Darina Allen: Three ways to try the sublime flavours of Southwestern France

"We drove for miles through rolling countryside, undulating fields of sunflowers and sweet corn, grazing pastures with bales of hay and occasional Blond Aquitaine cattle."

If you’re longing for a bit of peace and quiet, it’s super-difficult these days to find a place for a family holiday away from the madding crowd, yet with enough activities within reasonable driving distance to keep several generations occupied and amused. 

Recently, we managed to find just that, almost by accident.