We are a French couple, both in their sixties, speaking English, loving travels, meeting other peoples, other cultures, and other landscapes.
During the European winter (from December to March), we would like to spend time for travelling and sharing our professional experience.
Over the last 24 years, we’ve bought old houses to renovate them and create new guest houses.
Although, with great success, we’ve managed - communication, reservations, check-in / check-out, cooking breakfasts (and formerly dinner), and cleaning the rooms for these businesses, household rooms, we did’nt have the same careers before.
We love both hiking and travelling.
LAUREN :
I studied accounting at university (French Master in Finances and Accounting), and I worked in small companies/businesses for which I created, reorganized and managed their accounting department.
For our B&B La Ferme de Soulan, located in the Pyrenees mountains, I cooked French family recipes, for our guests for every breakfast and dinner, with seasonal produces, and each year I created new recipes.
In our B&B Le Clos d’Argenson in Bergerac, I managed communication and booking, I kept the accounts, and now I am doing the same for our 2 guests house in Brittany.
I love to create for cooking, sewing and knitting, and I love to learn new areas of knowledge – most notably Spanish – yoga (I have got a 200h Hatha Yoga diploma), ayurveda and chi nei tsang massages. And I am trying to learn about gardening !
PASCAL :
I studied horticulture, but my first passions were skiing and golf, and I was a ski instructor for eight winters, and golf instructor for six summers.
During my twenties, I travelled extensively to discover news countries and learn new languages - across the UK, the US, Canada, and South Asia.
To renovate our properties, I learnt from craftmen - plastering, tilling, painting, framing, carpentry, joinery, masonry, all the wood work. And while we lived in the Pyrennees, I felled trees for firewood, and using a tractor and a chainsaw.
For our B&B La Neo Bretonne, I have had to create a garden, sow seeds and plant flowers, vegetables, and trees that I have to prune. I also continue to help people cut down their trees.
I love looking after my garden (2.000m²) – sailing (I own a sailboat), paragliding.
2001/2011 - Our first adventure : B&B La Ferme de Soulan – Saint Lary Soulan - Pyrenees
In August 2000, we fell in love with an old mountain farm, lost in a small hamlet in the Pyrenees at an altitude of 1300m, surrounded by magnificent peaks and valleys.
A lot of work awaited us to renovate the three buildings, and to transform them into a sweet home and guest house.
After 2 years of hard work, we opened our first B&B La Ferme de Soulan, with 4 bedrooms, a lounge with a panoramic view of the mountains and valley, sauna and Turkish bath.
It was a huge success in both winter and summer; with us cooking and serving breakfast and dinner in front of the fireplace every day
A wonderful professional and human experience !!
In 2011, we sold this property - to take on a new challenge : a B&B in a city ...
2011/2020 - From the mountain to the town - B&B Le Clos d'Argenson - Bergerac - Dordogne
After the snow-capped peaks of the Hautes Pyrenees, our choice felled on for a beautiful 19th mainson in the center of Bergerac, a pretty little town with famous vineyards in Dordogne,.
After 2 years of gigantic work, the B&B Le Clos d'Argenson was born.
Another success for us was that the majority of our guests came from the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and the US, and our rating on Booking.com was 9.8/10.
In 2020, we sold Le Clos d'Argenson, to move further north, to North Brittany, near the sea ...
From 2020 - Our actual guest houses B&B The Neo Bretonne - Minihy-Treguier and From 2021 - The 1 Saint Yves Studios - Treguier - Brittany
We found our paradise in North Brittany, near the "Channel" and its wonderful wild coastline !
We bought 2 small houses, the first in the charming little village Minihy-Treguier - the second in the historic center of the small town of Treguier.
Once again, 2 news challenges, 2 different houses, one from the late 60sthe other from the 18th century !! 2 different ways of renovating !!
In the summer 2022 the renovation of the ebuilding and garden were finished, and B&B La Neo Bretonne opened its 2 suites. (see www.bnbneobretonne)
The next summer, in August 2023, the 18th century house was completly restored and Le 1 Saint Yves Studios welcomed its first guests.
These 2 entities are on Booking.com BnB La Neo Bretonne Le 1 St Yves Studios
