Meet the Gite Owners: Jean-Guillaume and Maaike Niemeijer, Castelwood

 

Meet Jean-Guillaume and Maaike Niemeijer, who came to France via the Netherlands and New Zealand and have built and run the amazing Castelwood complex of 15 wood cabins in the Dordogne.

Castelwood

Q: How long have you lived / owned your gite in France ?
We have lived in France since 1985 – almost 30 years now. Coming from New Zealand we settled in the northern part of Lot-et-Garonne, on the border of Dordogne and created a four-star campsite with 150 pitches. We were very popular with the British Caravan Club and developed quite a few Inclusive Holidays for them. After 10 years we decided to move on and with a non-tourist interval of 6 years, have designed and built a Holiday Park with 15 wooden chalets, under the smoke of the imposing castle of Biron, in Dordogne.

Q: What do you love about France?
My husband and I met on a French campsite, where he had a holiday job and where I helped out the owners for a couple of days. Our fates were sealed from that time on… and how can you settle back in the Netherlands (we are originally Dutch) if you’ve lived in lovely New Zealand for 13 years ?

The lifestyle is, and remains, laid-back and if you integrate in your community and your region, you’re accepted as one of the locals.

Q: What made you choose the region in which you have settled?
First of all because we already knew this region but also – after having explored lots of other regions – we find this region has it all : good climate, good food, good wines, lots of cultural & historic interests – and last, but not least, the landscape is just beautiful.

Q: Tell us three things you like best about your Gite :
Our very first requirement when we designed and built our own gite/chalets was “space”. In our opinion nothing is as irritating as cramped space, especially when you are on holiday. So with us you don’t have to turn sideways to get into the loo, let alone get out of it !

Second most important thing is the equipment : good beds and mattresses, good shower with plenty of hot water and not just a dribble of water, general equipment in kitchen and proper settees.

Third preference is the ethical aspect : our wooden chalets really blend into the landscape, with their weathered cladding, grey roofs and spacious terrace for outdoor life.

Castelwood

Q: What one thing would your previous guests say about your Gite?
Peace and quiet.

Q: What is your favourite attraction near to your Gite?
The imposing castle of Biron – at only 1km from our site.

Q: What’s the oddest thing about the French culture that you’ve experienced?
Our local priest, arriving unannounced on a huge white stallion, clad in a black cape and wanting to bless our site and all persons and animals who lived on it. On our assent he proceeded to do so, reciting some verses from the Bible, which he pulled our from under his cloak, still sitting op top of his horse. Unfortunately this colourful person passed away some years ago.

Q: Which do you prefer and why – Entrecote Frites, Fish ‘n’ Chips or a good curry?
While in France, we prefer Entrecote – Frites, since they generally serve pretty tender steaks and French Fries are not called French for nothing.

While in the UK, we prefer Fish ‘n’ Chips since we can’t get it in France and there is nothing like a good fish and chips… preferably served in a newspaper, as we were used to in New Zealand…. also depending on the quality of the ink…

Not really great fans of curry we certainly don’t eat these in France – except when prepared by British friends – or if and when we visit India, one of our favourite countries.

We wish you all a sunny and warm summer !

Thank you Maaike and Jean-Guillaum. Visit the Castelwood website here.

 

Carcassone, France’s medieval cité

 

The medieval Cité of Carcassone is the largest fortified town in Europe and never fails to amaze. Thanks to its elevated position, if you visit late in the day, the walls and turrets are often bathed in the soft, red glow of the setting sun.

More than 3 million visitors a year pass through the city’s gates. Once inside, many visitors are content to stroll the narrow lanes lined with souvenir shops interspersed with boutiques selling high-quality gifts and local produce. In the bars and restaurants around Place Marcou the prices are not as high as you might expect. The more energetic can explore the Château Comtal and the inner western ramparts.

In July and August, jousting displays are sometimes held in the Lices Hautes, the grassy area between the inner and outer ramparts The Romanesque and Gothic St-Nazaire basilica has beautiful stained-glass windows and statues, and is the venue for occasional concerts. The lower town, the Ville Basse or Bastide St-Louis, has a partly pedestrianized area, fine town houses and excellent small shops. Its central square, Place Carnot, is the main meeting place and has been the site of the market (Tue, Thu, Sat mornings) since the Middle Ages.

To base yourself nearby, try these Gites near Carcassone, Languedoc.

Meet the Gite Owners: David & Nicola Warren, La Motte Parent

 

Meet David and Nicola Warren, the owners of La Motte Parent Gites gites in Brittany:

La Motte Parent

Q: How long have you lived / owned your gite in France?
We signed the final parts of the contracts for La Garenne and La Pompe on the 23rd April 2010 on the assumption that, if the date was good enough for St. George and Shakespeare, it was good enough for us. We spent the first summer doing them up and bringing them up to the standard that we would expect from first class gite accommodation. Not that they were in poor condition it was mainly decorating but they both needed wood treatment and La Pompe needed a kitchen area. 2011 was our first renting-out season.

