Le Closier

A lovely B&B in the tiny, quiet village of Barthe-de-Neste with the most hospitable and relaxed hosts. The house is large, the bed was comfortable and the breakfast was good. There are quite a few places to visit in the area. We ended up driving the gorgeous route of the Tour de France through the mountains, where scores of avid cyclists were training or dreaming of the event that would be taking place there a couple of weeks later. Our host recommended going to the tiny village of Mont and we are so glad that we did - it is the perfect Pyreneen village with an amazing, ancient church.

We went as an eight person cycling group for a week with the intention of tackling the Col du Tourmalet. Reg, Sue and Jody looked after us so well. Reg led us on a ride on the day we arrived and then offered to accompany us in his van (with a bike rack, tools, water etc) on our major climb. We couldn’t have done it without him (2 ending up in the van on a frightening decent). There is a lockable bike storage facility and workshop where running repairs can be carried out. Le Closier is situated north of some major Pyrenean climbs to the south, but also allows for flatter recovery rides to the north. Reg kindly sent us numerous suggestions of rides to do. The hospitality didn’t end there. Sue served up magnificent dinners despite having to cater for two vegetarians and a third person with type 2 diabetes. Jody’s breakfasts of croissants, porridge and scrambled eggs fuelled us excellently on the rides. I can’t speak highly enough of these friendly helpful people and their beautiful accommodation.

I can't praise Le Closier highly enough. Reg and Sue could not have been more welcoming and helpful throughout our stay. They welcomed us after our long journey with tea and cake, and set us up for our journey home with the same. Reg helped us with bikes, routes for rides and even took us on a guided ride through the area. The accommodation and facilities are excellent, with everything you need for a quality break. Sue's dinners are marvellous, especially the fig ice cream. I'll be returning with my family. Highly recommended.