Le Clos: Charming Centuries-Old Wine Maker's Cottage Amboise Vacation Rental by Owner Listing 35061

Le Clos with its secluded courtyard, ready for your picnics

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Location: Amboise, Centre-Loire Valley, France, Europe (125 miles/200 km SW of Paris, 19 miles/30 km E of Tours)

Accommodations:  Stone Cottage, 2 Bedrooms + Convertible bed(s), 2 Baths (Sleeps 4-6)

Fourteen years ago, when we first saw “Le Clos,” it was love at first sight! This is a stone double-cottage surrounded by gardens, with all of its historic charm intact, but beautifully restored and with all the modern conveniences added (including new plumbing, all-new electric service, and new, state-of-the-art central air and heat).

Overlooking the Loire River in a picturesque hamlet, in the zone recently listed as one of the UNESCO World Heritage sites, this is the perfect starting point for an enchanting visit to France’s glorious historical past. The “royal river” flows majestically through its castle-studded valley and past the foot of the hillside where “Le Clos” nestles among the vines and flowers.

Inside this non-smoking cottage, you are greeted by the cheerful, fully-equipped kitchen and the ample dining area (seating up to eight). The stairway leads up to the loft bedroom with a double bed (and its very good, firm mattress) and dormer windows looking out over the Loire valley to the north and the secluded courtyard to the south.

Adjoining the dining area is the living room with fireplace, convertible sofa which sleeps 2--but remember, it's just a sofa bed!--, and French doors opening onto the courtyard on one side and onto a stone staircase leading to the lower garden on the other. From the living room, the stairs lead to the twin-bedded upper bedroom (again, 2 new, firm mattresses) and its connecting bath with shower.

Outside, we have planted the garden with roses, fruit trees, herbs, flowering shrubs and annuals. Depending on the time of year, you can help yourself to cherries, plums, grapes, apples or figs. We love to relax under the rose arbor while enjoying some of the local specialties which abound here in the “Garden of France,” and which you can choose at the twice-weekly Amboise farmers’ market (one of the most popular in the area).

Discover the sparkling white wines of Vouvray and Montlouis, the full-bodied reds of Chinon and Bourgueil, the cheeses and charcuterie for which the area is famous. An on-site “tasting” visit to some of the many producers is a rewarding and delightful experience.

The area is also famous for its wonderful restaurants in all price ranges, from the deliciously simple to the gastronomical splurge.

Culture and history buffs might like to know that our little hamlet was once a refuge from the hectic Paris art scene. Picasso, Matisse, Marie Laurencin, Cocteau, Poulenc, and others spent time in the houses on either side of us, visiting with Guillaume Apollinaire's widow ("La Jolie Rousse," from the poem by the same name), and the painter/sculptor couple, Paul & Gertrude Bret,

We’ve totally succumbed to the enchantment of our little corner of Touraine and all it has to offer, and we think you’ll love it, too.

