Guest Comments

We really enjoyed our spring week in The Grange! We barbecued and watched beautiful sunsets on the warmer evenings and loved our cosy fires on the cooler days! We visited Fontevraud Abbey, Saumur and went to Bourgueil market. We also swam everyday in the gorgeous pool and enjoyed feeding the chickens. - Rachel aged 14

Thank you Jean and Mike for a wonderful week! I had a brilliant 12th birthday here! Thank you Jean and Mike for making us yummy pizzas in your pizza oven. I can’t wait to come back in the summer - Katy aged 12

Amazing wildlife observers this week including Green lizards, adders and a dark fox!

Thank you for another fabulous week and delightful company - Bec and Stu

A lovely relaxing holiday - just what we needed!

Jean and Mike, you have a beautiful home and we made the most of it - especially the pool.

We enjoyed hiring bikes at La Fleche and cycling the Voie Verte. Also, cycling around the lake at Rillé and seeing the most magical poppy field. Gizeux Chateau was lovely (and we were the only visitors so we had it to ourselves) Montsoreau is well with a visit if you want to be by the Loire. Saumur, of course, is a must.

We visited the markets of Langeais and Bourgueil - but beware the man in a hat selling cheese and saucisson - apparently he is notorious for ripping off tourists, including us on our 1st day.

PS. The kids are going to miss the geckos.



Thank you so much for our wonderful time here at Les Mortiers with our 2 year old daughter. We had a perfect place to relax, enjoy the rural outdoors and visit castles and vineyards.

The house was perfectly equipped also for a young child.

Thank you again. We loved being here!

Thank you for a lovely stay. For the end of the summer, we had great sunny weather and really enjoyed the pool and gardens.

Elena loved the chickens! We enjoyed bike rides through apple orchards, a vineyard tour at Miniere in Ingrande de Touraine and a market. Thank you to Jenny and Ian for being so welcoming.

From the moment of our arrival we were greeted with extreme warmth which continued throughout our stay. Enjoying evening sunsets with good food and good wine makes these gites a perfect holiday location.

Having made several trips to Saumur, finishing with a tour of Louis de Grenelle and the Chateau all recommended by our hosts and all leaving us with lifetime memories.

This will not be our only trip to The Grange.

Thank you, Jean and Mike, Helen and Tim - we have had a really fantastic week. So much passed in a flash and wishing we were staying longer and would love to come back .

We loved the chateau at Gizeux with the cycling across sunflower fields, time to relax after and the peacefulness in the evenings.

The highlight for the girls was the water park at Hommes and the night swim in the pool.

Thank you so much, Jean and Mike, for letting us have a brilliant stay! We loved the recommendation of cycling over to the chateau at Gizeux stopping on the way at the bakery for a croissant!

We have had a fabulous 2 weeks here - our 1st week in The Grenier and moving to The Grange for our 2nd week. Our boys have enjoyed the swings and running on the grass and we have all enjoyed the pool.

We have enjoyed lots of lovely trips out, but the children (5 and 2 years) have particularly enjoyed the steam train at Rillé, tourist land train trip around Saumur, Gizeux Chateau and the treasure hunt there, (do not be put off by the empty car park). Chateau de l’Islette and markets in Bourgueil and Saumur. The Zoo at Doue was good and smaller than the the zoo at La Fleche so we found it more manageable.

Thank you for a fabulous 2 weeks at Les Mortiers. We have all had a super time. Already looking forward to next year!

Another wonderful holiday in peaceful surroundings providing lots of rest and relaxation. Rowan had a great time in the pool and he enjoyed the train ride at Rillé.

Les Mortiers is a special place run by two very special people. Thank you Jean and Mike for helping to make happy memories for our family.

Our perfect place to relax and enjoy the best things in life.

Many thanks, dear friends, Bec and Stu.

Thank you very much for such a great stay in Poppas! We enjoyed eating outside every day, spending hours in the pool and feeding the lovely chickens. We went to Saumur, Bourgueil and Hommes, but relaxing here was our favourite.

Thank you Jean and Mike for our memorable lunch at Vincent’s. It was a lovely French experience and also very delicious.

We hope to return next year - thank you another amazing holiday at Les Mortiers.

We had another brilliant stay in Poppas. We absolutely love the pool (especially me) and spent many hours a day in it or relaxing in the sun!

Another thing we really loved was the water park at Hommes, which we went back to several times.

The weather was so great and perfect for all the lovely outings we went on. It is always really sad leaving here, but I really hope we come back next year!

Thank you for a brilliant stay!

We settled in quickly and were soon popping down for another carafe of wine. On Monday we went to the zoo at Doué La Fontaine. It just under an hour to get there and is definitely worth the trip, especially if you have young children. The bears and gibbons were a favourite of our two.

Tuesday we cycled to the Baud at Rillé (think Go Ape). the cycle ride was good fun, assuming someone in your group can map read. Unfortunately, we can’t so the ride was longer than planned! The Go Ape was great fun, especially if you have slightly older children and took about 2 hours to do all 3 courses.

Thursday we went to the Chateau at Gizeux which has a lovely treasure hunt for kids in the grounds.

Friday we went to the Aqua Park at Hommes, which was also great fun for both the kids and adults.

Jean and Mike have been really helpful all week advising on cycle routes, bringing us fresh produce from their garden, and helpful when our car got a flat tyre. Our children have also loved the week here and especially enjoyed swimming every day.

Our first visit, great location for visits to many attractions. Thoroughly enjoyed The Grange, particularly the pool for the children.

All enjoyed the week with good weather na lots to see. Looking forward to some rain in Wales on our return. We will be back.

Our third family holiday here and Benjamin’s first. We have had a wonderful week. We were in much need of some R and R and The Grange soon worked its magic. Very hot weather and the baby meant we have kept things more local this year. Two trips to Hommes and two trips for Rillé for the climbing and the steam train.

Thanks again, Jean and Mike, we love it here so much.

We have had a lovely relaxing week in this very peaceful place and have re-charged the batteries.

Our 11 year old son enjoyed the rope park near Saumur very much and went twice. We also went to Futuroscope, which was fun with loads to do for children.

Mike and Jean - thank you for your helpful hints and creating such a laid back atmosphere. We have enjoyed ourselves greatly and will have to return in the future.

Thank you for a lovely week. This week was our first visit in the Loire and we enjoyed it a lot. Last evening we visited Vincent Cuisiniere de Campagne, an amazing restaurant.

Yet another wonderful week here. Many thanks, Jean and Mike, for your welcome and kindness.

Our fourth year here in a row and another wonderful holiday. Thank you Jean and Mike

Thank you for a fabulous week! The weather has not been so kind but we have managed to get out on the bikes and done lots of site seeing.

