Le Coq Bleu House, Baguio City

"French style with Filipino hospitality." This stood out from the conversation I had with the gracious owner of this pretty country home where I stayed for a short holiday. If not for this peaceful and beautifully decorated abode, I would have gone somewhere near and affordable. But yes, it was all about this place! Literally means The Blue Rooster in French, Le Coq Bleu (pronounced as luh-cock-bleh) is undoubtedly the perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of the metro! 

To many travelers, the city of pines would be about Camp John Hay, Burnham Park, Mines View Park, The Mansion and Wright Park, Session Road, or the famous delicacies as their jams in different flavors or the mouthwatering cakes at Visco's, but it was Le Coq Bleu for me first before anything else. Since it was my first time in this city atop majestic mountains, I also took time to visit those famous spots out of curiosity. If I'd be back soon though, surely the whole time will just be spent hibernating in this architectural masterpiece, which the owner herself designed, by the way! 

Cold breeze from the outside, birds chirping, sound of the trees and leaves swaying as the wind breathes through them, and the friendly sunlight are what will entertain you from this cathedral-windowed spot of the grand room! 

View from the loft, which served as the bedroom too. The large windows and high roofing allow enough ventilation while the absence of ceiling and the kind of roofing material used give way to natural lighting. Energy saving, right? By the way, everything in this place is recycled from the basic house materials to the decors, which Chantal, the owner, acquired through the years. 

The formal dining table, I guess! There's another one nestled at the veranda right across the main blue door where my friend and I devoured our breakfast that was totally decadent---home-made yogurt, brewed coffee, fresh orange juice, sweetened bananas, and the "main event"? The pancake! :-P 

The stairs go all the way to the attic, the sleeping area that can accommodate up to four guests. We were supposed to be four, but two of our friends cancelled so it was just Nicole and I for the entire stay. Chantal's office is also located in the loft area.

 L'entree du chalet!

While trying to get a cab via Grab, I happened to browse through Metro Home magazine that featured the cottage and Chantal was noted saying, "No French home is without flowers!" Practically true during our entire stay and most of the time, if not always, the flowers are picked from the garden. Yes, her garden! 

There's an interesting story behind this fireplace. Common to houses in cold countries, this is usually "on fire" during the cold season. Before it became the gorgeous spot that it is now though, quite a few misunderstandings have taken place between the owner and the builder because what she wanted was atypical to what Filipinos customarily see of what a fireplace is. I couldn't remember all the nitty-gritty of that story, but the builder eventually got what was wanted and there it is. They sometimes make pizza at the fireplace! :-P

This bed I thought is the perfect cure for insomnia. In the metro, no matter how tired I am at the end of the day, sleeping past 12 midnight is never unusual. But here, I could unexpectedly sleep around 10pm and not have a hard time waking up at 5am. 

The room has enough space for you to hang your clothes. There's a cooling equipment too across the foot of the bed, but if "the cold doesn't bother you anyway" there's a ceiling fan too! :-D 

THE SUITE

If you're traveling with the entire family especially if with kids, the suite is highly recommendable. It's spacious enough with its own small sala, kitchenette, toilet and bathroom, and a big bed. A nice view of the greenery outside is also a bonus. And if you travel with kids who like to jump and run around, the suite is perfect as the floor is concrete thereby preventing any form of noise that could disturb other guests! Surprisingly, it is of the same rate with the loft. 

HOMESTAY

"French homes always reflect the personality of the owner. It looks lived in, not staged to impress!" explains Chantal in her Metro Home magazine feature. The intention may not be to impress, but my friend and I are totally swept off. Photos especially nowadays can be deceiving, but what you see online is exactly what you'll see in person. This is my first homestay experience and I think I'd like to have more. I wouldn't mind being treated in a posh hotel or resort, but there is something special being immersed into a lifestyle or "culture" we aren't exposed to everyday. There is only one rule: respect the rules and regulations of your host. For us, here's the top three..

1. BE HOME AT 10:00 PM --- Curfew, yes! Not your typical vacation, right? But since it's a homestay, we have to live the life of the owners of the place. They are ordinary people who have daytime jobs. They work and get tired and at the end of the day, just like us, they need that much deserved rest. I didn't experience having a curfew all my life so the experience was quite new, but it was interestingly helpful especially after a whole day of walking and riding jeepneys, etc. 

2. EAT WHAT THEY EAT --- There are times when guests would look for or request for a specific meal, but that ruins the fun, doesn't it? It defeats the purpose of the homestay experience. It reminded me so much of my childhood when my mum would domineeringly say, "Whatever is on the table, you eat!" This time though, the experience is way more posh than I ever imagined it would be. The table set-up, the service, and thanks to Chantal for teaching us how to eat sliced oranges the "sosyal' way! Hahaha Though I hate washing the dishes, it was something I wished I had done there! :-P

3. LOVE WHAT THEY LOVE --- Aside from the things in the house that we need to handle with care, which I believe are too significant for sentimental reasons and probably for value too, those that live with the hosts should be treated with utmost importance as well. In our case, their lovely doggies. I grew up in a compound with doggies so keeping up wasn't a challenge until I learned one of them is a rottweiler. She turned out to be so sweet though, just playful. So they are the poodles---Juno and her son Zeus. And Hestia, the rottweiler!

NOTE: Check more of the details via Airbnb and make your reservations there too!

Meet Juno, the goddess of marriage and childbirth in Roman mythology! Most of the time she stays with us in Le Coq Bleu House while Zeus and Hestia are in Le Coq Floral, the sister house of The Blue Rooster. I'll blog about it soon! ;-)

The dining set at the veranda surrounded by a variation of herbs and flowers. And if you can look through the spaces between them, you'll see the stairs leading to the suite room. 

TRANSPORTATION

Baguio taxis are the cheapest and the most honest I must say! I didn't see a lot of smiles from the drivers' faces nor did I hear them starting a conversation, but two things stood out in my memory. First, they give the exact change. Second, the fare is really cheap. Our place is located in Suello village, a subdivision going downhill from the highway is best reached via a cab for a rate of Php 80.00 to Php 90.00 only. The challenge though is going up to the highway as there aren't many taxis in the village itself. Walking is one of the best workouts so you might want to opt for that! ;-) Once you're already on the highway, jeepneys are a common and they usually stop at the city central, so close to Session Road where all the "happenings' are!

LA VIE EN ROSE?

Not really! Life in the house of the blue rooster, yes! Aside from the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the French cuisine, and the Parisian fashion brands that usually pop in my mind every time I think about France, there's nothing really of a personal experience that I can talk about until I got to live it without having to really fly. The marriage of Chantal's French upbringing or influence to the Filipino hospitality brought by her Filipino husband is a perfect teamwork that make Le Coq Bleu House and the experience it offers one-of-a-kind compared to its contemporaries.

For details and bookings, go to Airbnb  or download the app!

XoXo, 

Red Eye ;-)