I arrived very late with my 11 year old son as a co-pilot. Not haven driven in France for some 8 years i relied on Liane's directions and then her guidance over the phone on the last leg along the dark country lanes. The gite was cosy and welcoming with a basket full of logs ready for the fire and food in the fridge for breakfast the next morning. Paul baked some fresh croissants the following morning that my son collected and shared with the little cat. The gite was in a perfect location for visiting my eldest son who attends the local college in ruffec. Liane was very helpful in offering ideas for teenagers in France having brought up her own children over there. The gite itself was just perfect with each bedroom offering en-suite facilities fresh clean bed linen and towels. The sun shone and there was a real sun trap round the back of the gite, I was offered a sun lounger and large umbrella as I lay basking in the sunshine whilst watching my son go on the trampoline located in the barn opposite. Both Paul and Liane have extensive knowledge of the local area and where the best offers are; in particularly the best value wines!!! I was unfortunate to be caught up in the french air traffic control strike whereby my flight was cancelled. Paul and Liane worked round their bookings and were able to offer me two out of the 4 extended nights that I had to stay until I could catch a flight home, even offering the use of their computer and printer so I could rebook new flights and print off our boarding passes. In summary: clean,cosy comfortable stay with friendly flexible owners...... Thanks guys.
It was a very relaxing stay in quiet off the beaten track Gite.
The owners were very friendly but not intrusive.
Our children played with their two children though they did not encroach on our stay.
the rooms were clean , bright and modern, done to a high speck in the shower rooms and all the necessary storage etc. anyone would require on holiday.
There was a lovely area nearby with a river and canoeing facilities, for tourists to easily partake in .
There were ample shops nearby by car or a bike ride to the local bakery etc.
Liane and Paul, our hosts, were very knowledgeable and would help with anything we needed to know. I suggest you ask them to fill you in with all the handy hints anyone of French life and the way things go.
A lovely stay and when it got hot they had a plunge swimming pool
We are Liane and Paul. We have 2 children, Ciar who is 24 and Aston 20. We have lived in France for 16 years, It's been fun, but frustrating at times. It took us just over 6 months to find a property to buy. Our first criteria was 'NO renovation' so ended up with a total renovation! It took us 3 months to renovate the gite which we ended up living in until the main house was finished which took another 6 months, just in time for our first visitors which were, fortunately, our family. We decided to rent the smaller portion of the house out as a gite because my mother-in-law, who was meant to come and live with us, changed her mind. So, rooms were going spare. We have been running out Gite/B&B since 2009 and have had lots of lovely people stay and are happy to say they have all enjoyed their holiday here.