, tea and juice. You could also order eggs but they weren't included- which I thought was a bit cheap. The small kitchen and bar has a daytime snack menu, available after breakfast, and then offers seasonal dinners- reservations are mandatory. 

As we wandered around the grounds we saw that there was both a sauna (with a window to enjoy the views) and also a large pool. Unfortunately we hadn't packed our swimsuits so we weren't able to use either. There's also a large common room with wi-fi (none in the rooms and I wasn't getting any mobile service), games, and a library. It's all very quiet and relaxing and literally pastoral. 

But the whole countryside is gorgeous, so we headed off to explore and see more of it! In Mortagne-au-Perche, which has absolutely lovely gardens, we did some shopping and had lunch in a very typical bistro. I'm pretty sure we were the only ones in the restaurant that didn't live in the town, it was quite hopping by the time we left!

Just outside of town sits Notre Dame de Mortagne, a very impressive church that was destroyed during the Hundred Years War and then rebuilt on the same site, completed in 1535.

I took a quick stroll through the church and the surrounding grounds as I never pass up an opportunity to look around churches! I was the only one there too which was very cool. 

Driving around the country here is just absolutely gorgeous. It's green and lush and dotted with beautiful stone houses. There's really no traffic, so it's all very quiet and relaxing. 

Back at D'une Île we relaxed for a bit and enjoyed some wine on their patio before getting cleaned up for dinner, which was served there too. The menu was very simple and served to be shared; beef tartare with XO sauce & mushrooms, salad with fresh baked bread & butter, and chocolate madeleines were included in the set price of €42. We chose to add the optional fried zucchini blossoms, pork terrine, and cheese. 

It was all very good and the sunset was a stunning backdrop!

The next morning was drizzly as we checked out and stopped at a bakery in the nearby town to pick up some sandwiches for the train. Then we swung by Le Mesnil-Thomas, picked up Thibault, and headed to the train station for our ride back to Paris. What a lovely and relaxing long weekend!

All photos from Le Perche here.