In a perfectly peaceful setting, looking out over the idyllic Suisse Normande countryside from its hillside position, La Maison des Bernards is a lovely, slightly higgledy-piggledy old 18th century farmhouse with enthusiastic, English speaking owners who extend a warm welcome to their guests. The closest city is Lisieux, the capital of Pays d'Auge, the very best place for cheeses (Camembert, Pont-l'Eveque, Livarot, Vimoutiers etc.) and ciders (market days Wednesday and Saturday) and famous for its huge basilica shrine to Ste Therese - of questionable taste and style, it is still an essential visit.  The house is next to a country road and traffic creates a certain amount of noise during "rush hours" and lunchtime, but our own experience is that silence very much prevails during the nightime,  the walls of the house are very thick and the windows face towards the garden, away from the road.

Accommodations: Comfortable accommodation is provided in two double bedrooms, a family suite with 2 doubles and 1 single bed, and a garden cottage, sleeping 5. All have TV and private bath or shower with toilet. The decor is a little faded but the comfort is without question. The cottage has a double bedroom with picture windows looking through the trees to the hillside field beyond, shower room (the shower functions well but is hand held) and small lounge with television on the ground floor: upstairs there is a twin bedded room plus a further single bed on the landing. Breakfast is included in our tariff and, for around 100 francs excluding wine per person, you can dine very well at home in the evening - Danny is the queen of Poulet en Cidre (Chicken baked in Cider).

Ten minutes to the north of St Laurent is the picture book, 15th to 17th century village of Beuvron-en-Auge, one of the prettiest villages in France with intricate patterned half timbered houses and a covered market in which you will find La Pave d'Auge, a Michelin Rosette restaurant. Five minutes drive to the south is the village of Crevecoeur-en-Auge where the 11th century Manor House has been transformed in Schlumberger's Museum of Oil Exploration. Suggested trips include the cheese and cider trails and visits to old houses, stud farms and the picturesque harbour town of Honfleur. Open all year.

Click Go to access our central reservations inquiry form (please make a note of the property code at the top of this page before clicking through to the booking enquiry form)