‘Poche’ is privately situated in the rolling hills of Gascony.  At a distance from a secondary road, the drive to the house is bordered by centenary Cedars, Linden, Oak and Chestnut trees. Park your car in the shade, and enter the house from the east side, below the gallery.  Take your time; ‘Poche’ has a long history of healthy French countryside living. Previously it was the home of a vineyard estate. Carefully restored to its original standing it is today an authentic and comfortable location for you to stay. Space is quintessential. ‘Poche’ also hosts an artistic workshop and the family home. In the rooms and around the garden you can enjoy the ceramic sculptures and refined tableware of Mart and Maarten, which inspired by nature, and skilfully crafted in the artist’s workshop. The gallery opens up to the garden; feel comfortable in your spacious room with double or single bed, a private bathroom, and ceiling-fans for the warm summer days and nights. For B&B guests, mornings are greeted with coffee, tea, toast & fruit. You can enjoy the breakfast in our homely kitchen & dining room on the ground floor.

As clay artists, we’re inspired by the lush natural setting of this region. There is always a new creative project in preparation in our studio. To take a look at our website, please check for maartenstuer sculptures and mart-schrijvers porcelain on your browser.

Summer is the setting for the very typical “fête de village” taking place in every small town. Join in and meet the locals at a village banquet; the true 'Gascon' or 'Gersois' is conscious of local culture and attached to the quality of life. The Gers, and in fact all of Gascony has a reputation for good food with quality ingredients. We can provide you with the right addresses for real artisanal smoked duck, rillettes, foie-gras, wine and floc. ‘Poche’ is set in the heart of the Bas Armagnac, a registered territory, and is the ideal place to start your tasting tour of locally matured Armagnac’s. The Pyrenees are within reach for a days venture. It is about 100 km to the highest peak of the mountains. You can make it up the Tourmalet or the Aubisque, and feel the legend of the Tour de France. The Atlantic Ocean is another surprising destination for a days venture. The 'Golfe de Gascogne' (Gascony bay) is an endless stretch of white sandy beach set behind dunes and pine forests, that reaches from Bordeaux to Biarritz. Small bathing resorts like Cap de l’Homy are unique and unspoilt. Take notice of the many music festivals in this region, e.g. Jazz in Marciac, August.