Several years ago, while on a long-overdue holiday in the deep south of France, Don & Kay Baumhefner unexpectedly discovered the plus beau village of Lagrasse and a riverside medieval balcony gîte they immediately recognized as home.
Read Our Story
A preface to the Balcony Gîte discovery,
Kay and Don’s food and wine biographies, plus both the Come Home to Cooking story and retained articles that share an ongoing French connection.
Tour Our Gîte
A guided photo tour through every room in the Balcony Gîte, so you can see for yourself what all it includes.
Rent Our Gîte
Particular information about rental inquiries with Amélie Dekker, our professional booking agent and property manager, as well as a descriptive list of Balcony Gîte specifics to help answer all your immediate questions.
Kay’s Corner
April 2024
It’s time to spring forward! The earth is refreshing itself with fragrant new growth and colorful blossoms all around, and so should we. Having already embraced the cheerful yellow daffodils that open up their buds right on the day our beloved son was born now years ago, we are delighted to find the bright orange California poppies currently taking it a shade deeper wherever they can find any space to pop up and spread around. And as all a part of this progressive parade, we are already eager to marvel at the fields of blooming beautiful red poppies that will expand to grace the French countryside later this season.
In spite of all the possible challenges and limitations that can so unexpectedly keep showing up along the way in life, may we continue to focus on what actually matters most, to make the most of each precious moment and feel thankful for all we still do have. To realize and celebrate la joie de vivre, as we both move forward and reflect back.
So no matter where we happen to be in any given moment, here’s to harmony, health and happiness for us all.
Cheers!
Kay Baumhefner is a professional chef, teacher, and culinary consultant, who has played a main role in a number of Sonoma County restaurants as well as her own Come Home to Cooking culinary classes. Although cooking remains core to both her essential being and doing, a natural appetite for life in France, and her expanded fresh adventures there in recent years, now compel her to shift her focus to inviting you along to share the experience and find ways to make it your own as well. Read Our Story for more information.
Definitions
A “plus beau village” is officially declared by the French government as one of the Most Beautiful Villages in France.
A “gîte” is a furnished house, cottage, or apartment for rent in the French countryside.
Balcony Gîte in the South of France 