From the moment we made our first enquiries, communicating with Michael (the owner) was simply first class; his replies are prompt, understanding, humoured and most importantly, very well detailed. He was also very patient (organising 3 couples, 2 adults, 1 child
and 3 babies is not easy!) and he clearly cared about making sure our stay was to be as comfortable and relaxing as possible.
The property itself is exactly as advertised, a Shabby Chic Paradise, ideal for a group of adults and children to enjoy a wonderfully relaxing holiday. Where to start? Once there you will immediately feel relaxed. The view from the house, the amazing Conservatory in particular, is spectacular stretching over several fields with woodlands beyond and not a road in sight. Start the BBQ's up, light the pizza oven, open a bottle or two of Rose, watch the sunset after a lovely evening walk and chat late into the night in complete peace and tranquility. Then wake up to lovely soft sunshine, grab croissants and pain o chocolats from the Village store, and together with tea or coffee take time to ponder plans for the day.
Plan 1: relax at the house, play in the pool or on the generous expanses of grass. Young children can roam around safely given the well constructed fence surrounding the pool. There is a slide and swings, inflatables galore for the pool, bikes with children's seats and plenty of space to play all manner of games. Plan 2: head to Saintes for a bit of culture and local food. Plan 3: splash around at the local aqua centre in Saintes or Plan 4: head west to the beaches of the French coastline. I could go on but if the truth be told, we were so happy at the house that we often made base there for the day. The children loved it and so did we!
Insidthe house the temperature remains cool owing to the thick walls and lovely stone or wooden floors. The bedrooms are most generous in size and comfort. Both kitchens are well equipped and a total of four fridge/freezers mean you can shop for at least three full days before having to even think of further forays to the supermarche etc.
The house and grounds are big; even with 12 of us it was possible to find a quiet spot inside or out to read a book and/or have a snooze.
We felt the photos on the website despite being pretty spectacular just do not do the place justice - it really is beautiful.
In short, if you want a place to properly catch up with friends or family, trust me, this is your place!