Michael & Lenita Locey

Vacation Rental Features

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• Amenities
  • Air Conditioning: state-of-the-art central heating and air, installed in Spring, 2007
  • Washer: in home
  • Dryer: in home
  • Linens Provided: luxury high-thread count sheets, down pillows and comforters, oversized bath towels
  • Off Street Parking: parking within the enclosed property
  • Wood Fireplace: With glass door.
• Beds
  • Double Bed: with firm mattress
  • Twin/Single Bed (2) : with firm mattresses
  • Convertible Bed
  • Crib: 60 cm x 120 cm folding crib, available on request
• Entertainment
  • Cable/Satellite TV (2) : satellite with CNN, Sky News, plus French channels
  • DVD
  • VCR
  • Video Library: Various movies in English on DVD. Several children's movies included.
  • CD Player
  • Stereo System
• Kitchen
  • Full Kitchen
  • Cooking Utensils Provided
  • Refrigerator: full size fridge with freezer
  • Dishwasher
  • Microwave
• Outdoor Features
  • Gas/Electric BBQ Grill
  • Deck/Patio
  • Gazebo: The rose-covered "gloriette," with its view of the Loire river, provides an excellent spot for a relaxing aperitif.
• View/Location
  • Water View: House overlooks the Loire River and flood plain
  • Monument View
• Communications
  • Telephone: Free local and national calls (to fixed phones only)
  • Free Long Distance: Free calls to fixed and cellular phones in USA (except Hawaii and Alaska) and Canada, and to fixed phones in other EU countries, Australia, Singapore
  • Computer: HP laptop if you don't have your own laptop with wi-fi
  • Broadband Internet: DLS for your WiFi enabled lap-top
  • WiFi (Wireless Internet)
• Other Amenities
  • TV with parabola receiving CNN and BBC, DVD (with various movies in English), Full gourmet Kitchen, Freezer, Cuisinart, Toaster, Kettle, Luxury linens provided, high-speed internet connection for your wi-fi laptop, many guidebooks and documentation of local attractions, secluded patio with garden furniture, Optional housekeeping service available at extra charge
• Suitability
  • Pet Friendly: Large garden, fully enclosed.
  • Not Suitable for Children: Not suitable for very young children (toddlers) because of steps and stairways.
  • Smoking Not Allowed
• Activities (on site and nearby)
  • Golf
  • Tennis
  • Theme Park (Amusement Park)
  • Sightseeing
  • Restaurants
  • Kayaking
  • Biking
  • Hiking
  • Antiquing
  • Cinemas/Movie Theaters
  • Museums
• Other Activities
  • Besides the well-documented cultural outings (castles, many with sound and light shows, of Amboise, Chenonceau, Chambord, Blois, Chaumont, Azay-le-Rideau, Usse, Villandry, to name a few, the home of Leonardo da Vinci in Amboise, numerous museums, monuments, and open-air markets in Tours), there are many recreational attractions as well, the aquarium, the mini-chateaux, Fantasy Forest (an amusement park for children), and swimming within fifteen minutes of the house, Dining out becomes a fine art with many nearby restaurants in all price ranges, from the deliciously simple to the gastronomical splurge, For the shoppers, there are many gift and specialty shops in town and large department stores in Tours, plus regular flea markets and special town fairs with their parades, medieval jousts, or vide-grenier (village-wide flea markets) in Spring and Summer

Rate Details (In Euros)

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Personal Currency Assistant™

Weekly prices (including a bottle of sparkling wine for your arrival):
Low Season ..... Oct 01-Mar 31 ..  850 €/week (minimum 1 week)
Middle Season .. Apr 01-May 31 ..  900 €/week (minimum 1 week)
High Season .... Jun 01-Sep 30 ..  950 €/week (minimum 5 days)
Ask us about reductions for stays of two weeks or longer.
Pay by check or PayPal in dollars, bank transfer or check in euros.
There is a $200 security deposit,entirely refunded with no loss, damage,
deterioration of equipment, or non-included phone usage

Note: Until confirmed, rates are subject to change without notice.

Property Photos

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Guest Comments (16)

