L'Aubiniere Hôtel Restaurant & Spa ★★★★

We drove south from Orléans into the broad, flat and fertile valley of the Loire, catching glimpses of the extravagant castles and fortresses for which it is famous. We would explore these, at least some of them, all in good time, but for now our destination was somewhere altogether more modern. L'Aubinière Hôtel Restaurant & Spa is located in the village of Saint-Ouen-les-Vignes, a 10-minute detour from the main road. What strikes you first is the curvy contemporary design of the building, unexpected after all the traditional architecture of the châteaux we had passed. An outdoor pool half covered by a curving roof, surrounded by decking and chairs, has been designed to be an integral part of the architecture. Green lawns and pretty gardens surround it all and, apart from the sound of birdsong, there was an all-pervasive deep rural peace. Aaaah! Now we can really relax!

All the rooms have balconies or terraces and we had chosen a ground-floor room to be in touch with the earth and garden beyond the terrace. The terrace was beautifully furnished and the room was pastel coloured, peaceful and oh so comfortable after our long hours on the road. Soft lighting, soft carpets, soft cushions and pillows on the bed… once I lay down for a moment I felt myself drifting off on a fluffy white cloud.  After a very tiny nap, we were refreshed enough for a shower and onwards to the evening! We sat out on the terrace with an aperitif from the bar, contemplating the garden, and we even took a stroll through the dusk to the little stream at the bottom. It was lovely.

In the restaurant, pink and white chairs resembling a Neapolitan ice-cream added a playful touch to the pastel décor, and pink orchids lent their exotic grace to the tables. We thoroughly enjoyed regional cuisine in the form of amuse bouche; La Terrine de la Mer for me and Le Filet de Bœuf de Salers for my carnivore husband. Both were fantastic, and we followed with chocolat ganache and a plateau de fromages, all accompanied by wine from the Loire, naturally. A lovely setting, great food, a soft and super comfortable bed calling us, we could ask for nothing more.

The next day, I indulged myself shamelessly with spa treatments and massages in such picturesque surroundings that I wished we were staying for an entire week. My husband occupied himself with a little cycle tour of the local villages, and alternating lazing by the pool with a book and the odd snooze, I suspect. When we left after our fabulous few days, revived and raring to get back on the road, we agreed on a fourth rule of the road when touring in the Loire Valley: seek out L’Aubiniere Hotel Restaurant & Spa!