I was in Gascony for the annual Flamme d'Armagnac Festival. Although I only stayed at Chateau de Forces for two nights, I was charmed by my Junior Suite, a round room at the top of a turret with a romantic view of the gardens. The amenities were all first class, from the chocolates on my pillow to the fluffy duvet. I slept like a princess in a four-poster bed and wanted to take the exquisite antique armoire home with me. (It wouldn't fit in my suitcase)
The location was ideal for my visit to local vineyards and the main event at the Bastide s'Armagnac. It was also close to Eauze which as an archeology museum and Auch which has one of the best restaurants in Gascony - Les Jardin des Saveurs. However, it was the bastide of Forces itself that captured my heart. It is the only round bastide out of the over 300 in the Midi Pyrenees, which gives it a certain distinction. The shops are lovely and there's a weekly Flower Market plus a tiny museum of farm implements.
