The bedroom sits under a sloped beamed ceiling with one shuttered window. The bed is a standard French double, which is narrower than a UK king and noticeably narrower than a US queen. Two people who like their space should know that in advance.
There is no second bedroom and the sofa is a sofa rather than a sofa bed. This is not a family apartment and it does not pretend to be. Groups of four looking for somewhere central will be happier in one of the larger places out towards the river.
The stairs are the real gatekeeper. Four flights, stone, worn in the middle, with a turn at each landing. They are handsome and they are not negotiable. Anyone with a knee that objects to stairs should look elsewhere, and everyone should think about their luggage.
Noise is moderate and mostly human. The street below is residential rather than a bar street, but this is a French town centre and there are voices, scooters and the market being set up early on market mornings. Double glazing on the street side handles most of it and the courtyard-facing bedroom is quieter still.
Who it does suit: two people who want to be able to walk everywhere, who will cook at least half their meals, and who would rather be in the living town than in a hotel beside the walls with a coach park outside.
