La Maison Rose

THE COTTAGE: This detached, eighteenth century farm cottage, is totally modernised, in its own private, walled garden and is next door to the fifteenth century, former farmhouse lived in by its owners, who are both artists. The cottage was completely restored and modernised in 1991 and since then has been let out for holidays. Many people have been to stay and have loved it so much they have been back again (and again).

OUTSIDE: On arrival you drive into the main courtyard, where parking for two cars is under a covered barn. To reach the cottage you walk through a blue door in the wall to find a secret garden. Sheltered from the wind, the garden is a suntrap with the walls covered in climbing plants. Trumpet vines, wisteria, roses and jasmine, fig and crab apple trees make the garden into a delight at all times of year. There is a barbeque and garden furniture under a veranda for shade in the hot weather. Table tennis is also a popular pastime in the most beautiful, adjacent, tiled barn.

DOWNSTAIRS: Within, the sitting-dining room is big, light and comfortable. Cool in summer and warm in winter it has a mixture of traditional and modern furniture with paintings on the walls, books and games and a wood-burning stove for winter evenings for which logs are provided free of charge. It is particularly cosy out of season. From 2008 electricity and bed-linen are included in the price. The kitchen has a fridge-freezer, a mixed gas/electric cooker (The gas for the cooker is included in the price), a microwave, a virtually silent dishwasher and an excellent range of pots and pans, crockery and cutlery. Downstairs there is a second large bathroom with bath, shower, bidet, and basin W.C., washing machine,tumble drier and ironing bench.

UPSTAIRS: With white walls and beautiful wooden beams, there are two double bedrooms and one room with two single beds, with views dominated by the row of Lombardy poplars along the riverbank, roughly fifty yards away. At the top of the stairs, on your left, you arrive in the open plan room with two full-sized, single beds (ideal for children). The double bedrooms are at either end of the house. To reach the left hand bedroom you have to walk through the single-bedded room. The beds all have duvets and pillows. Bed linen, towels and drying-up cloths are all provided.There is a nineteenth century wrought iron baby's bed in the main bedroom with a good mattress, which will serve both baby and toddler as it has three sides. Turn to wall for baby. The shower room (W.C. washbasin, shower) is off the open plan area. The shower has excellent pressure.

THE VILLAGE: Set on the banks of the lovely river Indrois, Loche is a lively village, with a cafe, 'Chez Maria', a boulangerie, a general store, post office, church and brand new tennis court. The cafe serves lunches and will cook evening meals to order. The village is just two minutes walk across the river. Beyond the house are woods and fields and wonderful walks along the river valley. The bird life is spectacular: red starts, great tits, blackbirds, robins and chaffinches all have nested in the cottage garden. The blackbirds set up a nest in the Italianate ceramic lion's head that adorns one of the cottage walls, surrounded by ivy. Golden orioles (usually very shy) nest nearby. One even flew into our bedroom a few years ago! There are green woodpeckers, black caps and the nightingales. Truly heavenly!

THE DISTRICT: LOCHES (9 miles) has a mediaeval citadel with drawbridge, portcullis, chateau and dungeon and is a truly civilized town. There are concerts, festivals of art, plays and even opera at the chateau. (Look it up on the net : lochesentouraine.com) The local stone is white and the slate roofs are blue. The light of Touraine is famous for its clarity. The squares of Loches are alive on Wednesday and Saturday with the market selling gleaming fish and glowing fruit and vegetables, white goats' cheese and red wine. The region is famous for its wines, from Angers in the west via Saumur, Chinon, Bourgueil, Vouvray, Montlouis, and the wines of the Cher, and eastwards to Sancerre. Don't miss the chance to visit the local producers. They welcome all potential customers! Try their wares but be warned, they are very generous. MONTRESOR (5 miles) a chateau once owned by the former Kings of Poland dominates this romantically beautiful little town where you can wander by the river, dine, or eat ice creams at the 'Café de la Ville'.

SHOPPING: Supermarkets are at Loches (Le Clerc, Super U and Atac), a little one at Montresor with a good butcher, Villeloin-Coulange is the nearest chemist, Chatillon has an Intermarche and St Aignan (12 miles north) has a Super U. Markets are all over the place and are the best place for fresh food.

OUTINGS: Touraine has much to offer with most of the famous chateaux (Chenonceau, Chambourd, Azay le Rideau to name a few) within one hour's drive. Tours and the TGV to Paris (fifty-five minutes) are forty-five minutes drive. Nearby there are several excellent restaurants. There are facilities for riding, fishing, and golf, bicycle hire and windsurfing on the lakes, tennis in the village, and swimming indoors at Chatillon, Loches and St Aignan, and outdoors at St Aignan (pool, river and bathing beach), Nouans-les-Fontaines (pool) and Chemille (lake), the summer center at Bellebouche as well as our current favourite, the river at St Jean just south of Loches. The countryside roundabout is ideal for cycling so bikes are strongly recommended. Some of our visitors have spent the day at Futuroscope at Poitiers.