Lisa Quin is the innkeeper for Dormouse House Garden Bed and Breakfast located just outside of Paris, France. She shares how she became an innkeeper.
As most people know about Paris or what they want to see here, I will share a few funny stories...
I moved to France nearly 10 years ago just to have a change(!!!) in my life. I was unmarried, no longer teaching high school (English, French, and Spanish) due to some health problems and had just lost my mom. I just decided to 'up stakes' and move here, taking all my stuff (enormous!). This included three animals and even a car. Eventually I found an apartment not too far from Paris. I did not want to live in Paris as it can be noisy, expensive, crowded, and difficult for an elderly dog to negotiate. Plus, it would be impossible to park and no private gardens! Ao i was happy to be NEAR paris instead.
Eventually I met my Scottish husband, got married in 2000, and we built Dormouse house two years later. In 2003 we started offering B&B accommodations so we could share our lovely house and garden and meet interesting people from all over! We love being hosts!
I have had many women guests exchange emails with me and say, you could be my twin!! - as we have so much in common. Ironically, I HAVE a twin (fraternal) and we are totally different!
Here are a few funny stories. We had one nice couple from Texas recently, and as most of you know,Texans can be big people. Don was telling us how he had broken several office chairs in India on his recent trip to his company's office there... He then sat down to dinner at our table...and broke through the seat!!
We had another big American male guest dine here - he ate very well and was very full but did NOT break the chair, but then went to sit on the folding chair outside and broke through THAT, ending up on the ground. no one was hurt and we all laughed! of course, we have replaced all these seats!
Recently we got an email from a woman in California who had seen our site on ibbp.com and she booked for June...later she read her Lowell High School alumni magazine (San Francisco) and saw...ME! With an update telling everyone where I was and what I was doing! This woman, linda, is a teacher (as am i) and decided to bring another woman friend to stay at dormouse house, who ALSO is an alumni! small world!
The first thing I ask myself when a potential guest writes is, what do we have in common? this is always a good opener and way to become friendly, and it is one of the things we love about having 'new friends' in our home!
Lisa Quinn
lisa.dormousehouse@gmail.com
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