Q: What do you love about France?
There are many things we love about France including, obviously, the food but, above all, it is the slower and quieter pace of life that is so much more conducive to relaxation than at home.

Q: What made you choose the region in which you have settled?
We wanted somewhere that is within easy reach of the UK but with an entirely different culture. Having spent many a happy holiday in the Region when the kids were young we knew Brittany fairly well and, in the event, it turned out to be both where we began and where we ended our search.

Q: Tell us three things you like best about your Gite
Our gites are set on the edge of the small town of Plouguenast and look out over open countryside yet we are within walking distance of the local shops and amenities. Above all we like the peace and quiet.

La Motte Parent

Q: What one thing would your previous guests say about your Gite?
I think it would be ‘comfort’. We have done as much as we can to make the gites feel like a home from home.

Q: What is your favourite attraction near to your Gite?
I would say the beach at Les Godelins near St. Brieuc where steps take you down to a long stretch of sandy beach. It is about 40 mins. by car. The sea there is excellent for bathing and there is a bar / cafe in which to relax afterwards. My wife would probably say the riding centre at Loudeac, though.

Q: What’s the oddest thing about the French culture that you’ve experienced?
It has to be the seeming impossibility to get things done from time to time. Even the simplest things can occasionally be ‘like pulling teeth’. On these occasions we have to remember that one of the reasons we chose France was because of its ‘lay-back’ culture.

Q: Which do you prefer and why – Entrecote Frites, Fish ‘n’ Chips or a good curry?
When in the UK we miss the the type of Entrecote et Frites that only the French can make but, when in France, especially after a couple of weeks, it definitely has to be Fish and Chips.

Thank you David and Nicola. Visit their website at ParentGites.com.

Driving through France, Route 2

Route Two. Languedoc, Midi-Pyrenees, Northern Spain and Catalonia.

The second of our two-day routes through to the south of France, may be new to you, mainly because it takes you close to Paris, and if you are not heading for the French capital, you will want to give the whole area a wide berth, except that not only is the route through the centre of Paris just as convenient to reach the south of France and Northern Spain, but there is also so much to see.

Day One – Calais to Peronne
Leaving Calais is not difficult, all routes are well signposted and for this route you need to follow signs for the A26 to Reims and Paris. Go past Arras and take the A1 towards the capital and exit at sortie 13.1 for Peronne. Peronne is not only a convenient place to stop for lunch on your journey, but it may provide you with an interesting insight into life in a French town post war, we are in the Somme. Peronne was pretty badly hit in the 1st World war and its story is told in the museum within the castle; if you have time it is well worth a visit. The town has a couple of good restaurants that can be recommended, Hostellerie des Remparts on the Rue Beaubois and the Auberge La Quenouille which is further out of the town on the A17 towards to Arras.

Day One – Peronne to Bourges
Back on the Autoroute and heading towards Paris. As already mentioned this route takes you past Paris, not through, so here is how. As you approach Paris you will begin to see signs for Bordeaux, stick to Bordeaux throughout and you will arrive on the southern side of Paris in 45mins, depending on traffic of course!  Keep following the signs to Bordeaux until you reach Orleans and then follow signs to the A71 towards Bourges and Clermont-Ferrand.

You will shortly be coming up to Vierzon, here you can choose to divert to the Dordogne, Midi-Pyrenees or Toulouse area by following signs to Limoges and stopping the night in a pretty village called Argenton-sur-Creuse. Recommendations include staying at the former Posthouse, renamed Le Cheval Noir. Double rooms are available from £45.

If you are heading to Languedoc and beyond, stay on the A71 until sortie 7 and head to Bourges. Bourges is one of the most charming towns in all of France. During the 100 Year’s war, Charles VII was based here and much of its history is still etched into the very fabric of this town, with its half-timbered buildings and architecture. Ensure you visit St Etienne cathedral and Jacques Coeur palace by day and by night – take an illuminated walk around alleys and courtyards.

A great place to spend the night is Best Western Hotel d’Angleterre on the Place de Quatre Piliers or try Les Bonnets Rouges off Rue Bourbonnoux, where you will also find the restaurant D’Antan Sancerrois. All these and more can be found on the Bourges official tourism office www.bourgestourisme.com.

Day Two: Bourges to Aumont-Aubrac
Heading south from Bourges towards Clermont-Ferrand and the expanse of land called the Massif Central is our next destination. Soon you will reach Lozere, where you will be driving at altitudes higher than any peak in England or Wales.

