My husband, grown daughter, and I rented the flat for 5 nights. The apartment is centrally located and it was easy to take public transportation around Bordeaux. Fred, our host, was very warm and sympathetic.

While his apartment has been renovated (and tastefully decorated), the building has not. If you lean against a wall while opening the door, your coat sleeve will be covered in plaster. There are cobwebs in the transom above the entryway.

While it may be a conscious choice for the host to live without basic modern amenities, our 22 year-old daughter missed having a T.V. The apartment does offer a radio and a dock for an iPod. We all would have appreciated a microwave and a toaster. The heat was inadequate, which was unfortunate because my husband spent a day in bed with a bad cold and had trouble staying warm. Also he tried to take an evening shower once and was dismayed to find that there was no hot water at all!