These B&B gems were homes away from home

By Carol Pucci
Seattle Times travel writer

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My colleagues tease me about being the "Queen of B&Bs,'' and rightly so. The bed-and-breakfast experience (eating with others early in the morning, sometimes putting up with old plumbing, shared bathrooms and steps to climb) is not for everyone, but for me, where I stay is more about the people I'm likely to meet than it is about the creature comforts, and so I seek out these kinds of places wherever I go.

Whatever they're called in various countries — bed-and-breakfasts, pensiones, agriturismi — these family-owned places offer great value, especially if you're traveling alone. In some countries, B&Bs charge by the person rather than the room. But more than anything, they provide something money can't buy — a sense of having a home away from home. I find that I remember some of the owners as if they are extended family, and recall fondly breakfast- and dinner-table conversations about everything from politics to food.

From the hills above Lake Como to the shores of Vancouver, B.C., and the back streets of Bruges, here are a few of my favorite finds.

Vancouver, B.C.

It's been nearly a year since I wrote about taking Amtrak between Seattle and Vancouver, B.C., but I still get e-mails and phone calls asking me more about my stay at the Barclay House, a B&B in the city's West End. I would recommend both in a heartbeat.

Not having a car is rarely a problem anywhere in this city, but my favorite neighborhood — the West End, a residential area near Stanley Park, English Bay and lively Denman, Davie and Robson streets — is ideal for exploring on foot, and the cozy Barclay House (800-971-1351 or http://www.barclayhouse.com/, private baths) is my top pick among Vancouver B&Bs. Bedrooms have all the mod-cons, including VCRs and terry-cloth robes in the closets. Not a teddy bear in sight, just adult diversions such as sherry in the living room on rainy afternoons. Winter rates start at $93 U.S.

Mount Rainier

Alexander's Country Inn, 37515 Highway 706 East, in Ashford, won my heart the first winter I visited Mount Rainier more than 20 years ago. Chef and owner Jerry Harnish operated it as a cozy mountain restaurant at that time and a table by the fireplace was the perfect end to a day of cross-country skiing. He added rooms in 1984, and I've been returning ever since.

Winter and fall are the best times to enjoy the lakeside setting just outside the entrance to Mount Rainier National Park. The rooms are small and well-appointed but not overly frilly, and the breakfast is outstanding. The real reason I come here is for the cozy upstairs parlor with a fireplace, a great place to settle in with a good book and a glass of wine. Phone: 800-654-7615 or see http://www.alexanderscountryinn.com/ (private baths). Winter rates start at $89.

Santa Barbara

Something seemed to be baking morning, noon and night at the Bath Street Inn, an 1890s Victorian at 1720 Bath St., three blocks from upper State Street in the heart of Santa Barbara.

My room was the smallest and least expensive in the house and a tight squeeze for two, but at $100 with a midweek discount, it was a bargain considering the array of food that came with it: morning coffee, a breakfast of fruit, juice, homemade muffins and egg dishes; afternoon wine and cheese and tea and home-baked cakes and cookies set out on the dining-room table each evening.

A nice touch was an upstairs sitting room outfitted with a VCR and lots of videos. Call 800-341-2284 or see http://www.bathstreetinn.com/ (private baths).

Oaxaca

Breakfast posed a big challenge for me at La Casa de Mis Recuerdos, a guesthouse run by the Valencia-Gutierrez family in the historical center of Oaxaca, Mexico. I paid $45 a night for a large room overlooking a flower-filled courtyard and a morning meal prepared by a mother-daughter-grandmother team of traditional cooks.

The problem was that I was supposed to be here doing a story about Oaxaca's culinary culture, but each morning I left the breakfast table too full to even think about lunch. The grandmother of the house spends hours making her special mole negro. I sampled it in her tamales de mole. Wrapped in corn husks, they were served alongside a platter of fresh fruit and slices of sweet Oaxacan bread.

My room could have used a ceiling fan, but it was neat and clean and I liked the brightly painted furniture and fabrics. The neighborhood is well-located in Oaxaca's historical center, and the guests, all Americans while I was there, became like an extended family.

I looked at several other guest houses during the week I spent in Oaxaca and this one would still be my first choice. See http://www.misrecuerdos.net/, or call 011-52-951-5-56-45 (private and shared baths).

Lake Como

Earlier this year I wrote a column about alternative lodging and mentioned an $80-a-night farmhouse I found near Lake Como in Italy, where two brothers rent huge rooms with breakfast and a four-course dinner made from products produced on their farm. Many of you e-mailed me for more details.

Here's the info: The Ombria Farmhouse is not on Lake Como itself, but at the very end of a winding road in the tiny and hard-to-find village of Caprino Bergamasco, about a half-hour's drive away. A 1613 stone house has been meticulously restored, with three rooms comfortably decorated with heavy Italian furnishings, all with private baths. You'll need a car if you plan to stay here, and if you arrive on a weekend, plan to put up with some noise. The restaurant is extremely popular with locals.

Call or fax: 011-39-035-781-668. The price has gone up since I visited a year and a half ago. A double room with breakfast and dinner is $100, still a bargain.

Palermo

If I were touring Sicily and flying on to somewhere else, I'd stay my last few nights at Pensione Tranchina in the seaside town of Scopello, a 45-minute drive from Palermo and a direct shot to the airport. Their pale yellow three-story house overlooks the sea in Scopello, a pocket-size fishing village of about 45 inhabitants. Owners Salvatore, who was born here, and his Panamanian-born wife, Marisin, make their guests feel like family. Ten rooms with private baths are simply furnished and a few have balconies with views.

The family makes its own olive oil and orange marmalade, but the high point of a stay here is the evening meal, usually a three- or four-course affair including seafood that Salvatore purchases from local fishermen. Guests gather in a sitting room around a fireplace and drink local wine while the couple prepares dinner. Rates, including breakfast and dinner, are $49-$58 per person. Call or fax: 011-39-0924-541099.

Bruges

Koen and Annemie Dieltiens, both professional musicians, offer guests a warm welcome in their historic home a few minutes walk from Market Square in the medieval heart of Bruges in Belgium. An old marbled black- and-white church floor in the hallway leads to a wooden staircase. The three upstairs bedrooms are quiet and cozy, combining mod-cons such as new bathrooms (all private) and cable television with old-fashioned touches like wooden floors and beamed ceilings.

Breakfast is served each morning around the dining-room table. I remember the classical music and quiet conversation with other guests as a relaxing way to start the day. Special treats were the fresh pastries Koen brought home from the local bakery, a different kind each morning. Prices are $50 for a single room, $55 for double and $75 for a triple including breakfast. See http://users.skynet.be/dieltiens/ or phone 011-32-50-33-42-94.

London

For a trip next month, I've booked a room in the refurbished Victoria home of a Portuguese couple through London Home to Home, an organization I've used with good results.

Anita Harrison and Rosemary Richardson specialize in arranging quality B&B accommodations in private homes. Prices vary according to how far the neighborhood is from Central London. This year I've chosen Fulham, an area west of Chelsea filled with boutiques, restaurants and pubs and convenient underground access.

The rates have gone up over the years I've been booking through this agency, but the room for two I reserved for next month is still a bargain by London standards at $100, including breakfast and private bath. Information: Phone 011-44-20-8566-7976, or see http://www.londonhometohome.com/.

Carol Pucci: cpucci@seattletimes.com

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