Studio France - The Region of the Tarn

Labarthe-Bleys is a tiny hamlet of 20 or so houses in the Department of the Tarn in SW France. Only 5km from Cordes-sur-Ciel and less than 25km from towns such as Albi and Gaillac.

But the most magical thing about Labarthe-Bleys is its atmosphere. The moment you arrive, you can sense the calm, tranqulity and start to feel at home here. During your stay with Studio France, you will meet other French friends in the village as well the family members of your tutors, enabling you to start friendships and really get a sense of being part of this artistic community.

Through Studio France you can either attend a workshop and/or rent any of other houses self-catering. Studio France do not own all the properties featured on our self-catering pages, but we highly recommend them as either top quality houses in every aspect or indeed excellent value for money - either way, you can rest assured that we recommend each of the properties and will ensure you choose the house which suits you best. The other option is to enjoy a workshop and meet people, then stay on and really get to know this wonderful area.

Albi is only 23km away, and there you can shop, visit the largest collection of Toulouse Lautrec's work as well as visit the amazing St Cecile Cathredral. There are also boat trips, excellent restaurants and masses more to do in Albi, which can easily fill more than a couple of days.

Gaillac has a weekly market which you have only read about in books, it is a working market and not there just for the tourists. As well as the market there is also a wine museum to help you choose on you learn more about wine and its very long history.

Labarthe-Bleys and Studio France prides itself on its cuisine with Pippa Dale and Julia Wilson-Dickson aiming to create a broad range of menus to suit all tastes allowing you to experience delicious local food at its best.

All meals are freshly prepared and where possible, produce from our own garden. During your stay you will sample some of the more traditional French recipes which are classic and amazingly delicious. You will also be introduced to some of the regional dishes where you will find an influence from further South, as well as brand new recipes Julia and Pippa have created during their time in France.

Then dinner is served at La Grange, we often eat outside in the warmth of the evening sun. A typical dinner in Labarthe-Bleys may start with warm goats cheese salad with roast red pepper jam, followed by stuffed chicken breasts wrapped in Aveyron ham, served with garden haricots verts and for pudding, a delicious homemade vanilla ice-cream and lavendar poached peaches.

France holiday, we arrange for the group to spend an evening with Pierre and Isabelle Chatelus, at their home in Chateau Labarthe-Bleys. This is an enchanted evening as both Pierre and Isabelle are amazing hosts.