Europe Impression - B & B experience in Avignon

Many people have said that you must stay at hostel or at least bed and breakfast in order to experience the real Europe. I found a few lists from airBnB , a website recommended by a friend but none had worked out. I finally booked my bed and breakfast via Avignon official tourism website and bedandbreakfast.com and was very happy with what we had got.  I didn't intent to stay at two different places but with the plan change and the room availability, I had to.

The first night we stayed on a boat by River Rhone. It is on the other side of the river, which is about 15-20 minutes walk or you have to call a taxi to get to the town center, but the experience offset the inconvenience. The host Laurent is a funny guy who practices Qi Gong and Acupuncture and his dream is to go to China some day for these two things. No wonder this place is called Qi. Laurent speaks pretty good English but every time when he switches between English and French, his French accent becomes more obvious. Laurent gave the new guests a formal greeting on the broad to introduce the facility and guests. We also received a city map and some useful tips from him. The pink wine that Laurent used to welcome us was sweet and smooth so I finished a whole glass before I even realized it. Then I was drunk like walking on the cloud!   

The room I booked is the captain’s room. It is a suite with a litter kitchen area, living room, bathroom and the private balcony. I made terrible fried eggs but good veggie soup with the limited supplies we got from Carrefour just to make sure the kitchen was functional. J

Living Room

We apparently forgot buying oil

Swimming Pool

Breakfast on the deck

The breakfast on the deck was gorgeous. Besides the classic croissants, French bread and toast, Laurent also prepared the fresh figs and the fresh dates. He told us that the dates were transplanted from China. Maybe that’s reason why the shape of the date is different from what we had in China. We also had a great breakfast chat with other guests from different countries. I think that’s the biggest benefit about staying at the hostel/B&B. Sitting on the private balcony to enjoy the river view was also unforgettable. 

The downside about this place includes the aforementioned inconvenience, carrying the luggage up to the dock then passing through the narrow sideboard wasn't easy; low ceiling and the bathroom without a shower head holder. One side note is the owner preferred the cash payment.   

comfy mattress

The second B&B BARAILLERIE is in the town center and is a beautiful private home. Our room is remodeled from an attic of the three-floor house. There are glass windows on the ceiling for the light and the fresh air. The room decoration is fairly modern and impressive. I believe the place was converted to a guest room not too long ago since everything in the room looked new. The one exception is the record player and a good number of record collections. I did take the advantage of that and the stereo system was excellent! 
The downside about this room is no shower curtain to keep shower water from spilling out on the floor outside and the restroom, is tiny and you can't stand up inside.

Love the Vinyl Record Player 

Restroom lamp 

The owner Veronique is an artist and a psychologist and gave us warm hospitality. The breakfast in the garden was a surprise! I didn't know I could eat that much. If we didn't need to catch the train, we wouldn't mind spending the entire morning there.  Veronique called the taxi to take us to TGV station. When the taxi arrived, we were still busy on the payment, chats and hugs and didn't notice we kept something that we shouldn't until we got on the train from Avignon to Lyon. Well, now we have got something to do in Lyon.