These special places are for the butcher, the baker, the candlestick-maker, but not for the mini-bar seeker. The book is for those who appreciate the nonconformist efforts of our owners who have refused to yield to pressures from all sides and who have followed their own passions. You may be someone who usually books unpretentious family-run inns but who likes the occasional splurge in a Loire chateau or a smart Provencal hotel. Or, you may be tired of large chain hotels and be yearning for something more characterful, less formal. We just hope that you won't do 10 places in 10 days. Stay a few days at least and get under the skin of the place.