Hôtel des Pagodes de Beauval

Once I and my dead cell phone found this place we were not sad. I am on vacation, after all. This was perfect.

The reception area was one of those “almost took my breath away” moments. The photos don’t show it but there was blue Chinese pottery everywhere. The jars flanking the front doors were as tall as I am. I need a better photographer!

That on the right is the front desk. The people were very nice, though I think they enjoyed a bit of a laugh at my French abilities. I was missing parts of my converter so I couldn’t charge my phone or iPad, and they tried to help, but our parts are so different nothing would fit. Twenty-four hours without a phone! At least Mrs. Google had gotten me here.

This is the hallway to the dining room. I made a reservation for the earliest I could get dinner – 7:00 pm. I’d never get used to eating so late even if I lived here for years. I’m a 6pm girl. So are quite a few other people, judging by the number waiting anxiously for the restaurant to open.

This is the outdoor pool, the gardens, and a wonderful playground for the kids. I’d stay here with children.

I’ve been thinking that trying to learn a language in an unfamiliar place and in isolation (without teachers or guides) is a bit like being a child again. You have to experience things for the first time and figure out what it is and what it means. Just last week I figured out how to turn the heat on in my apartment. It’s all new!

I take my bathing suit with me everywhere and have yet to find a pool that’s open that I can use. Maybe it’s too early in the year. Next visit…summer!Here you can see the tall blue vases.

And here’s my room. There was some really interesting chest furniture there too, and a bright red toilette, but of course I was so hungry I forgot to take their photos.

Dinner was great. They sat me near the chocolate fountain. There were two salad stations, a cheese station, a bread station, a hot food station, and a sauce station, as well as two dessert stations. I had three desserts and felt really greedy, until I saw another woman having six! (It was buffet). I would like to take pictures of food and dining rooms but it just feels so intrusive. I was listening to some children talking in the dining room and they were slow and clear. I want to learn French with children!

Here’s an empty bar. There were two bars. The other one was more interesting but it had people in it.

It was a great hotel but not a great sleep, because it just wasn’t home. And the roosters started crowing at 3:49 am! And continued until 8 am. Poor dears are so overworked.

Saturday dawned wet and dreary, but I had a two day pass for the zoo so off I went down the path.At least this tine I knew where I was going.

Love you all.