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• 08/23/09
  Positive Rating
  Annie-May de Bresson , Berkeley, CA & Paris, France
  • We spent an idyllic week at "le Clos" du Haut Chandon. We were so content in the house that we lingered there most of the day and did our sight-seeing in the late afternoon and evening when the tourists had left and avoiding the heat of the day. A good plan for August! Figs, mirabelles, apples & roses....wish I had had time to make some jam! Market in Amboise, Chenonceau by boat, then almost alone in the chateau in the evening, a magic trip in a hot-air balloon, everything from a Ferme-auberge to a Michelin one star for dinners, but also whole days "at home" with breakfast & lunch in the rose arbor, soft lingering evenings in the garden though we loved the coziness of the house. Hope we will be back!
• 07/04/09
  Positive Rating
  Don Rinehart , Washington DC
  • My wife and I spent two weeks in June '09 at Le Clos. It was precisely the kind of small town countryside place in the Loire that we were looking for. A real trip back in time. We had a great vacation and were impressed with the considerable help of Lenita Locey.
• 08/23/08
  Positive Rating
  judy borejdo , dallas, texas
  • Perfect location ...just on the outskirts of Amboise ..excellent for castle hopping. The cottage is romantic yet practical. Well equipped kitchen great patio for alfresco dining. I offered to buy the place if the owners were willing...no such luck.
• 07/16/08
  Positive Rating
  ,
  • My husband and I and our two grown sons had a wonderful time visiting the Loire Valley while staying at Le Clos. We found the cottage to be comfortable, charming, and well appointed. Pascal and Pascale were very helpful and personable as well. We hope to be able to return for a longer stay sometime.
• 05/16/08
  Positive Rating
  Jeff & Teena Baldrige , Springboro, Ohio USA
  • Our family had a wonderful rural France adventure courtesy of Michael and Lenita's lovely villa. It was everything I'd hoped and dreamt about. After 7 years in Europe in the service my family and I longed to once again enjoy Europe. France was never so lovely; the Loire valley never more beautiful, and all via the quaint cottage perched upon a hill in a small little village full of charm. Go and you will not want to leave...we didn't.
• 06/28/06
  Positive Rating
  John and Judith Grant , Toronto, Ontario, Canada
  • We found Amboise an excellent base for visiting the Loire, and the Loceys' cottage, both atmospheric and practical, was a delightful choice for 3 weeks in May and June. Our sons and their wives joined us for a week each and we all enjoyed the profusion of roses, irises, poppies and (toward the end) the cherry tree!
• 11/06/05
  Positive Rating
  Joelle Arvin , Charlottesville, Virginia
  • Hello Michael and Lenita, Your home is so charming that we fell in love with it and are planning on returning for a longer stay in the near future. Even though it was getting a bit late in the season and it was cool enough that we needed the heat inside, we had wonderful weather during our week at "Le Clos". We enjoyed revisiting all the wonderful places that we enjoyed while we lived in Touraine, and adding some we did not know. Amboise is lovely and we certainly have not exhausted its charm! It was a pleasure to cook in your wonderful kitchen, but we also enjoyed some of the restaurants you recommended, especially "Le Cheval Blanc". Your neighbors, Pascal and Pascale were very helpful. We loved Touraine when we lived there, and we loved it when we stayed at "Le Clos". We shall return! Fondly James and Joelle Arvin
• 10/14/05
  Positive Rating
  Naoko and Renee , Los Angeles, CA
  • Hello Lenita and Michael, I hope you are having a wonderful time in Amboise. We had a wonderful, amazing time in Amboise. The stay at the house was just perfect. I managed to drive a stick shift out of the house up the hill (I re-learned 1 week before the trip). You really have a beautiful house. We made few friends at the open air market, whom we promised to send pictures to. The bakery that you recommended was phenomenal. We tried "Dame Blanche" and also the chocolate one. Just fabulous! We bicycled to Chambord, Chenonceau, Villandry and Azay-le-Rideau. The weather was nice and really warmed up toward the end of the week. The town of Amboise was just perfect, small but not too small. People in town have been wonderful, too. We would love to come back. We are waiting the announcement of Tour schedule later this week to see if they will go infront of the house. Thank you so much and have a wonderful rest of your fall in Amboise. Naoko and Renee
• 08/23/05
  Positive Rating
  Peter & Belinda Plowman , Brisbane, Australia
  • Michael & Lenita, We could have not asked for a more delightful way to start our honeymoon! Le Clos is a credit to you both and it really feels like a home. We loved bein g able to experience Amboise and the Loire from this delightful base. Pascal & Pascale(caretakers) could not have been more helpful or welcoming. Your warmth and detailed suggestions about the 'things to do' and where to eat etc were invaluable. A return visit...well we can always dream.
• 05/31/05
  Positive Rating
  Roger & Rosemary Verrall , Vancouver, B.C., Canada
  • Being woken up each morning by the songs of the birds, late afternoon tea under the rose arbour, dinner on the patio, watching the sunsets at night, every day of our stay at Le Clos was delightful - our home away from home! We found Amboise to be the perfect place to be situated as the village offered us everything we needed to live the life for a week and was central to the chateaux that we visited - Chateau Villandry is a must. We enjoyed several great evenings at the Epicerie in Amboise and would highly recommend their foie gras and the tarte Tatin. Our time in Amboise was made memorable by the French people that we met - in some cases they wanted to practice their English and we were trying to use our French - made for some laughs! Le Clos was a highlight of our time in the Loire and we look forward to perhaps returning one day.

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