We have two boulangeries in our village and between them we get 16 different varieties of bread, patisserie, artisan chocolate, home made pastries, pasties and pizza and pretty girls serving, seven days a week.

They also sell wine, eggs and milk and are the center of all gossip and news.

We serve breakfast most mornings to our guests (many are self-catering so we can stay in bed a few days) and I enjoy a short walk (about 45 seconds) to the bakers shops as we live in the heart of the village. I make a separate trip for each guest as they come down so the bread is warm on the table straight from the bakers – they bake continuously in the mornings and evenings, bread over an hour old is considered “stale” in France.

On some chilly winters mornings, tucking a warm (wrapped) loaf under my arm is a very satisfying feeling on the way back.

Next to the bakers at the top of the village is the local cafe – smelling fresh coffee and warm bread wafting down the road is one of the most enticing things in the world, and has inspired me to “wax lyrical” on this blog today.

Sit quietly for a second and perhaps you will smell this scent too.