Family Chambre d'hotes/B&B. Maison de Lavande is a converted farmhouse situated in the heart of the Charentaise countryside. Offering a warm welcome and a comfortable stay in a peaceful village with all facilities and many attractions close by. Long lets and discounts available for stays of 7 nights and over. From €43 a night, including continental breakfast. Cooked breakfasts and evening meals are available on request at a supplement. Situated on the outskirts of the village of Bouin, Maison de Lavande is within easy reach of Niort which is served by the TGV line and the A10 motorway (10 minutes) which runs from Paris to Bordeaux. It is within an hour of both Poitiers, Limoge and La Rochelle airports, served by the budget airlines, nearest port is 4 hours away. Detailed map and directions given on booking. Expect long hot summers and short winters. The region is second only to the Côte d’Azure in the average numbers of sunshine hours annually. Poitou-Charente has a warm, temperature climate thanks, in part, to the Gulf Stream. This is an unspoilt region of frequent blue skies and warm sunshine. This region of France abounds in beautiful cities, ancient villages, rivers and forests. Deux Sèvres (capital Niort) Vienne (capital Poitiers) Charente (capital Angouleme) Each of the 4 departments possesses its’ own regional identity, largely as a result of its geographical location. The western most region includes both flat, grain-producing plains and coastal marshland – much of it a protected nature reserve. Inland to the north lies the celebrated network of tranquil waterways and lush meadow known as the Marais Poitevin, whilst further south the Cognac area is characterized by its wealth of productive vineyards supplying grapes for both the illustrious brandy and its aperitif close relative, Pineau des Charentes. Elsewhere, in northern Charente and Vienne, for example, you will pass through gently undulating fields of sunflowers, maize, rape and wheat. Throughout the region, the landscape also features coppiced woodlands of chestnut, oak, cherry, holly and acacia, lending colour throughout the seasons. Here and there, lone mature walnut trees stand like sentinels. The effect, whatever the season, is both beautiful and rich in its variety.