Gorgeous rides along the Loire. Chateaux at Breze was a favourite. Next time we will get in the pool more!

A very relaxed week. We will return.

Thanks for a lovely relaxing week. How could it have been better?! The weather was a bit of a mixed bag, but we felt so at home we hardly noticed! Lots of fun days out and the Pizza Night was a highlight! Arlo had a birthday to remember. Thanks, Jean and Mike for a wonderful week - it went so quickly!

What a fabulous place! Wonderful hosts - we really enjoyed the home-made pizzas in the pizza oven, even the rain did not stop our enjoyment! We have really relaxed in this lovely place, the kids have loved the pool, the chickens and the garden to play in. We have also enjoyed exploring the area - Bourgueil market, wine-tasting, tree climbing in Rillé, many great chateaux and the boat trip from Saumur.

Thank you Jean and Mike - we hope to return very soon.

Another relaxing week at Les Mortiers. Picnic at Rillé and a fabulous meal at Vincent's Cuisinier de Campagne. Thank for the fun and friendship.

We had a lovely extended 3 weeks at Les Mortiers in gite Poppas, the lovely pool - which we enjoyed nearly every day (missed only twice)!! The lovely rural setting - the views - the small villages - markets - peace and quiet - gave us the holiday we needed.

Loved the home produce, eggs and tomatoes!!

Enjoy your lovely spot and take care!

This is our second visit to Les Mortiers, another fantastic family holiday, thank you! Plenty of room for us all. The highlights were the gorgeous pool, but also feeding the chickens every morning.

Such a beautiful setting, great facilities and a brilliant base to explore from. Only shame was that Mike and Jean were away as we would have loved to see them again. Hosts Julie and Rex were great though.

See you again soon!

Comment from Jean and Mike: We will try better next time planning our holiday !

Another lovely week at Les Mortiers! Alfie’s drawn some of his favourite things below - cows, horses, jumping in the pool and the steam train at Rillé. He has been exploring the Chateau gardens at Villandry and Chateau de Rivau. We also had a great rainy day at Ouistiti soft play and the Aero Museum near Angers.

We are sure we will be back some time to introduce the next addition to the family to all of the fun.

Comment: A big welcome to Alfie's little sister, Elsie Ruby, who arrived 9 weeks later on 25th November.

A welcome return to Les Mortiers. As before, the peace and tranquility of this wonderful place has worked its magic, just looking out over Jean and Mike’s beautiful (and well-tended) gardens and watching the birds and horses is balm to the soul.

A fabulously relaxing week.

Lovely clean pool - great in hot and cold weather Comfortable beds Lac d’Hommes fantastic - try the Wibit inflatable assault course! Saumur Treetop Adventure - brilliant, if you like ‘Go Ape' try this! Friendly vineyard, Audebert & fils with big waggy dog ‘Helios’ to mind kids while parents drink St. Nicholas de Bourgueil Lovely holiday.

Thank you for such a lovely week! We all had a brilliant time and throughly enjoyed our stay . The garden is beautiful, we loved watching the lizards, butterflies, swallow, listening to the tree frogs! It was great being able to eat outside and use the bbq, especially with the wonderful weather we had. The pool was greatly appreciated by us all, I wish I had spent even more time in it! Great location for bike rides without too many hills, not to mention the abundance of nearby chateaux!!

The lovely, relaxed atmosphere here is great, and our hosts were very friendly Thank you again.

We have had a lovely relaxing week at The Grange. The kids (aged 4 and 2) were thrilled with the pool here which was a pleasant temperature. The Bioparc Zoo not too far from here offered lots of fun for the kids and Chateau Villandry had a great play area and the gardens are buggy friendly. Homes (lakes) and Lac de Rille also made great trips out.

Jean and Mike have been tremendous hosts and the kids loved playing with her their grand kids. We hope to be back soon!

Thank you!

What a lovely place! We had a great time relaxing at Les Mortiers. We kayak'd down the Loire, cycled to Gizeux (take cash the Chateau does not accept cards) and drove to over the Bioparc (well worth a visit). We had a couple of lovely BBQs and the pool was a great attraction too!

Roasted courgettes and fresh eggs were a silver lining to a lovely break.

Thank you.

This is our fourth visit in 3 years and once again we have had a relaxing holiday and a chance to recharge the batteries. We have re-visited favourite places and discovered new ones. A big thank you to Mike and Jean for being warm and welcoming hosts and helping to make happy memories for all the family, especially Rowan. We will be back.

Thank you so much for another wonderful week here. As soon as we arrived here we instantly feel right at home and then never want to leave! We spent a lot of time in the pool and enjoying the gardens and feeding the chickens. We went to the markets at Langeais and Bourgueil, and visited the castles at Langeais and Chinon. As always we really enjoyed the lovely local food - a grown cup lunch at Le Moulin Bleu, incredible home made at Les Farmer at Lac de Hommes and a special treat - fresh home made pizzas in the pizza oven here! We will definitely be back again - thanks Mike and Jean xxx

A fantastic stay - despite the changeable weather, we had a lovely stay. All of our needs with a 16 month old were thought of and made everything much easier, Loved the views from the terrace and the picnic tables at the back of the garden Dylan liked the pool.

Highlights from our stay: * the gardens at Villandry, lots of space for Dylan to run around, a nice play area and baby friendly restaurant with good foo. * taking the bikes to the lake by Hoomes. Dylan loved the sand and water play and we like the restaurant/bar by the lake. * the castle with the underground living are at Brezé * Chinon - beautiful medieval town with great castle and rive bank.

Thank you for a lovely week in The Grange where we felt right at home! We have made some great memories - swimming in your lovely pool, sleeping in comfy beds, talking to the hens, chasing butterflies in your lovely garden. Despite the mixed weather this week we did lot of trips.

Saturday - walked to Parcay Sunday - Langeais markets Monday - cycling around Lake Rillé Tuesday - stayed here Wednesday - visited Sleeping Beauty’s caste - Chateau de Ussé - the girls loved it. Thursday - Saumur Forest Adventure - fantastic Accrobranche centre. NB make sure you don’t get your fingers caught like Ruby did. Friday - visited Bourgueil and Cave de Pays de Bourgueil.

Thanks, Mike and Jean xxx

“Heerlijke week gehad”

Een week totaal relaxed geweest. De gîte is van alle gemakken voorzien en blinkt uit in compleetheid. Je zit midden in de landelijke omgeving. Mooi uitzicht, fijne tuin en ook nog een geweldig zwembad

We had a fabulous time here. The pool is just right for Betsy who is 4 and loved it. We visited the lake at Rillé on the bikes. Gratin and Meyer’s vineyard and Langeais. The little bar in the village did great fish and chips too. Perfect relaxing break, thank you.

