Sunday 7 June 2009

French sojourn



Two years ago we had a two-week holiday to a musty old farm house in the Dordogne. It rained almost every day in August (when it's supposed to be hot) and the house was so horrid we swore we'd never go back. Friends from NYC stayed in a holiday villa in South West France last year and said we'd love it, so we decided to go with their recommendation and duly booked the house months in advance. Eventually the booking rolled around and we stayed there for the last week of May with friends, just as the weather got really hot.

Turns out our NYC friends were absolutely right, we did love it. Not only was the house done to an aesthetic standard that wasn't a million miles away from our own, but it was situated in a wooded area 10 minutes drive from a massive and virtually empty beach.

I'm blogging about it here as it was inspiring to see such a dramatic transformation in 18 months of hard graft. What was once virtually a ruin is now a modern and functional holiday home. The wet room is massive, the concrete floors keep the rooms cool and the pool is just off the kitchen so you can keep an eye on the kids while you prepare food. We BBQ'd most meals and the only thing I think I missed during our stay was a set of good chef's knives.

The many hours I've wasted searching for holiday homes in the past are behind me now, as I've found the only French villa worth re-booking. It sleeps three couples, three singles and possibly one more on the mezzanine futon, though with two families it was perfect.

For more photos, availability and pricing check out:
www.lepreauxcepes.com



1 comment:

Lindsay said...

It looks fabulous, I'm so going to have to check it out! We went to that region last summer and loved it but the only downside was it was unseasonably wet. But the atlantic beaches were amazing, and so many lovely villages and markets.