I hadn't got much of a clue what to expect, but had gleaned information from the forum posts. I met up with some of the others at Heathrow (thanks to the JY luggage labels), and sat near two on the flight.
Tom, our tour manager, met us at Toulouse, and was an absolute gem. Full of local and historical information, and kept us amused with many humorous anecdotes. Always there, but never obtrusive, and quite happy to make very minor changes to the excursions to accommodate the weather and the fact that the Monday was a French public holiday. In Serge, our driver, we were in a safe and steady pair of hands. The group gelled well and generally we all got on together.
The hotel, Grand Hotel d'Orleans, was OK, after all it was French. The lift, although small, worked, as did the plumbing. The shower was easy to use, plenty of hot water, and the pipes didn't vibrate throughout the whole hotel. The staff were obliging and spoke English, some more than others. The bed was too hard for me, as were the pillows, but I used a quilt folded on a pillow to get the right height and support I needed.
Breakfast was good. A good selection of cereals and yoghurts, cold meat, egg, tomato, toast, crossaints, and pastries and coffee or tea, and fruit juice.
The dinner we had on the first night in the restaurant was very good. On the last night we were put in the breakfast room, (no ambience in there) and for me if I had ordered the meal privately and been presented with what we were given I would have sent it back. Not a patch on what we had bought privately in the hotel restaurant the previous evening. Let me add I am not a fussy eater.
All in all, I enjoyed this experience and having already booked my next, it can't come soon enough.
Sylvia