Betsy - I will miss your chatter and wonderful expressions! Jean x

Thank you very much for your hospitality. We enjoyed our stay here a lot. Our gite « Poppas » is a lovely cottage as well as your farmhouse, very charming.

Thank you also for the food basket. That was very pleasant and we will not forget the blue and green eggs!

Greetings from Luc, Regine, Lucas and Sebastian.

It’s our third year running here and Les Mortiers is looking lovelier than ever! Thank you, Jean and Mike, as ever, for helping to make our holiday so special. We did all our favourite things - Bourgueil market, Rillé lake for walks and woodland playground, pool time and wine …….. but a new discovery was pretty Langeais and its market on a Sunday. Go to the sticky bun patisserie recommended by Mke!

So pleased to be able to come back here again. Despite the rain we have had a lovely time and appreciated the peaceful surroundings.

Thank you Jean and Mike for your welcome and hope to see you again.

We spent a most enjoyable week in the peace and tranquility of Les Mortiers.

Our generous hosts passed on their wide knowledge of the local area, especially pointing us to the best eateries. Our favourite was le Bouff’Tard in Hommes with its expensive menu and very friendly staff.

The only drawback to our week was the excessive heat with temperatures regularly reach 38C. Pouring rain all week would have been worse!!

“Lovely welcoming stay in a beautiful location”

We stayed for a week with a 4 year old in The Grenier. It's a lovely 1st floor give with a living room, dining table area and kitchen all open plan, a bathroom with bath and shower, and 2 rooms. The Gite was well stocked with everything you could need including things like cling film... very handy for packed lunches! The rooms were well laid out with plenty of space for storing clothes and toys.

The Gite owners are lovely. We had a lovely welcome and they offered great advice and ideas for days out... even providing an emergency bottle of wine when we ran out!

The welcome basket and green eggs were really yummy. They also have a few huge folders stocked with tourist info brochures.

I found a pleasant 5km run from the Gite. And the village of Parcay is an easy walk along a very quiet lane. Nothing much there but a grocery store, boulangerie and a cafe/bar. But that's all you need. Most villages are a similar size and very quiet. It is set in such beautiful countryside which we enjoyed exploring in our campervan for days out, picnics, and visiting a few Chateaux. Our favourite places we visited included Terra Botanica, Saumur, and the lakes and train at Rille. The local markets were nice to visit too.

“Quintessential character French gite with all home comforts”

We stayed at Poppas gite in Les Mortiers for a long weekend in mid May as a stopover on our way home from Charente Maritime.

What a perfect location and ambience; for couples, families, active holidays (especially cycling), house hunting etc Jean and Mike are perfect hosts. They have lived and operated their gites in France for nearly 20 years so they have thought of everything, can advise on the best restaurants, places to visit and the vineyards worth visiting. Their wine knowledge is excellent. Our gite was very modern (lush shower room!) charming, fully equipped for comprehensive cooking, seats for everyone at dining table, in salon and outside. Bikes available for a nominal €1 an hour so there is no need to hike a car full of bikes with you. The village is really within walking/bimbling on a bike distance. We had a lovely day out in Saumur, Saturday was market day, lunch at a very reasonably priced character restaurant Mike recommended, and visited a local winery he suggested on the way back.

The weather had been superb, but for our weekend was unusually cold with some rain but it didn't affect our stay. I swam every morning in the gorgeous heated and covered pool, but the cover is not claustrophobic (like many I've seen on pools) so no getting chilly if the weather is inclement. The sides can all be slid back so in hot weather (the norm!) it's open air but still some protection from the sun, I burn so badly as I'm very fair, and perfect for children and babies.

The journey to Normandy/Brittany ports is very easy, so more holiday time!

Thank you Jean and Mike for a restful weekend, we will be back for far longer next time. We are keen cyclists and you would be a perfect base.

Here we are again for another bit of R & R, (3 weeks), we just can't stay away. We enjoy ourselves so much. Weather absolutely brilliant, only one day of rain for a short time, so we certainly extended our summer. Enjoyed watching the chicks hatch and develop - Rex did not realise he had midwifery skills for chickens. Plenty of other wildlife to watch too, buzzards, bawks, deer and the donkeys were characters and entertaining. We missed sharing our food with Misty and her regular visits for a saucer of milk!

We had a lovely time here!! We appreciated your warm welcome very much! We hope to return soon. Thank you.

Another lovely week's holiday in Poppas. Although it was our fourth visit, we found plenty of new things to do - the Cadre Noir in Saumur, the picnic on Mont Sigou, the Chateau de Champchevrier and Chateau Le Riveau. In between we relaxed in the sunshine and enjoyed the pool.

Many thanks, Jean and Mike

Spent a lovely week here. Perfect base to visit various places in the Loire. Recommend a visit to Gratien & Meyer sparkling wine tasting and Fontevraud is a hidden treasure. The pool has been used daily and helped make this a very relaxed holiday.

Another wonderful stay with Jean and Mike at Les Mortiers. This is our fourth visit in seven years but we still manage to find new places to go and coming back to The Grenier and the pool after a long, hot day of sightseeing never fails to be a treat. I think we could come here for the next twenty years and still never see all of the beautiful sights in this area! Love the new pool cover and the deck really does "make" the Grenier for us, but as ever it's Jean and Mike's kind and friendly welcome that makes the biggest difference.

New places we enjoyed this time include: Langeais Chateau - good for kids with the drawbridge raising enactment and sword fighting plus a 6 storey treehouse to explore (and an amazing chocolatier just opposite the drawbridge - try the Guava chocolate confection!); boat trip at Rochecorbon; all the new attractions at Terra Botanica; Musee de Jules Desbois in Parcay - finally got there - some beautiful exhibits, well displayed with plenty of information provided in English as well as French; Louis de Grenelle wine tour, quite manageable with kids as it only takes 45 minutes and you're walking in the subterranean caves; and, my personal favourite, a delicious lunchtime picnic provided by the chef/patron in a huge wine barrel overlooking vineyards which we were very fortunate to share with Jean and Mike.

As ever though, by far the best bit of the holiday for me is just enjoying the peace and tranquility around Les Mortiers - watching the sunset from the deck of the Grenier, feeding the donkeys on stale bread, sharing a glass with Jean amd Mike and their lovely family, relaxing in the pool, seeing buzzards and little owls on the telegraph poles and just taking the time to stop and breathe.

Thank you both so much for making us feel so welcome. Your warmth and hospitality has helped make our holiday relaxed. The Grange has provided us with a great base to visit lots of the local area. The Kids (4 and 1 years) have loved the pool, chicks and freedom of the grounds to explore.

Recommendations: Langeais, Bioparc de Doué la Fonataine, Brézé (great on a very hot day), Boat ride - Saumur, Lac de Rillé - train, bike ride and picnic, Zoo de La Fleche, Chenonceau.

