Reviews
REviews
Penny Betts, isle of wight. may 2018
Just to let you know how inspirational I found my painting holiday in May. The location is breathtaking and the village of Sospel a delight. Since the holiday, I have picked up my paint brushes and sketch book and am enjoying a rediscovered hobby. Many thanks, Penny.
jen shaw, yorkshire. september 2018.
Thanks very much for a lovely week in Sospel. I enjoyed my stay and thank you for your hospitality and lifts and cooking and appreciated you changing arrangements to fit my requirements. As well as the painting, I have lovely photos to work on.
mary king, isle of wight. june 2017.
Relax and paint at your leisure in the glorious top town of Sospel. Scenes of river, mountains, Cathedral and medieval village. Enjoy mountain air, great restaurants and comfortable accommodation with Madame Valerie as your host.
Jim herrington, photgrapher, nyc. july 2017
First off, I can’t wait to return to this idyllic, comfortable house in a wonderful part of southeast France. I wasn’t familiar with the Sospel area until I came here to stay but now I’m a big fan. What a great location… up in the hills above the Mediterranean beach town of Menton (a short and scenic 20 minute bus ride away if you’re without a car).
Sospel feels very off-the-beaten-path and peaceful so it’s surprising how convenient it is, via bus or train, to Monte Carlo, Nice, and the other popular French Riviera spots. It’s also only a few miles from the Italian border. So close even that one morning I woke up early and took the GR510 hiking path, which follows an old Roman road, through the mountains and down into Italy where I found a wonderful trattoria that served me a fantastic tagliatelle alla borragine with a glass of rosato… all for about 6 Euros. And I even found their local swimming hole. Just one example of the many nice diversions you can set off on from Val’s house.
Sospel is also convenient to the Mercantour National Park, one of the great underrated mountainous areas in Europe straddling the French and Italian border. This lies just to the northeast of Sospel and again, is easily reachable by bus/train. From swimming, to hiking, climbing, biking… no shortage of great outdoor experiences in the area.
But you can also experience the mountains right from the large back terrace of Val’s house set up on a hill above Sospel. Great views, such a nice place to share a bottle of rosé with your friends, or alone, while watching the sun set. Maybe you’re there when her giant old fig tree is producing unlimited amounts of perfect, ripe figs… If so, you’re lucky. I must have eaten half the harvest!
The center of Sospel is a short 5 minute walk from the house and it has just the right mix of being small enough to feel like you’re truly away from it all but also has several bars and restaurants where you can get some great food and drink and mingle amongst locals and visitors. It’s a medieval village and it’s nice to get temporarily lost while walking through the narrow stone streets and passageways that suddenly open up on fountains, maybe a cafe… and of course the beautiful old church that is a must visit, inside and out.
Oh, and don’t miss the Farmer’s Market, I think it’s held on Thursdays in the village square. Local cheeses, fruits, vegetables, olive oils, meats… all from the surrounding area. Man, do I miss that part alone!
Val is a great host, that perfect mix of leaving you alone if you want or being there with great advice and knowledge of the area. But you’ll most likely want to hang out with her if you can… fun, funny, smart and relaxed, she’s the added value of the experience.
Recommended!