2012

2012

'Escape from the rat race - a little piece of heaven in the Loire Valley' - we chose this gite on the basis of previous reviews and it really lived up to its reputation. What a wonderful welcome! Sarah-Jane and her lovely children were there as we arrived to greet us and make sure that we had everything we needed. The gite was spotlessly clean and furnished to a very high standard. The bed was very comfortable and the bed linen and towels good quality.

It's also very homely. After a busy day enjoying ourselves in the beautiful countryside, we cooked for ourselves most evenings in the well equipped kitchen and then settled down to watch a couple of DVDs. Just what we needed to recharge the batteries - a real luxury!

Peace and quiet is guaranteed and with the roller blind (electrically operated) on the velux window in the bedroom closed, it was all too easy to 'oversleep'! Another luxury!! Being in the countryside in a small village, it felt very safe but the gite is accessed via electronically operate gates and the gite has its own electric shutter, so whether in or out, you have that additional sense of security.

Sarah-Jane really makes you feel at home but is not at all intrusive. She has an excellent knowledge of the area and, not knowing the area at all ourselves, we took as many of her recommendations as we could fit into our two weeks and so glad that we did.

You do need a car but in two weeks from our home from home base we were able to visit beautiful chateaux (notably Chenonceau, Chinon, Breze, Anger, Rivau & Montreuil- Bellay), the home of the Cadre Noir in Saumur, Fontevraud Abbey, some wonderful old historic towns incl Tours & Richelieu. We also spent some time simply enjoying the various rivers themselves and also enjoying the wonderful food and drink. Exactly what we hoped and more!

Wonderful from Sarah-Jane's warm welcome to the last day when she waved us off, having supplied us with a bag of fresh home grown walnuts - allowing us to take a little bit of heaven home with us.

Mr & Mme Barbato, Hertfordshire

'A Perfect Holiday, great cycling'! - we recently spent two weeks at La Grange d'Henri and had an amazing holiday. We had never been on a gite holiday previously but it surpassed all our expectations. Sarah-Jane, Gerald and the family made us more than welcome from the moment we arrived and throughout our stay nothing was ever too much trouble.  The gite was beautifully presented and was equipped with everything that we needed.  We chose to cook in the gite most evenings and the decking outside our gite was perfect for al fresco dining. The village location is stunning among the vineyards and fields of sunflowers which were in full bloom. There are a number of larger towns nearby for which a car is required, but we found the local area perfect for cycling through charming rural villages. The roads are quiet and well maintained, and the French drivers very courteous towards cyclists. There were maps of the local area and guide books in the gite which was a nice touch. In addition, Sarah-Jane was always on hand to give us advice on routes and to share her knowledge of local facilities, attractions and places of interest. Both Sarah-Jane and Gerald have an obvious love of the Loire and leave no stone unturned to ensure that their guests make the most of their stay. We found the whole family (including Biscotte the cat!) to be great company and it felt more like staying with friends than renting a property. We will definitely return to La Bellevue in the future and would wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone looking to visit this area.

Mr & Mme Noble, Surrey

'Beautiful, La Bellevue' - this was our third visit to La Bellevue and it still remains one of my favourite places to visit.  There are two gites at La Bellevue and both are truly immaculate.  We have stayed in both and this year, as last year we stayed in Annie's House.  It is very well presented with every thing you could ever need for a self-catering holiday.  It is scrupulously clean and very comfortable. The gites are owned and run by Sarah-Jane & Gérald who just simply cater for your every needs. Sarah-Jane, who is English, is the font of knowledge of the area and is always available with information on places of interest. Gerald, who is French and a wine expert will take you on a wine tasting evening that will include an informative outline of the history of wine and step by step information on wine tasting - definitely not to be missed.  We will definitely be returning for our fourth visit next year.

