Unique Sleeping Experience on the Chemin du Piemont: Beds in Giant Wine Barrels

Former member 99290 · Jan 3, 2022

Bonjour.

We plan to walk the Chemin du Piemont in the Spring. Some years ago when researching this camino I read about a gite where the beds are in giant wine barrels - et pourquoi pas? But now I can’t find the reference.

Anyone out there who has walked the Piemont and knows of this gite?

Merci

Vacajoe · Jan 4, 2022

walked most of the Piemont and never heard of that, but the Sandeman Port House in Porto has them in the “hostel” section of their luxury hotel.

Former member 99290 · Jan 4, 2022

Vacajoe said:
walked most of the Piemont and never heard of that, but the Sandeman Port House in Porto has them in the “hostel” section of their luxury hotel.

Thank you I’ve seen this style of accommodation (advertised or referenced) in Portugal and elsewhere - but this Piemont one i read about is élusive now. Perhaps it’s no longer operating or perhaps we will stumble across it. We are awaiting an updated guidebook due out in Feb - so maybe there will be a reference in that

Thanks again

OzAnnie · Jan 4, 2022

Hi Jenny
You made me wonder what they even looked like ..
I was imagining the smaller wine barrels. Lots of pet beds came up in the search.
However , then I saw these massive ones - wow. I’ve just attached 2 screen shots for any others that haven’t seen them.
One in Porto and one in Bordeaux.

Your new plan to walk in France sounds good too - bon chemin

Kathor1 · Jan 4, 2022

OzAnnie said:
You made me wonder what they even looked like ..

Same here

. Those barrel-shaped cottages that you found are massive.

@jenny@zen, I don't know whether this helps. When you put the sequence dormire "botti di vino" Piemonte site:.it into Google Search for Images you get a number of links to Italian websites. You can also modify the search terms, for example "botte di vino" instead of botti, or try it with other words for wine barrels. Okayyy ... that was before I discovered that the path in question is presumably in France and not in Italy. But you get my gist, I guess. Replace site:.it by site:.fr and use French search terms.

SabsP · Jan 4, 2022

Kathar1na said:
Same here . Those barrel-shaped cottages that you found are massive.

@jenny@zen, I don't know whether this helps. When you put the sequence dormire "botti di vino" Piemonte site:.it into Google Search for Images you get a number of links to Italian websites. You can also modify the search terms, for example "botte di vino" instead of botti, or try it with other words for wine barrels. Okayyy ... that was before I discovered that the path in question is presumably in France and not in Italy. But you get my gist, I guess. Replace site:.it by site:.fr and use French search terms.

View attachment 115921

Or around the corner here. For a gorgeous Belgian Camino...

Night in a wine barrel - Toerisme Sint-Truiden

In Haspengouw you can spend…

www.visitsinttruiden.be

peregrina2000 · Jan 4, 2022

jenny@zen said:
I read about a gite where the beds are in giant wine barrels

I remember visiting a fairly large winery in California years ago, and the guide took us through a big shed with lots of huge wine barrels like these. The smell was overpowering and I had to run out into the fresh air to avoid vomiting. I hope these have been well cleaned.

hieudovan · Jan 4, 2022

I never thought of sleeping in wine barrels. However, I never knew that they can be gigantic. I have never heard of Chemin du Piemont. I googled and the Confraternity of St. James says that "This is one of the most beautiful of pilgrim caminos with respect to both the natural and the built environment." Now I am intrigued. If others have information on this route (including guides, websites...), please share. Bon chemin.

mspath · Jan 4, 2022

hieudovan said:
I never thought of sleeping in wine barrels. However, I never knew that they can be gigantic. I have never heard of Chemin du Piemont. I googled and the Confraternity of St. James says that "This is one of the most beautiful of pilgrim caminos with respect to both the natural and the built environment." Now I am intrigued. If others have information on this route (including guides, websites...), please share. Bon chemin.

hieudovan,
This info will keep you dreaming for a while. Carpe diem.

Former member 99290 · Jan 4, 2022

Bonjour. Et merci à vous … for your interest and for links and the wonderful wine barrel photos. And Merci @mspath for the link. That’s one of the sites we’ve been looking at.

.

