Mum goes gaga for arty laid-back Laval
vibrant collection of naive, or primitive, art.
We particularly loved the pieces by Jules Lefranc, another local painter who was also an ironmonger and helped to get the gallery going in 1967.
While Laval is a designated “town of art and history” the countryside is a draw for visitors too.
At Halte Fluviale on the banks of the Mayenne River you can hire bikes to explore the 50 mile towpath trail running between Mayenne in the north and Chateau-Gontier to the south.
With baby Ralph comfortably strapped into a trailer on the back, we were able to cycle an almost entirely flat six mile stretch of peaceful conservation area towards Origne, taking in buttercups, cows and chateaux along the way.
On return we sank a well-earned beer in a deckchair beside the river and watched the pedalos before strolling back to Perier du Bignon.
It’s a whippersnapper of a building in local terms, dating from the 18th century. It was a bit nippy for a dip in the outdoor pool so I retreated to the small but smart hotel spa to use t he Jacuzzi and hammam instead.
This is a city break I could get used to. FACTFILE: Rooms at the Perier du Bignon start from £110 per night, hotelperierdubignon. fr. London to Laval return trains cost from £99pp. See voyages-sncf.com. For more details check out the site mayenne-slowlydays.com.