We had a lovely time here. We enjoyed the region and the beautiful weather. The kids loved the swimming pool. Thank you for your hospitality! Maybe we'll come back another year.

Thank you very much for a Brilliant week. We really enjoyed looking after the chicks they are very sweet hopefully we will see them when they are grown up. The pizzas were yummy we had on the last night. They were a lovely end to the week.

Katy - aged 9

Rachel, Katy, Beccy and Stu.

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Thank you for another amazing visit. We particularly love Poppas in the summer. The weather was great, except for one rainy day, when we discovered the beautiful 'L'Islette" chateau. We swam in the pool everyday. Katy and I still play on the swings! All of us cycled to Gizeux chateau in the sun, which as an easy enough ride through the forest. Mike's pizzas were a great end to our visit. Thank you!

Rachel, Katy, Beccy and Stu

Lovely peaceful stay, our first in the area - definitely not our last. Thanks for a lovely welcome.

Our first time in the Loire and we have enjoyed it! Lovely place to stay at Les Mortiers. Very peaceful and we love your swimming pool! The house is very complete with many kitchen and bathroom stuff. So Jean and Mike, thank you for our relaxing moments at your property.

Hope we will come back another year! All th best to you both. Best regards from the Dutchies!

We have had a wonderful week here in this lovely gite, just wish we could stay longer. Thank you Jean and Mike for your welcome and kindness and we hope that we will be able to see you again.

We unexpectedly arrived early at Jean & Mike's and were met with a warm welcome regardless. We were absolutely satisfied with our apartment. It was more than we had expected as we had been given an upgrade due to availability, which was very generous. We stayed in Poppas and we felt completely at home. There was a wonderful welcome basket provided, with wine, local eggs, tea, coffee etc which was filled with more than enough supplies to last for our stay. The beds were incredibly comfortable, and I absolutely loved the beautiful quality of the linen (with top sheet) provided. Our boys loved the swimming pool and the gardens were a peaceful refuge from long days driving. We will heartily recommend Jean & Mike's and could not fault a thing. They were wonderful hosts who went out of their way to offer advice if we needed it and we are already dreaming of our next escape to France which will include a stay with them. Thank you both for sharing your wonderful property.

Thank you for a lovely stay. We really enjoyed it and hope to be back one day.

Jean and Mike,

Thank you for having us back. It was lovely to see you both again! I could not think of a better place to bring the girls for their first holiday.

Almost the end of a very happy family get-together here. 3 gites, 3 cars - sometimes a joint visit - Villandry, Chenonceau.

The children loved their visit to the Zoo at Doue La Fontaine - one of the best the parents had seen. At the Visitors Centre in Bourgueil we booked a winery trip with guide Michael (English) which the adults enjoyed.

Amazing to see the flooding Loire - so huge, fast and spreading. Roads closed, farmland and buildings - including chateaux - marooned. Our cloths suitable for warm sunshine - oh dear!

We loved this place and seeing the children (4 years and 2 years) happily running to visit family in the other gites.

Many thanks to Jean and Mike.

We love coming back to stay here with Jean and Mike. Lovely place to stay and see the area. Incredible hospitality from two of life's wonderful people.

Our first visit to Les Mortiers was in 2002 and we have not missed a year since, sometimes 4 times a year! Everything about this place is addictive, so much so we have bought our own little bit of Parcay Les Pins. We will still be back no doubt as Jean and Mike are the best hosts we know.

Merçi pour le joli panier et le bel accueil. Les enfants ont beaucoup apprecié la piscine et les anes, canards, poney-cheval.

Relaxing, cooking, good food, enjoying the wine and food and first and foremost doing a castle tour around Val de Loire. Going back home after having relaxed well in the easy environment. hanks to Mike and Jean

A huge thank you to Jean and Mike for the generosity to Ashgate hospice. We have all had a lovely relaxing week and enjoyed our time as a family together in such a beautiful gite. Thank you for your warm welcome and the recommendation for the superb meal at Vincents.

Chris thinks everyone should have a week here each year to unwind! It certainly did us good to relax after an exhausting house move. Many thanks for your warm welcome.

Thank you, had a great time as usual. The Hawaiian Night was a blast. See you soon.

Thank you so much for another great time at Poppas. (8th time). - Joel

It has been another amazing stay and hope to come back soon - Jude

Dear Jean and Mike

Anna: Me and Jamie love this place. We go to Italy and other places, but none of them are as good as this. We have thoroughly enjoyed our time here. The pool is great, the cycling is marvellous and the pizzas were terrific. We definitely look forward to coming back. Thank you.

Suki: Perfect as always in every way. Thank you both and very best wishes.

Claire: Claudia was with us for the first week and we seem to have focussed a bit more on wine in week two! Did lots of my favourite things and some lovely new ones. We had fantastic weather and it was a fantastic two weeks again, great to see you both again and Misty, who seemed pleased to see us, (but that might have been the chicken!).

Chin: My first time in France since I was a wee thing and had a fabulous time. You have a lovely place here and I can see why it is so popular!! Really a pleasure to meet you both and hope to see you again in the not too distant future.

We have had a fantastic time and hit the jackpot with the weather it was so hot and sunny. Enjoyed watching the wildlife* from the balcony, so entertaining. Misty also kept us entertained and visited regularly! (*Hares, deer, frogs, buzzards, ponies and donkeys)

Good places for walks are the Lac de Rille and also found the lakes at Hommes, which is ear-marked for a future visit and picnic. Everything on your doorstep. Good place to chill out!

Thanks so much for a comfortable and relaxing few days at Les Mortiers. We immediately felt ‘at home' and would have loved to be able to stay longer. Still, in the few days we had we burnt off a few wine and cheese calories in the pool and on the bikes. Thanks also, Jean, for the emergency loan when all the shops were shut. The gite is so nice, we will certainly recommend it to friends and family and hope to return one day.

We have had a lovely week here in France. Jean and Mike were very friendly hosts and were there when you needed them, also respected your privacy. We walking in to our Gite and saw a most welcome basket of goodies to kick start our holiday and to instantly refresh ourselves with a fresh coffee and cup of tea, which, after a long journey was more than welcomee to kick off our shoes, sit back and take stock of our plans for the week with all the helpful maps and brochures provided here. The pool too was great, even at this time of year, although we did find ourselves out exploring the Loire Valley for most of our time. Thank you Mike and Jean for a lovely holiday.

Have had two wonderful weeks at Les Mortiers. The weather ha been pretty good, especially for October with some really hot sunny days - so nice to still be able to sit outside. A lovely peaceful setting to chill out - just what we needed. Will miss Misty's regular visits!! We'll be back!!

Back again after 4 years for another love break in Poppas. We have so enjoyed it and thank you for your warm welcome. The cover over the pool is brilliant.

Have had a great time staying in Poppas - my first visit to this beautiful area. We have had good weather so have really enjoyed the gorgeous pool. I have also had a couple of bike rides - how lovely not to have any hills! Thank you for your kind hospitality.

I first wrote in the Guest Book way back in 2002 when our son, Oliver, was a small enthusiastic boy of 10. This year two of his friends joined him to enjoy what we have been enjoying for the past 12 years.

The new pool cover is a great bonus, especially when the weather is not great - and even when it is.

Once again the area has charmed us with deer, red squirrels and green woodpeckers. The wine, the food and the people always delight.

Jean and Mike your are the perfect hosts, there when needed, but never hovering, you put up with our crazy ideas with good grace, so thank you for a great 2 weeks and we will see you in 8 weeks!!

There is nothing better than coming home from a day at Doué Zoo or Fontevraud Abbaye or Langeais Chateau and jumping in your lovely pool.

We have had a great run of weather (our best in ten years in the Loire), and can thoroughly recommend a visit to Gratien et Meyer - a long held ambition, now realised.

Wonderful to be back! Doesn't seem like four years and I'm already planning for next year. Not stayed in The Grenier before, but love the decking! Weather has been a lot better but Mike's "Pleasure Dome" over the pool was fantastic and made the pool possible every day. Lovely to visit places I've been before and also some new ones! Local markets at Langeais and Bourgueil and the fouée restaurant at Rou Marson was fantastic! Thank you for your hospitality once again - fizz, pizza night and the usual level of humour from Mike! :-)

Hope to see you next year!

Another great stay in Poppas. Thank you Jean and Mike for making us fell so welcome. We have had a fantastic time and Fraser has really enjoyed plain with your lovely grandchildren, made his holiday! Definitely will be back.

Surely the sign of a great holiday is when we haven't even left yet and the kids are already asking when we can come back?

Our second visit to Les Mortiers has once again been fantastic. The children, now older, have enjoyed the freedom to explore and hang out in the swimming pool with new friends.

Jean and Mike remain the PERFECT hosts and a huge applause goes to Mike for his pizza making in a torrential storm. Definitely the most relaxed holiday we've had with kids and we cannot thank you enough for that.

We hope to be back again some day. Thank you so much

Thank you for another (7!) fantastic hols! This place is just magical. We love it you guys!

Dear Jean and Mike

Thank you so much. We've had a wonderful week. I am very glad we discovered Les Mortiers.

We've found the Perfect location, Perfect weather (including the downpours - they helped us appreciate the sunshine), Perfect re-introduction to cycling, Perfect sunsets, Perfect Hosts and even a Perfect cup of tea!

Blood pressure and stress levels reset to normal!

Next time we'll be sure to take the Ferry.

Very best wishes

Another lovely week of sunshine – just like last year. Thank you Jean and Mike for a super holiday.

Thanks for your hospitality – we thoroughly enjoyed the break and will certainly be back again as soon as possible.

We have had such a wonderful time staying at Les Mortiers. The accommodation is really comfortable – a home from home. The gardens are beautiful (we wish ours looked like this!) and the sun shone most of the time! Our 4 month old, Oscar, absolutely loved his first foreign holiday too!

Thank you for being the most kind, warm and generous hosts.

Another slice of family heaven!

Bike rides to the boulangerie and Gizeux Chateau for a fabulous treasure hunt. Swimming (and spectating) in the fabulous pool and sharing delicious food, wine and fun with our dear, jolly, marvellous friends, Jean and Mike. Thank you!

Well! What can we say except we've had one of the most relaxing weeks ever! Poppas was comfortable, clean and quiet. Jean and Mike are superb hosts and we found a bottle of “Black Sheep” Ale can win some favours with Mike.

We'll be back – and may bring friends!

We have really enjoyed our stay in this lovely place. It is so calm and peaceful and we have had a relaxing time. We enjoyed our trips to Chateau Chinon, Chambord, the Bioparc and Rose garden at Doué. The train at Lake Rillé was a big hit with Susanna (2 years). A great holiday. Enjoyed the welcome pack and pool too!

Dear Jean and Mike. Had a wonderful sunny week, was meant to be relaxing but with so much to do now need another holiday. Evie and Megan loved the pool, couldn't get them out sometimes. Would recommend Terra Botanica and Bioparc (Zoo) for anyone with children. Thank you.

Thank you. I have had a great time. The cat is sweet. I am loving the stay. We had marshmallows with the boy. Lovely town and lovely house. I don't want to leave.

Another fantastic holiday thanks! Can't believe what a difference the deck has made – we've eaten most meals out there and lovely for sitting out and relaxing in the evening. New places for us this time: Béhuard (beautiful village, fab creperie 'La Guillemette') and the Jardin des Kangarous. Chateau La Valliere – great lakeside play area/picnic/beach. Azay Le Rideau – beautiful but not good for (our at least) kids. Langeais – lovely. Old favourites: Alex still loves Terra Botanica and Chinon (great Dragon theme there this year). So enjoyed our pizza and nasi goreng evenings, thanks, lovely food and great company and Alex loved spending time with Jack and Tia. Many thanks again.

What a wonderful place to 'get away from it all'. We've enjoyed exploring this lovely region and trying out our school day French!! Thanks for your hospitality, we'll be recommending Les Mortiers to my parents, but once here, they won't want to leave! Many thanks

We have had a great week! Weather has been perfect, and so is the pool! A very relaxing, happy holiday. There are so many lovely places to visit but not enough time, we'd love to come back sometime. Villandry, Abbaye Fontevraud, Chinon and Bourgueil Market our favourite. “Les Mortiers' wine list is also very good!!! Thank you for making us feel so very welcome x

We have had an amazing 2 weeks. It has been a different kind of holiday for us, but it has made the world of difference to Fraser since his operation earlier this year. He has come on so well. As well as all the walking, he has thoroughly enjoyed the countryside living – feeding the chickens and picking (and eating!) your lovely tomatoes. Fraser even now wants his own greenhouse. It really is a wonderful place to relax, and relax we have. Thank you so much for your hospitality, we have felt at home here and have met some lovely people.

A wonderful holiday (yet again – x5!!!). Thank you so much Jean and Mike for being amazing hosts. Highlights: The Pizza Lunch – perfect pizzas!, Les Mortiers 'Masterchef' (a fantastic evening), The Pool!!! Same time, same place, next year!!!

After a long year of waiting, we finally got to Les Mortiers!! Jean and Mike you have discovered the perfect recipe for a relaxing holiday!!! We have enjoyed the Loire – so much to see and do, Les Mortiers – particularly the pool and The Grange – our lovely home for 2 weeks. Our trips to the Chateau Ussé, Chateau Villandry, Abbey Fontevraud, Pierre and Lumiere Sculpture Caves, Ackerman wineries, Super U supermarket and Decathlon have all been great fun.

However, the highlights were the pizza oven afternoon hosted by Jean and Mike and the BBQ evening hosted by the guests! Great memories. The girls have enjoyed every moment in the pool and making new friends. Thank you

We go home sad, but very, very happy that we chose to stay at Les Mortiers with the best hosts we have ever experienced.

Thank you Jean and Mike for making our stay extra special and we very much hope to stay with you again.

First visit to Les Mortiers, it was the lure of “Le Tour” that brought us here, but so much about the place will tempt us back. The best on-site pool and surroundings I have ever experienced, the well equipped gite, superbly comfortable beds, and last, but not least, Mike and Jean. Thank you for letting us share your lovely property.

Dear Jean and Mike, This has been a wonderful week in France, Emily and Joshua's first trip abroad. Emily, 9 and a half, Joshua, 6. Wonderful and welcoming hosts, glorious weather, relaxing and peaceful and yet full of laughter at the pool! Joshua has really gained in confidence and we can't stop him from jumping in. We have managed to visit the gardens at Villandry, the market at Bourgueil, a train ride at Rille and a day out in Saumur including a wine tour. Hope to return in 2 year's time.

We have had a fantastic time in this super-quiet relaxing place! Our girls enjoyed the pool immensely – the weather just perfect for it! So many highlights, seeing the Tour de France whizz by, Chateaux Ussé and Villandry and the fantastic Gala at the Cadre Noire. Jean – your raspberry jam is gorgeous!

We feel really rested after a lovely week at Les Mortiers. Poppas had everything we needed (and more!). We have very much enjoyed the peaceful countryside and sleepy villages, with contrasting bustling local markets and riverside picnics. Thank you Jean and Mike for making us most welcome and comfortable.

We are really sad to be going home from a fantastic two weeks at Les Mortiers. As a first proper holiday as a family of four, our time here has totally exceeded our any expectations we had. For places that claim to be child friendly, Les Mortiers and Jean and Mike are in a different league. Not only did they not mind the chaos and noise of our two kids (4 ½ and 18 months), they actively encouraged it! Jean has a toy for every occasion and our son absolutely loved the den making stuff. We cannot thank our hosts enough for a great time. We will be back! (If you will have us). (Of course, we will! J & M)

Thanks to Jean and Mike for a wonderful stay at Les Mortiers. We have had a week of mixed weather, but it's not stopped us enjoying the delights of Villandry, Saumur and an unexpected highlight of the mushroom museum and the Cobb barbecue, wonderful meals, delicious wines and lots of laughter. Thanks for providing everything for little Elsa, very thoughtful and thanks for being so helpful with the interview! Many thanks.

Dear Jean and Mike, We have loved staying in this lovely cottage. The best bit that me and Caleb loved was the chickens and the swimming pool. We all loved the beds which were cosy and comfy. We went to lots of different chateaux (most of them were castles), but lovely. We also went to an Abbey which was amazing. The whole place is fantastic, the pool is clean (although it took a while to get in)! Me and Caleb loved playing with Rachel and Katy.

We have had a really lovely week, our second visit, but this time with two boys wanting to swim and run around. The zoo at La Fleche is very good, but quite expensive at around 70 euros for a family of four. The Chateau at Ussé is well worth a visit, as is the one at Saumur. The tank museum at Saumur is interesting as a change from castles! We also went to the chateau at Brezé, which had great underground tunnels to explore, but the building itself was disappointing. Overall a fantastic week. We were made to feel really welcome by our lovely hosts, Jean and Mike.

I am writing to you from our home on the coast of Maine.  It is a beautiful day and we're enjoying settling back into our daily routines as sweet memories of France float through our heads. We had such a wonderful time during our stay at Les Mortiers.  The weather wasn't the best but it also didn't have too much of a negative impact on us.  It made sitting by the fire even more cozy. We loved exploring the Loire Valley, touring various chateaux and vineyards and driving through the charming villages.  But our favorite time of each day was when we returned "home" in the late afternoon, settling in for an evening of good wine, stimulating conversation (With our presidential election just around the corner, politics were foremost on everyones' minds!) and a home-cooked meal. Thank you, Jean, for all that you did to make our week in the Loire such a fun, positive experience. You rescued us from a disastrous situation. In the process, you were a delight to work with. If there is anything that we could do to spread the word about Les Mortiers, let us know and we'll do it in a nano second.

What a treat it has been for us to stay in your lovely house! We felt really nurtured by your care and consideration. You are a great team. The plus to us was also having a bit of “Yorkshire”! Great!

Thank you Mike and Jean for a very warm welcome even though we arrived late. It has been a pleasure staying in Poppas and we have enjoyed ourselves immensely. We really appreciated the lovely welcome basket (it was great). We would love to return for a longer stay.

The poet of our group has expressed our sentiments exactly! Thank you for your warm hospitality, for creating such a beautiful cottage and environs for us to savour. It has been a delightful time with shared meals, swims, cycles, chateaux, abbeys, villages, markets, the late summer countryside. We wish you well for the upcoming wedding (as with us next Saturday in Paris) and a well earned sojourn in the van in Spain.

Merci beaucoup!!

We all know that the Loire Valley is full of great towns amazing chateaux and beautiful, peaceful countryside. But what makes a holiday special is where you stay. Jean and Mike made our stay extra special, with their hospitality and kindness. The accommodation is beautiful, but made more so through Jean and Mike’s generosity – the little touches go along way and do not go unnoticed. This was a very special time for us as it was our first holiday together as a family - our son was born seven months ago - and our hopes of an unforgettable holiday were even better than we had hoped for, down to the kindness and lovely accommodation. Beautiful drives, lovely wines, amazing chateaux, quaint towns and unforgettable bike rides and walks. We go home sad, but very, very happy that we chose to stay at Les Mortiers with the best hosts we have ever experienced. Thank you Jean and Mike for making our stay extra special and we very much hope to stay with you again.

I have had an amazing time at Les Mortiers. This is the best holiday destination ever. Everybody who comes here is exceptionally lucky. I have loved it all the three times we have been here. I hope I come again.

A wonderfully illustrated entry in the guest book - “Thank you so much, Jean and Mike. I really enjoy staying in The Grange and making a new friend.

Back for our second holiday at Les Mortiers and even more relaxing than the first as we know our way around. Taught by Jean and Mike how to cook whole oysters on the BBQ, gut sardines and that I do actually like Chardonnay! We have had a lovely time enjoyed very much by the whole family. It's been really relaxing and enjoyable. Thanks to Jean and Mike!

We have had a lovely stay at Les Mortiers, enjoyed the peaceful surroundings and excellent swimming pool. Perfect for a holiday with an 18 month old as well. Thank you.

I have written in the Les Mortiers visitors book 15 times I think and so I am running out of new things to say. We obviously love the place, the area and Jean and Mike. All have a very special place in our year and we always look forward to returning and seeing the never ending improvements that take place. It has been another memorable two week and the weather was skuperb. To use a much over used phrase 'we will be back'. Thank you Jean and Mike once again.

Thank you Jean and Mike for a wonderful holiday. The Grange had everything we needed and more. The area is peaceful and beautiful. An ideal base of exploring the Loire Valley. Looking forward to coming back.

This is a beautiful, peaceful place – such a great location for a pleasant break. Many thanks for your hospitality, Jean and Mike

I had a lovely time, my favourite thing was going in the pool.

We have just had a very relaxing two weeks at Les Mortiers. Going back extremely 'chilled'. Do try the markets and the chateaux. Do ask Jean and Mike for restaurant recommendations. We had two lovely evenings and one of the choices was not our norm. For 'sad' blokes there is a Tank Museum at Saumur (very good), there is also a plane museum at Angers Airport (can't comment as not allowed to go!). The weather 'mainly' was not with us, but we have a very nice break.

Thanks to Mike and Jean for a lovely stay. Our first time in France and their advice and guidance has made our holiday. The pool was fab, as was the wine cellar. We enjoyed the gardens at Villandry and in Bourgueil try the coffee shop next to Mickey's Bar. Cakes to die for. Must visit the boulangerie for fresh bread for breakfast. Thank you Mike and Jean.

We have enjoyed our stay in The Grange and the Loire Valley very much, including rain, power failures and our inexperience with a wood burner. Jean and Mike have been wonderful hosts, very friendly and helpful. The chateaux of Villandry and Azay Le Rideau are well worth a visit.

Back again for a delightful Easter week. Thank you Jean - a brilliant Easter Egg hunt followed by muffins and fizz in the sunshine - what a treat! We enjoyed the pool daily, helped by returning to the lovely log burner on chilly days. The gardens proved perfect for fun and adventure as always and we have the addition of the wheelbarrow and the den-building kit! Great to spend time with you Jean and Mike and to make new South African friends. Thank you so much and see you soon.

Dear Jean and Mike, Thank you for the fantastic Easter Egg Hunt and also for the den making things. We had lots of fun in the brite yellow weelbarow! Love from Rachel

Our expectations were met many times over. How wonderful to spend time in such a beautiful part of the world. Thank you Jean and Mike for going to such trouble to ensure that we were so comfortable and warm! You even managed to bring out the sunshines. We hope to be back one day.

Dear Jean and Mike, Than you so much for making our stay so wonderful. We enjoyed everything about us here and had a wonderful time with our grandchildren.

Yet another wonderful week and we are already looking forward to next year. Many, many thanks. I love the swimming pool - Jude aged 6, I like the holiday house and the swimming pool. Also cycling to the boulangerie - Joel aged 8.

Yet another wonderful week and we are already looking forward to next year. Many, many thanks.

Thank you, Jean and Mike. We have had a wonderful holiday here at Les Mortiers. Our second trip; having previously stayed at your other property - both wonderful. We adore the pool! Your recommendation for our celebratory meal was amazing - Manor de Restigne. A very memorable meal and they made us feel so welcome with our 1 and 3 year olds. We had some great day trips to Brezé, Chenonceau, the Zoo at La Fleche and Terra Botanica (amazing - great theme park for adults and kids.) The markets at Bourgueil and Langeais were great and we really loved your Vouvray recommendation. We will enjoy our year drinking the pink sparkling. Thank you again and we hope to see you next year.

Have had a wonderful stay, the kids loved playing in the pool and feeding the ponies. Lovely accommodation., made easy with the little ones by the extra thought eg toilet seat, step, etc (plus the gate on the door). Thank you very much.

I stayed here with my two daughters and my mother, it was wonderful! We loved the Lore Valley and the gite is very well organised. Thanks so much to Jean and Mike. We will be back again.

We arrived by train to the beautiful Loire Valley and the tranquility of Les Mortiers. Being the first guests without our own transport has been interesting but 'do-able' as taking in the fantastic scenery on bikes has been a great way to get out and about and highly recommended! The market at Bourgueil (on Tuesday morning) was fantastic and we bought many beautiful, juicy, fanciful fruits and cakes (of course!!). Saumur is also a must for anyone visiting here and the Loire provides a great back drop for creating the perfect photo image — we took many!!

As for Jean and Mike - the words Fantastic! Wonderful! Delightful! Perfect! Certainly spring to mind. Nothing and we mean NOTHING has been too much trouble for them. They have made our holiday here at Les Mortiers absolutely, without question, truly idyllic! We thank you both from the bottom of our hearts! With much love and sincere gratitude to you both. We love Fifi! (the 2CV)

We arrived by train to the beautiful Loire Valley and the tranquility of Les Mortiers. Being the first guests without our own transport has been interesting but ‘do-able’ as taking in the fantastic scenery on bikes has been a great way to get out and about and highly recommended! The market at Bourgueil (on Tuesday morning) was fantastic and we bought many beautiful, juicy, fanciful fruits and cakes (of course!!). Saumur is also a must for anyone visiting here and the Loire provides a great back drop for creating the perfect photo image — we took many!!

As for Jean and MIke - the words Fantastic! Wonderful! Delightful! Perfect! Certainly spring to mind. Nothing and we mean NOTHING has been too much trouble for them. They have made our holiday here at Les Mortiers absolutely, without question, truly idyllic! We thank you both from the bottom of our hearts! With much love and sincere gratitude to you both. We love Fifi! (the 2CV)

I stayed here with my two daughters and my mother, it was wonderful! We loved the Lore Valley and the gite is very well organised. Thanks so much to Jean and Mike. We will be back again.

Our First French Family Holiday! It is such a privilege to spend time together as a family and Les Mortiers was just PERFECT!! The peaceful setting, bringing back memories from our farm in South Africa, the lovely gites and the could-not-do without swimming pool was just such a treat. Our little girls, 3 years and 1 year, loved spending time with Daddy swimming and visiting the chickens and ponies every day. Mike and Jean have been so helpful, from the email to book our holiday and throughout our stay. Could not have asked for better hosts! We had wonderful weather - what a blessing. All in all we had such a wonderful time.

You appear to have an enviable lifestyle, although we are sure its hard work - at least we hope it is otherwise we are even more jealous. We have enjoyed the cottage, wine, pool, etc. etc and especially your hospitality.

Couldn't think of a more peaceful and beautiful place to give our new life together a memorable beginning. The hospitality, kindness and warmth are second to none. There aren't many places that I've been to that make me want to return soon, but this is the first. Lots of happy memories, and a bit of a tan to take away and rekindle on our return.

Thank you Jean and Mike so very much.

Thank you for the warm welcome! We have thoroughly enjoyed our stay at The Grange. Thanks also for the little extras you offered for ourselves and Hilde, like the goodies basket and the child-friendly pack. Hilde particularly loved the play pen and called it her ‘house’.

The tourist information you provided was excellent. We went on three wonderful walks and visited Chateau Villandry and the Saumur Saturday market. The only thing you could not control was the weather, but everything else made our stay a memorable one. Thanks again.

Thanks for the bubby ib Easter Sunday and the yummy cake, afterall Phil had 3 portions!!!

Here’s a list of what we’ve done and we loved all of them, your recommendations were spot on.

• L’Helianthe - fantastic meal with family.
• Visit to Villandry - beautiful gardens
• Chateau d’Azay le Rideay - atmospheric,
• Maison des Vins in Bourgueil - a nice selection.
• Saumur
• Manoir de Restigne - Food to die for.
• Gizeux - do the walk and visit the castle.
• Troglodyte in Azay le Rideau.
• Langeais.
• Usse - the most romantic castle.
• Jules Desbois Museum
• We swam most days, loved the pool and the cosy gite.

All in all this was one of the best holidays we ever had, loved it, loved it. All the very best

Thank you for a wonderful festive welcome and a perfect cosy venue for a family New Year celebration. It was brilliant to see in the New Year with Ross, Helen, Tim, you and Mike’s cassoulet! As expected, Les Mortiers is as beautiful in winter as it is in spring, summer and autumn.

The Loire Valley has now become one of our very favourite places and Les Mortiers is at the centre of that joy! The pool and surrounding countryside have been so enjoyable that it will be difficult to leave. Jean and Mike are the crème-de-la-crème of hosts, with delightful restaurant recommendations, precise directions, and warm personalities that all to the experience an element of familiarity in a foreign land. A must to eat location is Les Caves, to visit location Chateaux Chenonceau. Jean and Mike thank you for everything! We will be back to the Loire.

Tot Ziens (see you later)

The fall is a good time to ‘Pays de la Loire’, We had a wonderful time and the weather was just fine. The gite was all we needed and more and the swimming pool was a huge bonus for our girls and their daddy. Thank you Mike and Jean for all the wonderful stuff from the child friendly pack. And of course for the eggs that you collected with the girls. We will certainly recommend this place to our friends and family.

We wish you all the best.

The Loire Valley has now become one of our very favourite places and Les Mortiers is at the centre of that joy! The pool and surrounding countryside have been so enjoyable that it will be difficult to leave. Jean and Mike are the crème-de-la-crème of hosts, with delightful restaurant recommendations, precise directions, and warm personalities that all to the experience an element of familiarity in a foreign land. A must to eat location is Les Caves, to visit location Chateaux Chenonceau. Jean and Mike thank you for everything! We will be back to the Loire.

Thank you Jean and Mike for your lovely warm welcome; the homegrown veggies and homemade preserves were delicious and much appreciated. We thank you for making our stay so enjoyable, and for being so informative. All of your recommendations were ‘spot on’. We loved the restaurant especially. The ‘files’ (tourist) we found particularly helpful. Mike thanks again for bailing us out at the start of the hols.

Hope to see you both again sometime.

The only thing we had in mind for our holiday was to get away from work and enjoy life. It took around 2 minutes to realize this plae is what we were looking for, just as soon as we opened the door on the first morning. I am not sure which I like most, the distant sound of calling cows, the leaves rustling in the breeze or the ratchet of a pheasant in the hedgerows, but I know I could listen to it all day every day.

Our little boy turned 2 and a half during out stay and he has loved everything. Virtually every day we have visited somewhere and after a couple of hours he is wanting to return to his ‘holiday house’ to see the horses, donkeys and go swimming.

The wine we have had has been beautiful and the time of year was perfect – hottest day 28C and the last few mornings have seen a frost! Local produce is superb at the markets and we have feasted on chestnuts and walnuts by the kilo!

We’ve enjoyed visiting local markets on various days and seeing the towns too, best of the bunch for us is: Chinon, Saumur, Villandry, Langeais, Bourgueil, Fontevraud Abbey, the lake at Rillé. All of these have beautiful chateaux and/or markets.XXThanks Jean and Mike for hosting us so nicely – you are very kind and helpful! We loved the wine so much we’re taking a stack of it back and I can only hope we come back soon for more!!

Kind regards

For ten days we felt like real Frenchmen.

You live in paradise here and we want to thank you for sharing it with us. Amber had her first swimming experience and she loved it! Her first golden medal will be dedicated to you both! Thanks for all the baby stuff we could borrow, she loved her temporary friend, the singing rabbit. Erik and I had a great time as well. The lovely villages, the superb wine tastings and the unexpected meeting with Veuve Amiot were very nice! And our evening with you hosts, the one that started with Jean asking us to join a glass of wine, is one to remember! We had a great night and we won’t tell anyone that the one glass became a few …

Thanks Mike and Jean for these lovely days.

PS The brocantes in Vernantes and Beaufort are well worth a visit! Both open from Thursday to Sunday.

For ten days we felt like real Frenchmen. You live in paradise here and we want to thank you for sharing it with us. Amber had her first swimming experience and she loved it! Her first golden medal will be dedicated to you both! Thanks for all the baby stuff we could borrow, she loved her temporary friend, the singing rabbit. Erik and I had a great time as well. The lovely villages, the superb wine tastings and the unexpected meeting with Veuve Amiot were very nice! And our evening with you hosts, the one that started with Jean asking us to join a glass of wine, is one to remember! We had a great night and we won’t tell anyone that the one glass became a few ……… Thanks Mike and Jean for these lovely days. PS The brocantes in Vernantes and Beaufort are well worth a visit! Both open from Thursday to Sunday.

The fall is a good time to ‘Pays de la Loire’, We had a wonderful time and the weather was just fine. The gite was all we needed and more and the swimming pool was a huge bonus for our girls and their daddy. Thank you Mike and ean for all the wonderful stuff from the child friendly pack. And of course for the eggs that you collected with the girls. We will certainly recommend this place to our friends and family

We wish you all the best.

We came for a week in 2002 and have been back twie a year ever sine! Yes we love it here, Jean and Mike make it a home from home. The area is beautiful, the food is great and the wine, if you take the time to do some tasting, has a huge variety of styles, prices and colours. Ask Mike and Jean to give you some suggestions. Do visit the markets and see how the French live. We could learn something!!

We have had the best weather ever and despite the first day being spent in Saumur hospital, thanks to Mike for his translation skills, a broken collar bone did not stop our son enjoying a wonderful holiday.

See you soon!

We have had a wonderful relaxing holiday – one of our best. