Absolutely brilliant!
This was our (my wife and I) second visit to La Haute Traversière. We were first here in 2011 and loved it so much, we absolutely knew where we had to stay on this return trip to the Loire Valley. And we weren't disappointed! Au contraire, (nice bit of French, eh!) we were totally blown away! Since we were going to be there for a whole week, we opted this time to stay in the Gîte, a fully self-contained little cottage apartment, separate from the main house. And what a place it is! Carved out of what was basically the barn of this classic 19th century farmhouse, like the rest of the property, it's been very carefully restored, so that it retains its original charm and ambiance, but has all the mod cons. And by “all the mod cons”, I mean just that (except for air conditioning, of course - after all, we are in France!) : the kitchen (see photos), which is open-plan onto the large, fully- and tastefully-furnished lounge, has a large 'fridge/freezer, modern oven and separate range (complete with hood extractor!), full-size dishwasher, microwave, and the full range of kitchen equipment/accessories, including food-mixer, coffee-percolator, single-cup 'Keurig'-style coffee maker, etc., and enough kitchenware, pots, plates, glasses, cutlery, etc to serve an army. Indeed, if you think you're missing some special utensil or other, just open one of the many cupboards or drawers, and I'll bet you find one there! The modern, fully-tiled bathroom is both large and airy, with a gloriously sized shower. The toilet is located adjacent to, but separate from the bathroom. There are two bedrooms: one with a very comfortable, queen-size bed and large wardrobe; the other with two twin-beds and a third bed in an overhead loft, reached by a sturdy staircase within the bedroom. Both bedrooms have lovely 'stable-door'-type doors opening onto the delightful gardens. The gardens themselves, which are restricted to guests of the Gîte, are huge. Beautifully and caringly maintained (by your hostess' father), they are full of fruit trees, roses and other flower beds. The door from the double bedroom opens onto a neat little patio, table and chairs and, wait for it, yes, a brick-built barbecue! Oh, and I didn't mention the large, above-ground pool, did I, which is also reserved for guests of the Gîte! For a family of five, or less, the Gîte has to be the most wonderfully economical way to explore the Loire Valley. It's superbly situated as a base for day-visits to nearly all the chateaux, and the facility to buy and cook your own food in your own kitchen/bbq makes it incredibly affordable. And talking of food, just make sure you take the opportunity to experience the pièce de résistance of this wonderful hostelry – the food! How Isabelle and Janick, the absolutely delightful couple who run this place do it, I don't know, but I guarantee you won't find better, home-grown/locally-produced cuisine anywhere! Their table d'hôte evening dinner was simply excellent! Five courses: aperitifs, large fresh salad, superb main course, cheeses, desserts - all local, all organic, plus all the wine you could drink (good local wine at that, and included in the price of dinner) all for the ridiculously un-French price of 24 €. You won't beat that anywhere, I promise you! And then there's breakfast, which is another feast, again all composed of locally produced breads and pastries and the biggest selection of preserves/jams ever heard of! All created by Isabelle's mother. How she comes up with the myriad unusual but delicious concoctions, I've no idea!. In summary, this place is brilliant! Lovely, unspoiled location, wonderful spotlessly clean accommodation, outstanding food, charming hosts, and all at a superbly affordable price. Oh, and there's lots of secure parking on the property, and free Wi-Fi, too!
