Chez Phillips - cottage / gite in the Vendee.

• Cool in Summer and cosy in Winter
• Fully equipped kitchen
• Tranquil and private

• Bedrooms: 3
• Sleeps: 7
• Distance from the nearest beach: 70 km

This year we are renting the house at £200 p/w, because 3 of the neighbouring houses are being renovated and, to be honest, the area can resemble a builders yard at times! However, if you are looking for a cheap holiday, or just want a base to explore the area, then this may suit you. (We've put 235 Euros on the advertisement because that's the prevailing exchange rate at the time of writing and the website only shows prices in Euros).

The house itself is typically French, set in a small hamlet of about 10 houses just outside Puy-de-Serre, in the middle of the countryside. The accommodation is basic but comfortable enough. All the peace and quiet you could need, but please note the nearest shops, bars or restaurants are at least 3 miles way. It is about 150 years old, but nicely refurbished with exposed hardwood beams downstairs and exposed roof timbers upstairs.

Downstairs:
Living/dining room with wood burning fire, three armchairs and a sofa bed. There is also a hi fi that will play directly from your mp3 player.
Kitchen - eqipped with cutlery, crockery, pots and pans etc., sink, cooker, washing machine, fridge, microwave, electric kettle, ironing facilities, and storage cupboards
 Bedroom 1 with a chest of drawers and single fold away bed
 Bathroom with shower, bath and wc

Upstairs:
Landing with chest of drawers
Bedroom 2 with double bed, wardrobe, bedside table and chest of drawers
Bedroom 3 with two single beds, wardrobe, bedside table and chest of drawers
Cloakroom/wc

At the back across an alley is an outbuilding, where there is a full size table tennis table. At the end of the alley there is also a garage (though it may test your driving skill to get in it!)


Location

The cottage is just outside the quiet village of Puy de Serre. Fontenay le Comte, the old capital city, is within 12 miles and has all the amenities and facilities associated with large towns, very good shopping facilities, supermarkets, restaurants and tourism office. Closer to hand (within 5 miles) are the towns of Vouvant, said to be one of the prettiest villages in France with it's medieval church, St-Hilaire-de-Voust (where a meal at the Lion d'Or is a must) and Foussais Payré where you can find shops and another good restaurant. La Chataigneraie is a 10 minute drive away and has a variety of shops, a monthly market and two supermarkets.


Activities

If you want to get away from it all and relax in the countryside, this is the place for you. Even with the aforementioned renovation going on in neighbouring houses, the pace of the work is fairly gentle, and we weren't aware of any undue noise. The hamlet only has about 10 houses and only a few of them are permanently occupied. If you want to explore or have a livelier holiday, there are plenty of attractions within reach.

Coastal resorts with sandy beaches are about 45 miles away and from there you can easily get to the islands of Ré, Aix or Oleron, just off the coast.
A mile up the road from Puy-de-Serre is the start of the Mervent-Vouvant forest with many places for walking and cycling. Just into the forest is le Bois du Roc which has a clearing with a playground , tennis court and basket ball area. There are swimming pools at La Chataigneraie and Fontenay-Le-Comte. Mervent, about 8 miles away, is on a bend in the river Vendee and there's a bar/restaurant on the river bank  from which you can swim or hire pedalos and canoes. The scenerey is stunning, especially further on up the hill into Mervent where there is a bar which has a patio from where you can see the whole sweep of the river. 
A little further away is Le Marais Poitevin -National Park - also known as the Green Venice - with its green canals for boating and fishing. There is also the river Vendée for fishing, as well as freshwater lakes at Moncoutant and Vouvant.
Le Puy de Fou is within 40 miles and well worth a day out. It is an historical theme park where you can watch Medieval, Gladiator and Viking 'shows', and throughout the day there are performances of falconry, jousting, magic and music. The evening is rounded off with a spectacular 'sound and light' show (book this in advance, because every show gets sold out). Another theme park, Futuroscope, is within 80 miles. This is dedicated to the cinema and moving image and uses state-of-the-art technology to give you breathtakingly realistic sensations of falling, flying, space travel and underwater exploration.
 

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