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BlackBook xxxxx Le Spa des Sources’ sunlit indoor pool and muralled lounge area buildings and she did their interiors,” says Jérôme. Still, the low-key, almost urban hipness of the hotel comes as a surprise, with oak parquet floors accented by mid-century furnishings that include chocolate-coloured velvety sofas, Portuguese ceramics, raw oak tables and oak-framed armchairs with cream, oyster and dove-grey upholstery. “We decided that the Loire Valley needed to be updated for the 21st century,” Jérôme says with a chuckle. If Les Sources de Cheverny is a great base from which to visit the Loire Valley’s châteaux, it’s even better as a place – less than two hours from Paris – to let your mind unwind, get lost in a novel and pamper yourself at the beautiful spa, where the reception area has a gorgeous pastoral mural by artist Claire Basler. There is an indoor pool with sauna and jacuzzi, and treatment cabins offering an array of superb massages and beauty treatments, some of the best of which have made their way direct from Caudalie. At the hotel’s auberge with a woodfired rotisserie grill, chef Frédéric Calmels, who was formerly at La Tour d’Argent in Paris, serves up a delicious daily changing chalkboard menu that runs to seasonally inspired comfort-food dishes like a galantine of guinea hen and foie gras, a tomato and chevre tart and decadently simple chocolate mousse. The wine list showcases Loire Valley wines, including an excellent selection by the glass, but the one not to miss is Les Sources de Cheverny’s own vintage, La Grand’ Vigne, which is made with rare romorantin grapes – a native variety to the Sologne district where the hotel is located. “Now more than ever, the Loire Valley is a superb destination: a place to enjoy nature, breathe clean air, and let your mind go blank,” says Jérôme. “So we wanted to offer another warmer and more laidback way of enjoying it.” Which is exactly what Les Sources de Cheverny delivers. sources-cheverny.com • The low-key, almost urban hipness of the hotel comes as a surprise, with oak parquet floors accented by mid-century furnishings PHOTOS MARIE PIERRE MOREL 38 CENTURION-MAGAZINE.COM PLEASE CHECK THE LATEST GOVERNMENT ADVICE BEFORE BOOKING TRAVEL OR DEPARTING ON ANY TRIP
PROMOTION THE WILD LAPLAND WHEN YOU ARE READY FOR AN UNFORGETTABLE JOURNEY, MAJESTIC NATURE AND SPECTACULAR ADVENTURES ARE WAITING FOR YOU IN FINLAND’S NORTHERNMOST REGION The swirling, multicoloured fireworks of the Northern Lights, snow-covered peaks, pine forests and lakes; no wonder Santa Claus decided to make Finnish Lapland his home. Finnair, from its base in the tranquil capital of Helsinki, flies to multiple destinations in Lapland, taking you smoothly and safely to a world of log cabins, dancing skies and, in places, more reindeer than people. A land of equal parts mystery and beauty, the indigenous Sami people still practise their ancient, nomadic customs in these parts. And while the clean air, epic hiking trails and natural larder are abundant at any time of year, it’s during winter when Lapland truly becomes transcendent. Whether you choose to explore via skis, sleds pulled by huskies or simply on foot, this far northern land of snow, tundras and ancient folklore is a beguiling mixture of the natural and the truly magical. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
