Le Farmhouse Stay - Season 1
- David Dunleavy
- Nov 9, 2024
- 5 min read
Reflections on Our First Season at Le Farmhouse Stay
Sharing our love of the Luberon.
It’s a quiet fall day here in Provence, and we’re still glowing from the joy of hosting guests at Le Farmhouse Stay. This season has been both exciting and rewarding, as we welcomed five wonderful sets of guests to our 18th-century farmhouse and home. We are so grateful for the experiences we shared, and we wanted to take a moment to reflect on our inaugural season before we announce the dates for 2025.
Opening our home and sharing the Luberon, its markets, local restaurants, and our way of life in the south of France has brought us so much joy. We knew we would love hosting -- after all, many friends and family have visited us over the past few years. But our guests made it an even more fulfilling and satisfying experience than we could have imagined.
We’d love to take you through some of the highlights of our Le Farmhouse Stay - Season 1, the moments that stood out, and the things that made this summer so special for us and our guests.
Discovering the Luberon's Charm
During our very first vacation to the Luberon almost 20 years ago, we fell immediately in love with the pace of life, the beauty of the valley, the charm of its villages, the cadence of its weekly markets, and the possibility that one day we might be able to live a life surrounded by this beauty. This year, opening the doors of our home felt like an opportunity to share this profound love we have for the Luberon and Provence.
“We can’t imagine a better experience than to have stayed with you, eaten meals with you, enjoyed your recommended restaurants, and taken walks around your beautiful property. We have shared great conversations and exchanged wonderful stories.” - Lori & Tom
Le Farmhouse Stay is much more than a Bed&Breakfast - we take great care to get to know our guests and help develop a custom itinerary to help them take full advantage of their time at Le Farmhouse and in Provence. We enjoyed recommending places that matched our guests interests, from daily markets, antiquing/brocantes, wine tasting, hot air balloon rides, visiting local art galleries, meeting a local artist, or just taking in the slow pace of life in the village cafés. Watching our guests discover the charm of this region, and seeing it through their eyes, reminded us every day of why we love living here. Some of our guests enjoyed a beautiful guided hike with David from Bonnieux to Lacoste, while others preferred wine tastings or visits to nearby towns like Roussillon and L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue.
“Your aptitude as hosts is fine tuned to address our needs, satisfy our wishes, energise our spirits, all resulting in the perfect vacation in Paradise.” - Leslie & Tom
Exploring the Local Markets
As many of you know, we love markets! One of the highlights of the season was visiting the local Provençal markets with our guests. These markets are the heart of the community, full of fresh produce, cheeses, charcuterie, art, crafts, jewelry and local specialties. It was so much fun to see our guests take as much pleasure out wandering the markets as we do. Many of our guests spent their Tuesday morning at the market in Gordes, one of the most beautiful villages in France. Many took us up on the offer to go together to the Saturday market in Apt - stopping by our favorite vendors, pausing to say hello to friends, grabbing a café and immersing ourselves in this weekly ritual in Apt. And we even took guests to Villeneuve-Les-Avignon for the weekly brocante to search for vintage treasures.
For us, the markets aren’t just about the food —they’re a window into life here in Provence. It was such a treat for us to watch our guests experience the local culture, interact with vendors, find that wonderful gift or memento, and bring back our finds for a casual market-to-table dinner together in the evening.
Outdoor Dining: Under the Stars, Under the Oak Tree, Next to the Fountain...
One of our favorite parts of the day at Le Farmhouse Stay was gathering for dinner in the garden. There’s something special about eating outdoors here—whether it is a simple meal or a more elaborate one, the warm air, and quiet countryside make every dinner feel memorable.
We celebrated several birthdays at Le Farmhouse this season. It was such an honor to have our guests choose our home for their special celebration. We had casual "apéro dinatoire," grazing on tomato and zucchini tarts, charcuterie and cheese boards, and talking the night away on the north terrace. In September, as the evenings were a little cooler, one set of guests requested a catered lunch - and we found a new amazing place to dine next to the fountain and rose garden.
“Our connection to you both and this place touched our soul and enlivened our sense of happiness. As hosts you have the gifts of bringing comfort and true accommodation. And your knowledge and love of your French environs comes shining through.” -Monty & Jerry
Treasure Hunts in Antique Markets
Another highlight was taking guests to antique markets, especially in places like L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue and Villeneuve-les-Avignon. We loved exploring the stalls with them as they discovered unique items like vintage ceramics, furniture, and art. It was fun to watch our guests find a piece of Provence to take home with them, and in some cases, we even found a few new treasures for the farmhouse.
“The Davids - Words cannot express how we feel about this trip. You’ve made us laugh (a lot), cry, think and all the feels. This has been a dream vacation - quite possibly the BEST one ever.” - Diane & Ronnie
Friendships and Memories
One of the most unexpected but rewarding parts of hosting has been the friendships we’ve formed. Over the course of the summer, we found that sharing our home didn’t just create great guest experiences—it also built lasting connections. We’ve stayed in touch with our guests, and it’s been heartwarming to hear from them after they returned home. At the end of each stay, we ask our guests to sign our home guest book - each message a special memory of our time together:
"After a lifetime of travel, where I had a list of things to “see & do”… I came to Provence and Le Farmhouse to “feel.” From the moment we arrived, we were showered with your warm embrace & hospitality. Your home became ours as you introduced us to this place called Luberon Valley! Heaven on Earth “Heart”" - Margie & Neil
Looking Forward to Next Season
As we wrap up our first season at Le Farmhouse Stay, we’re already thinking about how to make next year even better. We’ve got a few new ideas, like vineyard tours, truffle hunts, olive harvest and much more, and we can’t wait to welcome both new and returning guests.
This summer was everything we hoped it would be, and more. Sharing this place, and the life we love here in Provence, has been incredibly rewarding. We’re looking forward to another season of wonderful memories, great conversations, and the simple joy of being together in this beautiful part of the world. We are working on our 2025 calendar, and plan to release it very soon.
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Thank You to Our Guests!
To all of the guests who stayed with us this season—thank you. You made this summer unforgettable, and we’re grateful for the time we spent together. We hope to see you again next year, and we can’t wait to create more memories with you at Le Farmhouse Stay.
