April 2019 we made a trip to England and France and scratched some things off our ‘bucket list.’ Chiefly for me, I had wanted to visit Mont St. Michele since 1996, as I didn’t go at the time and had regretted it since.
In planning our trip I wanted to stay in the Normandy area for a few days to see the country side and local villages. I love seeing and wandering smaller towns as opposed to the bigger cities. I enjoy the slower pace, being able to stretch our legs and take our time going where it looks interesting.
We came upon La Ferme Du Pressoir as a recommendation from a travel forum I was perusing at the time. I was really excited to see that it was on a farm and it sounded like an idyllic location. The price was right, especially since we only had to reserve one room to sleep all four of us. Breakfast was provided daily and there is even a small kitchenette so we could cook our own meals if we chose to.
Odile welcomed us to her charming farm. She spoke enough English that we were able to communicate effectively. We were the only guests since it was early in the season being April. The building was built in 1787 of old stone and beam farm style. There is a barn on the property, hen house, another guest house off to the side for families to rent if you want more privacy. There is a communal living room with table and chairs big enough for everyone to sit and enjoy each others company. A small kitchen is tucked away, galley style. It is small but had everything we could need.
The stairs lead up the the second floor where there are two rooms for guests. We had the larger of the two rooms with three beds that were spacious enough for four of us. There are comfortable chairs to relax and sit in as well. A roomy bathroom with toilet, shower and sink were all we needed. The blankets, pillows and bedding were all comfortable and we slept well.
The kids were super excited to see the baby goats on the property. They provided us with hours of entertainment jumping over empty wire spools and each other! We fed the horses with grass that we picked. We got to help collect eggs from the chickens on the property as well. We could never get tired of looking upon the rolling hills and green fields. The apple trees and various other fruit trees had green leaves growing and buds getting ready to bloom. The sunshine was glorious and we appreciated its respite with the cold temperatures. Surprisingly for us, it snowed one day! The kids enjoyed standing in the falling snow and trying to catch and eat snow flakes. The cold outside made us appreciate the warmth waiting for us inside all the more.
In the morning when we awoke, Odile would have an enormous breakfast spread for all of us. She had so much food out, it would have been more than enough if there had been additional guests. She offered us omelettes made from eggs her hens had laid that morning. We had calvados apple sauce a local specialty made on site. Pastries were fresh as she had gone to the local bakery to pick them up that morning. Plates of cheeses, salami, yogurt, fruit, cereal, etc. Coffee as well as apple and orange juices were also available to us.
She offered us wax brown bags to wrap left overs and take them with us on our daily excursions. Another budget win as we wouldn’t have to eat out much the whole time we stayed there. We were able to grocery shop in nearby Villers Bocage which had a large supermarket, as well as laundry facilities for us to do some washing. After our days excursions she brought us some of the calvados apple cider made on property for our evening ‘cocktail.’
A car is necessary as there isn’t any public transportation nearby. It is much more convenient anyhow in order to explore the countryside, especially in the off season. Make sure you bring plenty of change or a credit card for the toll roads and follow the speed limits(we got a speeding ticket after we got back home!)
If you travel in the spring like we did, be sure to pack layers including a parka for the rain, good closed toed shoes or boots that are comfortable to walk in and endure the rain as well as thick socks to keep warm! After spending a day at Mont St. Michele it took us only an hour and a half to get to the BnB. We visited Honfleur one day and explored its ancient harbor and town. Another day we visited Bayeaux and saw the famous tapestry. We also drove around Normandy and the D-day beach in Arromanches. We only stayed three nights, but could have easily spent a week or more at this beautiful and idyllic farm.
La Ferme du Pressoir
Le Haut de Saint-Louet, Bayeux
14310 Villers-Bocage, France
French speaking: 0231 77 20 74
English speaking: 0241 40 71 07