We found the village easily. We even found the bakery - but it was closed! A phone call to the owner (Dominic) saw him coming to our rescue on a bicycle, and leading us another few hundred metres to the next bakery, which was open! Yes! You can have fresh bread and croissants, only 20m from the garden gates!! 😊 In a small turn-off at the side, he stopped and operated double electric gates, and led us inside, into another little world!
We had a better chance to speak to Dominic and meet Nicole who, with our broken French, and their broken English, we got on with like a house on fire! Lovely people! They had even allowed us to turn up at the property a day earlier than arranged, at no extra cost, as the previous guests had to cancel their stay due to the Covid virus!! 😊 We also met the dogs, little Ulla and the big, boisterous Teddy - the Odd - but very lovable - Couple! ❤
The gite was exactly as the photos show, though bigger than many we've stayed in. It was clean, and had everything we could need. The garden was surprisingly larger than the outside would have you think, and we had our own 'private' garden, which was completely hidden from the world, with it's own curtain hedgerow!
The position in St Hilaire de Lusignan was perfect for our stay, where we explored properties for sale in the region.
The only one problem we had, was due to the uncommonly high temperatures (25-35+ degrees!) for September, and having the Dordogne river less than 100m away - Tiger mosquitos!! For some reason, French insects love me, so I was almost eaten alive!!! Fortunately, there's a Pharmacy only a few hundred metres away, and I was able to get an anti histamine cream quite cheaply, from the English speaking Pharmacist!
In short - a wonderful stay, in a wonderful place, with lovely owners (the fresh eggs from the market, which turned up on our outside table, were delicious, and much appreciated ❤). We were so sad to leave. 😥
Estelle and Billy, from South Wales, UK. (aged 66).