By Wendy Byard
Travel Advisor for solo women travellers

Discover the heart of rural France on this intimate, soul-nourishing culinary escape. Set in a lovingly restored 19th-century farmhouse amid 50 acres of rolling countryside, this week-long retreat celebrates everything that makes Gascony so special — its people, its produce, and its passion for life.

Under the gentle guidance of Adam, your Irish-born host and gifted cook, you’ll roll up your sleeves for hands-on classes, visit vineyards and châteaux, meet local producers, and enjoy indulgent home-cooked feasts that capture the true spirit of French gastronomy.

Between cooking sessions, explore nearby markets, sip Armagnac under the sun, or simply unwind beside the pool with a glass of something local. This is slow travel at its most delicious — a chance to reconnect with food, people and pleasure.

Trip Highlights

• Hands-on French cooking lessons with passionate local chef Adam

• Guided visits to vineyards, artisan markets, and a nearby château

• Taste and bottle your own Armagnac during a distillery visit

• Daily gourmet meals prepared with fresh, seasonal ingredients

• Champagne and méthode traditionelle tasting experience

• Cheese and wine pairing evening

• Relax in a charming farmhouse with pool and countryside views

• Small group experience (max 5 guests) with no single supplements

Where You’ll Stay

Your home for the week is Baron-Figués, a 150-year-old farmhouse surrounded by meadows and vines. With ensuite rooms, a large open kitchen, and a welcoming atmosphere, it’s a place that feels more like staying with dear friends than at a hotel.

Spend lazy afternoons by the pool, join your hosts for coffee by the fire, or cycle through the surrounding villages. Every moment here invites connection — with nature, with others, and with yourself.

Facilities include:

• Outdoor pool (12m x 6m)

• Private ensuite bedrooms (single or shared)

• Spacious kitchen and dining area

• Wi-Fi and bicycles available

What’s Included

7 nights’ accommodation at Baron-Figués farmhouse

4 French cooking classes

All breakfasts, lunches, and 3-course gourmet dinners

Vineyard, château and Armagnac distillery visits (with tastings)

Make your own bottle of Armagnac

Champagne & méthode traditionelle tasting

Cheese & wine pairing session

Excursions to local markets and nearby towns

Return train station transfers from Agen

Use of bicycles and on-site activities

Why I Chose This Trip for You

Because France is best savoured slowly — in laughter shared over wine, hands dusted with flour, and long afternoons spent watching the light change across the hills.

This trip is a love letter to the simple pleasures of life: connection, creativity and the kind of meals that linger in memory. It’s perfect for solo travellers who crave company without crowds — where you’ll feel like part of a small, joyful family rather than a group of tourists.

Come hungry, leave full — of food, of warmth, and of stories worth telling.