Your Week at Bonté

A simple guide to making the most of your stay
There’s no right way to spend a week at Bonté.
Some guests arrive with plans, others with none at all. What tends to happen, almost without trying, is that the pace of life just shifts. Mornings slow down, days stretch out, and evenings become something you really look forward to.
It’s why quite a few guests come back year after year. Some even end up booking their next stay before they leave.
Most weeks just seem to settle into a natural rhythm.

The First Day

Arrive, unpack, take a walk through the house and out onto the terrace.
Open something cold, sit down, and take in the view. There’s really no need to rush anywhere. If you’ve picked up a few things on the way in, you’re set for the evening.
Dinner is usually simple on that first night. Fresh bread from a local boulangerie, cheeses, cured meats and a bottle of wine. The kind of food that somehow tastes better here.
Then the light softens, the temperature drops slightly, and the sun starts to fall over the vineyards. That’s when it all begins to feel real.

Mornings

Mornings at Bonté tend to be unhurried. Coffee on the terrace, warm bread, fresh fruit and a slow start to the day.
Local markets in nearby villages such as Eymet and Duras are well worth building into the week. You’ll find everything you need for long lunches back at the house, cheeses, charcuterie, fresh produce and those simple things that make eating here such a pleasure.
Some people head out early, others just stay put. Both work perfectly.

Food, Wine and the Local Rhythm

This part of southwest France is all about food and wine, but in a very easy, unforced kind of way.
The vineyards around Duras are close by and wonderfully relaxed. You can just turn up, taste a few wines, have a chat and take a bottle or two away for later.
Back at the house, the best meals are often the simplest. A table set on the terrace, fresh bread, local cheeses, good meats and those deep, sun-ripened tomatoes that taste exactly as they should.
If you feel like doing something a bit more special, having a private chef come to the house for an evening works really well here. It’s a lovely way to enjoy everything without having to go anywhere. I’m always happy to help arrange that.

Days Out, Gently Done

Most guests pick one or two days to head out and explore a little more.
The surrounding area is dotted with beautiful bastide towns, places where you can wander slowly and really feel the history. Honey coloured stone buildings soaking up the sun, small squares opening out onto cafés, everything moving at a gentle pace.
The historic town of Bergerac is also within easy reach, with its riverside setting, markets and relaxed restaurants.
In the summer months, the night markets are a real highlight. Long communal tables, live music, wine tasting and pop up food stalls. People gather, eat, drink, and before long there’s dancing and it carries on late into the night. It’s simple, authentic and just a really nice way to spend an evening.
For something a bit different, some guests head off for a day on the river, a gentle canoe trip along the Dordogne, drifting past wooded banks and the occasional château rising above the water. It’s an easy way to see the area from a completely different perspective.
A late morning wine tasting followed by a long lunch in a nearby village often becomes one of those standout days. Saint-Émilion is a great example, a beautiful hilltop village with terraces spilling out into the sunshine. Outdoor dining is just how things are done here, long, relaxed and unhurried.

Afternoons

Afternoons tend to drift.
Time by the pool, a book in the shade, something cold to drink and not much urgency to do anything else.
Children usually disappear happily into the pool for hours, while others settle into a lounger or move between sun and shade. It’s that easy kind of time that seems to suit everyone.

Evenings

Evenings are where Bonté really comes into its own.
The air softens, the light fades, and everything moves outside.
A BBQ as the sun sets over the vines, a glass of wine in hand, the table set on the terrace. Children still in the pool, laughter drifting across the garden, while others unwind in one of the hot tubs as the day winds down.
Later, the terrace is lit by soft string lights, the warmth of the evening lingers, and conversations just carry on as the wine flows and the pace slows even further.
A simple game of pétanque often appears at some point, more for fun than competition, and somehow ends up being one of those moments everyone remembers.

A Simple Way to Shape the Week

If it helps, most weeks seem to find their own balance.
A couple of days exploring
A couple of meals out
One or two vineyard visits
And the rest of the time just enjoying the house
That’s usually more than enough.

Before You Arrive

If there’s anything you’d like to arrange in advance, vineyard visits, a chef for an evening or a few restaurant reservations, just let me know.
I’m very happy to help shape things around what you enjoy so everything feels easy once you arrive.

And Then It Ends the Same Way

Most stays at Bonté end the same way they begin, just with a slightly slower pace.
Outside, a drink in hand, the terrace softly lit, the last of the evening warmth still in the air, watching the sun drop over the vineyards and wondering how the week went so quickly.
It’s often at that point people start thinking about coming back.
If you’d like any recommendations or help planning your week, just let me know.
Many thanks
Jim