Les Fours des Banes, a beautifully designed villa on the outskirts of Aix-de-Provence, was designed and built by its owner and charming, vibrant hostess Laurence. The villa is built around the remains of an old Roman oven, and Laurence provides a wonderful breakfast in its spacious dining room and adjoining kitchen each morning, as well as providing guests with expert advice on places to see, routes to take, materials on Provence's many fascinating artistic, historic, and scenic sites. The guestrooms are individually designed and very well equipped with features of the kind one finds in 4-star hotels. A great feature is that Laurence permits guests to access the lovely dining room and kitchen facilities at other points in the day than for breakfast. The setting, on the outskirts, of Aix de Provence is private, pastoral, and wonderfully situated to make day-trips in multiple directions. We stayed almost a week, and hated to leave. Thank you Laurence!