La Galerie Toscane, B&B in Lasalle, Gard, France

Views from the gallery looking across the valley.

Even a sudden heavy rain was beautiful to watch from the gallery.

You can just see the Galerie Toscane from across the valley.

We stayed for one full week in late April at one of the very best B&Bs ever, La Galerie Toscane, which is hidden away in the Cévennes in the medieval village of Lasalle. We selected this B&B because of its easy access to numerous villages and towns in the Cévennes, because it promised to feature gardens, and yes, because we soon figured out that Geneviève speaks English (and was also willing to speak in a very clear and simple French when we indicated we wished to practice a bit).

The official website gives the important information. The home was reconstructed over a period of time, but the most important changes were made shortly after 1898 in a grand Italian manner after the owner had made his fortune in Italy and decided to retire in beautiful Lasalle. In particular, he created a wonderful balcony, or galerie in the style of Tuscany. We requested the guest room which has access to this balcony and the balcony proved to be one of the highlights of our stay. We could sit there in solitude, reading, listening to the birds and enjoying the views of neighbouring mountains and the valley. We could watch (and photograph) the sudden spring rain in dry comfort, all the while being in our own little world.

The estate's garden consists of three usable levels and is slowly being developed once again after decades of not being used (top priority was obviously modernizing the home itself). The former 18th-century owner bought rights to the excess water from the local public fountain, piping that water into his covered cistern. This enabled his staff to water the various gardens with relative ease as the water flowed from one level to another. The property fronts onto the village's river which regularly overflows the uncultivated lowest fourth of the land, yet it is beautiful to watch.

Geneviève was not just a very gracious host but she is also an accomplished cook, so we enjoyed several evening meals with her, which gave us additional opportunity to learn about the history and sights of the Gard, the Cévennes and Lasalle itself. Breakfasts were always more than ample and very tasty, often featuring a number of local cheeses, breads, fresh fruits, and her homemade jams and jellies. She also volunteered to phone on our behalf to make reservations at special restaurants within easy driving distance in the surrounding villages and hills, establishments we would otherwise have not encountered.

Geneviève delights in showing visitors the grounds and talking about the history of the village, this very special property, and gardening. For instance, since there were times of severe persecution of the Protestants in Lasalle, so La Galerie Toscane included a small closet with a carefully concealed false floor which gave access to a hidden room where the residents could safely hide from the king's men.

Some of my other blog entries provide photos of sights we enjoyed during our week of explorations in this general area: the small village of Lézan, the Château de Fressac, another small mountain village, St Jean du Gard, the major Roman city of Nîmes (we took the train from Paris to Nîmes where we then rented our car for the week), the village of Durfort in Gard, the unusual La Bambouseraie (Bamboo Gardens), the village of Uzès, also Saint-Quentin-la-Poterie (obviously known for its pottery), and the famous Roman bridge and aqueduct, Pont du Garde. There are many other places to visit, all within an easy drive from La Galerie Toscane. We hope to return soon!

Lasalle, Gard, France in the Languedoc-Roussillon region

Some passageways can be used only by pedestrians.

Roads which were once ample for donkeys, horses and carts are barely sufficient for modern cars.






The old narrow streets are delightful when walking and challenging when driving.

The alley in which debtors could walk, avoiding the eyes of creditors.

For centuries, water has been piped into the villages by gravity from a number of pure mountain springs, providing a continual flow of water for drinking and household chores. The fountains are still in use, several can still be used for drinking. One fountain near our B&B (La galerie toscane) had formerly been a public gathering place which was occasionally used as a place of execution when the king's men were seeking to eradicate threats to the crown (heresy and later Protestantism during the War of the Camisards).

Public access to the river was always important. Visitors can still climb down to the swift waters of the river which cuts through the valley and the heart of the village, and when there are sudden bursts of rain, the water can flow from the streets, down the stairs and into the river.


In April 2009, we spent a most enjoyable week in Lasalle, a medieval village in the Gard Department in the Languedoc-Roussillon region in the south of France in the Cévennes. This historic village of 1,053 people was the centre of a flourishing silk industry in the 17th and 18th centuries. The Salindrenque River provided power, the local mountains provided ample water, and carefully cultivated plants nourished untold thousands of silk worms. The industry provided work for the citizens, the silks of Lasalle were sold both locally and sought by merchants elsewhere. Life looked good until a disease ravaged the worms and the whole industry was unexpectedly brought to a standstill. In a sense, the village never fully recovered its former glories.

As you walk through the village today, you notice the narrow street parallelling the river, and the many substantial buildings with large windows which once gave light for the many workers in the silk trade. You occasionally also still see windows at the street level, windows which used to open with small shelves jutting into the street, displaying wares to those who passed by on foot. You will also hopefully come across a very narrow back pathway whose nickname suggests that people in debt to one or more of the merchants used the passageway to avoid being confronted by their lenders.

The village has several very good bakeries, at least one restaurant I enjoyed repeatedly, the imcomparable La Galerie Toscanne (a superb B&B where we stayed, right in the heart of the village), small library, churches which seemed somewhat unused, a weekly market day even in the off season, grocers and newstands.

But more importantly, it served as a hub for short excursions to other local villages of interest, or even for leisurely drives into the gentle but truly scenic mountains. We were visiting while the thousands of goats were tending their babies, but a great variety of goat cheeses were still plentiful and delicious.

Lézan, Languedoc-Roussillon, Gard, France

La Poterie de l'Oliver

Looking up, at the underside of the workshop's roof.

Lézan Village

La Poterie de la madeleine

Lézan is a small sleepy village of 1,073 souls in the heart of rolling farming countryside in the southern part of France known as Gard, or more specifically the Languedoc-Roussillon. We were advised to visit Lézan for its pottery, which can be of a very gentle smokey rose-orange colour with tinges of earthy green around the old markings the workshop has used for generations. The lighting was a bit difficult during our visit in late April, especially in the darkened workshops, so I have had some difficulty with exposures, but hope that these shots give a sense of what the village has to offer.

The largest store/workshop offering pottery is the Poterie de la madeleine just off the highway. They sell both their own pieces and those collected from around the world. The showrooms are excellent.

A second workshop is La Poterie de l'Olivier, another place to obtain those delightful vases made in the old Anduze style from bygone times. Their glaze is unique and utterly pleasing to the eye.