Some European hotels, like the Midi-Papillon, have been owned by five or six generations of the same family and never change their character. (This, clearly, is not always so. I recall one vey pleasant small mountain hotel in the western Pyrenees at which I once spent a very agreeable two weeks on a skiing vacation which subsequently changed hands and for some years was operated as a bordello. This interesting particular apparently went unobserved by the Michelin inspectors, who never changed their evaluation of the place throughout the whole of this period.) Anyway, the Midi-Papillon is the quintessential small French family hotel. Madame herself presides charmingly over the dining room, the fare is regional, lovingly prepared, with ample portions. The rooms are on the small side but nicely decorated, the bathrooms are adequate to one's needs. And all this comes at an astonishingly modest price. One can get a half pension arrangement (three day minimum stay in season) which includes a double room, a three course dinner and breakfast with lovely homemade jams for just over sixty dollars per person per day. You won't find a better deal throughout the length and breadth of France, but book early, there are only eighteen rooms and they're snapped up well ahead of time. The village of St Jean du Bruel has an imposing medieval stone bridge. It's lies cheek by jowl with Roquefort which produces the undisputed monarch of all blue cheeses. Half a dozen or so caves can be visited, tasting samples are provided so that you can decide which brand will henceforth be your favorite.
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