Paul & Sue, London

'Annie's House, a bit of heaven here on earth' - Words cannot describe adequately how much we enjoyed our stay at Annie's House at La Bellvue. Sarah-Jane &  Gérald were so welcoming. The accommodation exceeded my expectations. Very well equipped, spotlessly clean, tastefully appointed and lovely bedding! The setting is lovely, the gardens are beautiful and the view from our private patio breathtaking.  Both Sarah-Jane & Gérald are extremely knowledgeable about the area and are happy to share tips for day trips, restaurants etc. Gerald is particularly knowledgeable about wine and wine making. He has had years of personal experience in the vineyards of the Loire and is happy to share his knowledge in a professional but totally unpretentious manner. I would highly recommend you book one of Gerald's wine experiences through their website www.loirevalleyuncorked.net, a thoroughly enjoyable way to learn about the wines of the Loire.

Mr & Mme Howard, Canada

'Annie's House' - 5 Star excellent!  You couldn't pick a better place to stay to visit this area of the Loire valley.  Annie's House is delightful, well equipped with modern facilities and is very well presented.  Sarah-Jane & Gérald live in an adjacent house and gave us a very warm welcome.  There is plenty of space for two people and nice areas in which to sit out.  Not an issue for us, one thing to consider, if you do have mobility problems the staircase may present a problem as it is steep.  We thoroughly enjoyed our stay and will have no hesitation in recommending Annie's House to anyone wishing to discover this part of the Loire Valley.  Thank you.

Ann & Kenneth, Scotland

La Grange d’Henri – the return!!  Yes we've stayed with Sarah-Jane & Gerald at La Grange d'Henri before, and in a way that is recommendation enough. Even if you were able to explore the entire region in one visit, and you cannot, there would be ample reason to return to this excellent Gite. It is set in a lovely little village about 15mins drive from Saumur with great views across miles of the Loire Valley. This does mean that you'll need to either drive to the restaurant of your choice, unless you go to the local restaurant in the village most nights, or cook for yourself, but if you choose to cook then everything you need is there. The kitchen is very well appointed with a modern range and oven and we cooked up some great meals using the local produce which is readily available in the nearby town. Of course you may wish to ask Gerald for his advice on which of the excellent wines he can provide to best match that meal. This is one to visit over and over again!

Jane & Ian, Norfolk, UK

Beautiful Property, Relaxing & Charming Hosts (source TripAdvisor)  

La Grange d'Henri is small, beautiful, immaculate and well presented.  It was perfect for a couple to enjoy a quiet time away from it all. Gérald & Sarah-Jane, the owners, are very hospitable without being intrusive to privacy, the balance is perfect.  The area is lovely and there's lots to explore.  You do need a car, but everywhere is easy to get to and find. There wasn't anything we didn't like about the place.  We would definitely recommend it and hope to return again ourselves.

Julie & Colin, UK

Incredible experience.  When can we come back?  Annie's House was the perfect home away from home for us. We were warmly welcomed immediately and felt very spoiled. The house is in a beautiful setting, perfect location for the Loire Valley and our gracious hosts, Sarah Jane and Gerald, made sure all of our needs were met.  We highly recommend Gerald's wine tour as well. You will not be disappointed.

Pam & Andy Lloyd, Bellevue, Washington, USA

We are a young couple with a four month only baby and can clearly say that we couldn't have selected a better place than 'La Grange d'Henri' to spend our easter break. We have found this gite as an exceptional accommodation on various levels, be it location, cleanliness comfort and overall environment. Complementing these factors were the gite's owners who have made our stay in the Loire Valley a truly memorable one, especially due to the personal care we've received.  An important point that we'd recommend is for guests to make sure to visit Bistrot Les TonTons, owned by Gerald (owner of the Gite), a true wine expert that has taken great interest in explaining wine processes, with great patience. The Bistrot offers a genuine serene environment. We've received exceptional treatment at the Bistrot and a very warm welcome to our baby daughter. The food and wine was excellent, so much so that we have purchased wine to take home with us.  We're very pleased to have selected 'La Grange d'Henri' as our first holiday destination as a family. We recommend this gite to anyone seeking peace of mind in terms of finding accommodation which accurately fits all its positive reviews and descriptions.

Daniel & Roberta, Belguim