I was in awe of the motorway stretch south of Lyon, but here it is even better, you literally feel like you are on top of the world. The village of Aumont-Aubrac, 200 miles south of Bourges, is a charming stone village, which unlike a few others around, has a great restaurant at Hotel Grand Prouheze.

Day Two: Aumont-Aubrac to Collioure
Millau Viaduct - Tarn Valley, FranceYou are approximately 2 to 4 hours from your destination in the south of France, longer if you are heading into Northern Spain and Barcelona. Around 1h 30 mins south of Aumont you will come across the Tarn Valley on the edge of the Cevennes National Park, and the Millau Viaduct which spans the valley beautifully, some believe it spoils the landscape, but judge for yourselves.  The best place to see this magnificent structure is from the town below that gave the viaduct its name.

 

As you head down towards Languedoc, you pass vast plains that are home to sheep, whose milk produce Roquefort Cheese. Depending on where in Languedoc you are going to, you should begin to plan your own route, the road from here heads to Beziers and further south to Collioure, Argeles sur Mer and to the border with Spain. I leave the journey here with a little known fact, Languedoc produces more wine each year that Australia.

Drive Safely.

Driving Route to the South of France One can be read here

Meet the Gite Owners: Isabel Lootens, La Moulinal

 

In the latest in our series of interviews with Gite owners, we meet Isabel Lootens, a Belgian who has made a corner of the Lot-et-Garonne her own with La Moulinal gites.

Meet the Gite Owner

Q: How long have you lived / owned your gite in France?
We have bought the gites in 2006. We had been traveling a lot to France before and had been dreaming about buying our own little paradise for a while. When we saw the domain, it was ‘love at first time’: exactly how we had dreamed it!

Q: What do you love about France?
We love France because there are so many things to see. Nature is wonderful, the country is rich on history. There are mountains, sea, woods, picturesque villages, vibrant cities, good food, lots of activities to do, …

Q: What made you choose the region in which you have settled?
We especially love the south-west of France, more in particular the Lot-et-Garonne. In this part of France one can enjoy the sun from early in the year. Spring is beautiful, with lots of sunshine and the beauty of the awakening nature, with lots of flowers, blossoms and green fields. Summers are warm with beautiful long evenings on the terrace. Also September and October are very enjoyable with lots of sunshine.

The Lot-et-Garonne is a hidden gem in France, also called ‘little Tuscany’, with its rolling hills, sun flowers, medieval villages (bastides). The region is just south from the better known Dordogne region.

Excellent wines, foie gras, local fresh fruit and vegetables that you can find on the local markets are some of the products of the region. Enjoy the many restaurants, where you get outstanding quality for your money, or enjoy the atmosphere of an evening market, the Lot-et-Garonne is all about good life.

If you like to relax in an unspoilt environment, in a region full of history, where living is good, sun is abundant and evenings are long, come to the Lot-et-Garonne.

Q: Tell us three things you like best about your Gite
– The gites are quietly hidden in the green, but still close enough to the nearest village
– The gites are full of character, with everything you need to have a relaxing and comfortable stay
– We love our big sun oriented pool and pool area where you can soak up the sun from april on

Meet the Gite Owner

Q: What one thing would your previous guests say about your Gite?
Delightful and relaxing stay in charming houses! Great setting, fantastic pool! Feeling fully rested!

Q: What is your favourite attraction near to your Gite?
Walk the streets of the nearby medieval villages (Monflanquin, Villereal,…), visit castles, cycle along the ‘canal du midi’,…

Q: What’s the oddest thing about the French culture that you’ve experienced?
Opening hours of shops are not always as client oriented as I would love them to be (closed between noon and 2:30pm for example)

Q: Which do you prefer and why – Entrecote Frites, Fish ‘n’ Chips or a good curry?
As a Belgian I love a good entrecote-frites, but there are so many other things I love to enjoy when being in the Lot-of-Garonne, where fresh fruit, vegetables, quality meat, foie gras, excellent cheeses, wines, … are part of the package!

Thank you Isabel. Visit the website: www.gites-lamoulinal.eu

Don’t forget your Breathalyser kit

 

As we reported last year, the French Goverment passed new legislation requiring all cars travelling on French roads to carry a breathalyser kit.

The law came into force on July 1st 2012, but a continuous shortage of kits made available to buy, meant this requirement was not enforced until March 1st 2013.

They are now available in quantity. If you are planning to take your car across to France, make sure you purchase one, ideally before you arrive.  You can now buy them at your local Halfords store, Halfords Online or via www.alcosense.co.uk.

See our French Roads section for more information on how to prepare your car for driving in France