WESTERN EUROPE - Clean Breaks: 500 New Ways to See the World - page 68

094 Orion B&B, south of France
Swing from a hammock on a terrace perched
9m high in woodland near Nice. Each of the
four cedar redwood treehouses at Orion has an
en-suite double room with internet connection -
“Shere Khan” has a round teak bath while “King
Louie” has a footbridge over to the kids' bunkbed
hideaway. Back on terra firma, soak up the
sun on a lounger by a natural swimming pool.
After breakfast on the garden-dining patio, the
owner, Diane, will show you the short cut up to
the pretty medieval village of St Paul de Vence
and how to reach the beaches and nightlife of
the French Riviera. Though venture too far and
you'll miss the intimate Scandinavian-run La
Brouette restaurant, a ten-minute uphill walk in
the woods behind the treehouses. After smoked
trout while the sun sets, stagger back down
through the woods in torchlight to your nest in
the trees.

Need to know Take the train ( W www.sncf.
com) to Nice and then bus #400 to St Paul de
Vence ( T [phone] for bus times),
from where it's a 20min walk to Orion. For prices
and booking see W orionbb.com (reservations
by web only). To reserve a table at La Brouette
(reservations essential) T [phone].

095 La Piantata, Italy
If you wake up not knowing where you are, you'll
soon be reminded that you are 8m up a tree
when breakfast arrives via a pulley. Situated
among lavender hills, this treehouse for two is
a short walk from an olive grove on an organic
agriturismo (La Piantata) near the old Etruscan
town of Tuscania. The treehouse is in the dense
foliage of a century-old oak; there's a four-poster
bed, bathroom, shower and terrace. La Piantata
is also a horse-riding centre and it's just a few
kilometres to Lake Bolsena, where you can hire
sail-boats for the day.

Need to know For prices, booking, itineraries
and directions from Rome, Milan and Bologna see
W www.lapiantata.it; T [phone].

(Clockwise from top) Splendid isolation at La
Piantata; The horse-riding centre; Inside the
treehouse; The gateway to La Piantata