I’m hoping this wine barrel gite is still on the Piemont and we find it … but, if not, i think we will have to make a point of staying in a wine barrel somewhere, sometime - don’t you agree they look wonderful? And, as @peregrina2000 says, we hope they have been thoroughly cleaned

Though we were originally planning another Spanish Camino this spring, I’m now very much looking forward to the Chemin du Piemont. It’s been on our radar for a few years. Last time we were going, at the last minute we opted for the Madrid Way (which we loved). We were living in SW. France at the time and felt the Piemont was a bit ‘too close to home’ in lots of ways. Now that we have been away from France for some years, it feels right to return to this Chemin. We will start in Narbonne and walk to SJPP and maybe a few days further if we have time.

For all my past Caminos I’ve written a blog for our family and friends - if I do the same this time, I’ll post the link. I’m unlikely to write a blog and forum updates.

A bientôt àmis

trecile · Jan 4, 2022

peregrina2000 said:
I remember visiting a fairly large winery in California years ago, and the guide took us through a big shed with lots of huge wine barrels like these. The smell was overpowering and I had to run out into the fresh air to avoid vomiting. I hope these have been well cleaned.

I had the same thought!

BombayBill · Jan 4, 2022

jenny@zen said:
Bonjour. Et merci à vous … for your interest and for links and the wonderful wine barrel photos. And Merci @mspath for the link. That’s one of the sites we’ve been looking at. .

I’m hoping this wine barrel gite is still on the Piemont and we find it … but, if not, i think we will have to make a point of staying in a wine barrel somewhere, sometime - don’t you agree they look wonderful? And, as @peregrina2000 says, we hope they have been thoroughly cleaned

Though we were originally planning another Spanish Camino this spring, I’m now very much looking forward to the Chemin du Piemont. It’s been on our radar for a few years. Last time we were going, at the last minute we opted for the Madrid Way (which we loved). We were living in SW. France at the time and felt the Piemont was a bit ‘too close to home’ in lots of ways. Now that we have been away from France for some years, it feels right to return to this Chemin. We will start in Narbonne and walk to SJPP and maybe a few days further if we have time.

For all my past Caminos I’ve written a blog for our family and friends - if I do the same this time, I’ll post the link. I’m unlikely to write a blog and forum updates.

A bientôt àmis

Please continue to share your thoughts on the Piemont. It is on my 2022 radar and I've started gathering resources. Which guide book are you waiting for?

carolus · Jan 5, 2022

jenny@zen said:
Bonjour.

We plan to walk the Chemin du Piemont in the Spring. Some years ago when researching this camino I read about a gite where the beds are in giant wine barrels - et pourquoi pas? But now I can’t find the reference.

Anyone out there who has walked the Piemont and knows of this gite?

Merci

It’s the Gîte Beauvoir at Marseillette, 24 kms before Carcassonne.

Former member 99290 · Jan 5, 2022

Yeah! Superbe. 'The system works' Merci @carolus. I will go immediately to investigate further.

And I am happy that it seems that I did not in fact imagine this. Thank you.

Former member 99290 · Jan 5, 2022

BombayBill said:
Please continue to share your thoughts on the Piemont. It is on my 2022 radar and I've started gathering resources. Which guide book are you waiting for?

Hi there - we are awaiting the new Lepere guidebook - due in February. It's in French - which is ok for us because my husband is French

Voie du Piémont pyrénéen | Les guides LEPÈRE

Guide pratique de la Voie du Piémont pyrénéen vers Compostelle, de Montpellier à Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, en passant par Carcassonne, St-Bertrand-de-Comminges, Lourdes et Oloron. Une belle variante au chemin d Arles.

www.chemin-compostelle.fr

Perhaps you have a good grasp of French? If not, I don't know if there is a recent English language guidebook - but there are certainly websites with information in English. And the maps, accommodation info etc are still useful irrespective of the language. That was my experience years ago walking solo on the Le Puy - I couldn't understand much of the text but I could follow the maps and accommodation info which was enough!

Former member 99290 · Jan 5, 2022

A starting point in English for those interested in the Chemin du Piemont

Chemin du Piémont Pyrénéen

A route from Narbonne Plage through Carcassonne and Lourdes, running broadly parallel to the Chemin d'Arles.

www.csj.org.uk

Former member 99290 · Jan 5, 2022

A postscript. With some investigation it looks like the Gite Beauvoir is otherwise known as Le Relais Occitan. See part way down this description the reference to the gite accommodation

Holiday Rentals & Bed & Breakfasts Marseillette, Le Relais Occitan

Informations about Le Relais Occitan Holiday rental & B&B at Le Beauvoir route de Marseillette, Marseillette with photos. Owner: Josiane Le Gall on Chambres D'Hotes

www.chambresdhotes.org

Search results lead me to think the gite and chambre d’hôte may no longer be operating but there is a phone number on another site so perhaps we will investigate further when we are on le chemin.

Merci

jungleboy · Jan 5, 2022

The Chemin du Piemont sounds wonderful as it passes through my favourite part of France. Coincidentally, just a few minutes ago, I finished (re)reading The Burning Chambers by Kate Mosse, who is one of my favourite authors in large part because of how beautifully she writes about the Languedoc (and Carcassonne in particular).

Bon chemin, Jenny and the French!

Former member 99290 · Jan 6, 2022

Oh @jungleboy I think I'd best chase down that book. Thank you.

The French and I have been to Carcassone - just once - in 2018. We were living in Le Gers and my elderly mother visited from Australia - go Maman!! The French and I took her to Arles and then to Carcassonne, among other places en route back to our home. But we didn't see a whole lot in Carcassonne, as we were busy making sure she didn't come to grief on the cobblestones - no mean feat - until Domi eventually persuaded her it might be a good idea for him to push her for a while in her travel chair! About a week later, we spent some days in beautiful Bordeaux where we celebrated her 89th birthday. Wonderful memories. If I'm half as adventurous and full of joie de vivre at that age, I'll feel very blessed.

But back to Chemin du Piemont ... after a period of disappointment at putting off the VdelP for now ... I'm now really looking forward to this path and just this morning started the project of setting up the blog. It always seems to take me ages ... but I've got time.

Any update on your China / Australia trip - I guess that was pre-Omicron. Anyhoo, PM me if you are coming this way.

Merci.

sharon w · Jan 6, 2022

This sounds like it is a beautiful route. I love walking in France so will keep this in mind for the future.

Former member 99290 · Jan 6, 2022

Hi Sharon. I also love walking in France - and Spain. Have you considered the Arles Way / Aragones. Wonderful

Camino Chrissy · Jan 6, 2022

jenny@zen said:
I have been to Carcassone

I also have been to Carcassonne with its medieval fortress. I loved walking around the ramparts that surround the picturesque interior.

jungleboy · Jan 6, 2022

jenny@zen said:
Oh @jungleboy I think I'd best chase down that book. Thank you.

If you aren’t familiar with Kate Mosse, best to start with her most famous book Labyrinth, the first of the Languedoc trilogy (Sepulchre and Citadel are the others). The three books all take place in the Midi and across two time periods where the stories develop in parallel. She moved from the UK to Carcassonne in 1989 and all her books are rich with the history and culture of the Languedoc.

jenny@zen said:
Any update on your China / Australia trip - I guess that was pre-Omicron. Anyhoo, PM me if you are coming this way.

The China part is still on but my hopes to extend it to Australia are pretty much gone. Unfortunately, Omicron’s highly contagious nature makes it a game-changer in terms of how it affects travel, although luckily it seems less severe than previous versions.

SeaHorse · Jan 8, 2022

peregrina2000 said:
I remember visiting a fairly large winery in California years ago, and the guide took us through a big shed with lots of huge wine barrels like these. The smell was overpowering and I had to run out into the fresh air to avoid vomiting. I hope these have been well cleaned.

No worries, the ones used for hotels have never been anywhere close to wine, they are built specially as houses. You can find them in countries that never had a single grapevine growing.

tarredon · Jan 23, 2022

anamcara said:
Bonjour.

We plan to walk the Chemin du Piemont in the Spring. Some years ago when researching this camino I read about a gite where the beds are in giant wine barrels - et pourquoi pas? But now I can’t find the reference.

Anyone out there who has walked the Piemont and knows of this gite?

Merci

My 2 sisters and my husband and I are planning to walk the Chemin du Piemont in September this year - I'll be watching your posts (and blog hopefully?) - will be interesting to see if you find the wine barrel beds!

Former member 99290 · Jan 23, 2022

Ah ... superbe, fantastique @tarredon It looks like a beautiful path - peaceful at any time, and no doubt even more so in Covid times.

We are planning to buy the Lepere guide when the updated version comes out - due Feb. I'm sure could be done without, but we like a hard copy book.

tarredon · Jan 23, 2022

hieudovan said:
I never thought of sleeping in wine barrels. However, I never knew that they can be gigantic. I have never heard of Chemin du Piemont. I googled and the Confraternity of St. James says that "This is one of the most beautiful of pilgrim caminos with respect to both the natural and the built environment." Now I am intrigued. If others have information on this route (including guides, websites...), please share. Bon chemin.

Here's a few sites that I've found useful in planning: