La Manufacture Royale de Lectoure
Imagine you arrive at this place. You stand in front of the gate, and although you have seen the photos, you are not sure if this is true. You ring the bell, and the door opens. Slowly, you step down the stairs, observing the 18th century building, and you know you have come to the right place. So quiet. So peaceful. So unique. But what you see is just the tip of the iceberg, as only after you enter you have to pinch yourself to make sure that what you experience is for real. Everywhere you look, the attention to detail is impeccable. Be it a sofa in front of the window, a fireplace, a basket, or even a book, it all lies so perfectly in their places yet so naturally that you feel like you are at someone’s home. And then you meet Christèle. It seems like she is almost from another world, this creature who has created this truly amazing gem in the heart of Lectoure.
Yet little did she know that after 30 years of working in top home and design magazines in France, she would one day settle with her husband here in Lectoure, in a house spotted by accident seven years ago while vacationing. After four years of profound work, dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s, the Manufacture Royale was open.
I have seen many properties in my life and have stayed in many of them, too, but none of them have had a charm like this. No, a story like this. So unique, so natural, yet colourful. So precise, yet so natural. So in hand with the colours of nature and yet so bravely bright. If the region were not so beautiful, I would stay there the whole day as even the bedsheets are of such an impeccable texture and quality that there is no need to get out of bed. No, maybe there is a need, but certainly no desire to do so. The pillows are so soft, the blankets so airy and warm, embracing the body, making you want to rest in the bed, while the sofa is so comfortable that it invites you to read there all day. But all of that after breakfast, with an abundance of local produce, yoghurt, and cake made by Christèle herself, is a luxury these days when staying somewhere.
I could go on and on about this place, but none of my words and sentences would ever express the absolute beauty of this hidden gem with a view of the Pyrenees (a magical sight). It is an experience to be enjoyed.
