Le Bois Du Chillou.
OK, so I was asked to review my recent holiday at Le Bois Du Chillou, Marcay, by the infamous "TripAdvisor". Great! Except that you through all the hoops entering stuff in and only then do they ask you to register - b*st*rds. I don't think so. Good job I "copied-n-pasted" beforehand!
Anyhow, here goes, this is what I was going to say:
"First of all, this was a superb holiday, but with two downsides - one is that the advertising implies that you stay in the Chateau, you don't, you stay in the excellent outbuildings that look over to the Chateau. This should be made more clear when you book. It's there when you check the advert with hindsight, but not obvious.
The directions from the owners to find the place are lacking I'm afraid, but a quick "Google Earth" for "Le Bois Du Chillou, Marcay" gets it spot on.
The second is that the pump for the swimming pool seems to be bolted to the bedroom wall and as such there was a continuous humming noise in the south bedroom. Very slight, but annoying.
Everything else is a massive plus - the pool, the tennis courts (oh, how we laughed when we got our breath back after two points!), the surrounding area and the kestrel nesting in the wall of the Chateau, the bees and moths feeding from the lavender etc etc.
The double-bedded, separate building by the pool is fantastic.
The countryside is excellent for cycling, however, you will need a bike or car as you are right in the middle of the countryside with the nearest big shop miles away in Chinon. We never found the local baker but we were told it was about 4 miles away.
The quirkiness comes from the fact that the accommodation is sometimes used by the owner's grandchildren and as such there are toys and furry animals liberally scattered around the buildings. I found a stuffed rat hiding in the rafters of our bedroom - I have set a trap for the next guest...
We met the owners who are absolutely charming.
Would I go back? Yes, in a heartbeat."
View from the restaurant we found during our little cycle trip along "LV 1" (Loire Velo cycle path):
A tip: Never cycle after a French lunch.
Anyhow, here goes, this is what I was going to say:
"First of all, this was a superb holiday, but with two downsides - one is that the advertising implies that you stay in the Chateau, you don't, you stay in the excellent outbuildings that look over to the Chateau. This should be made more clear when you book. It's there when you check the advert with hindsight, but not obvious.
The directions from the owners to find the place are lacking I'm afraid, but a quick "Google Earth" for "Le Bois Du Chillou, Marcay" gets it spot on.
The second is that the pump for the swimming pool seems to be bolted to the bedroom wall and as such there was a continuous humming noise in the south bedroom. Very slight, but annoying.
Everything else is a massive plus - the pool, the tennis courts (oh, how we laughed when we got our breath back after two points!), the surrounding area and the kestrel nesting in the wall of the Chateau, the bees and moths feeding from the lavender etc etc.
The double-bedded, separate building by the pool is fantastic.
The countryside is excellent for cycling, however, you will need a bike or car as you are right in the middle of the countryside with the nearest big shop miles away in Chinon. We never found the local baker but we were told it was about 4 miles away.
The quirkiness comes from the fact that the accommodation is sometimes used by the owner's grandchildren and as such there are toys and furry animals liberally scattered around the buildings. I found a stuffed rat hiding in the rafters of our bedroom - I have set a trap for the next guest...
We met the owners who are absolutely charming.
Would I go back? Yes, in a heartbeat."
View from the restaurant we found during our little cycle trip along "LV 1" (Loire Velo cycle path):
A tip: Never cycle after a French lunch.
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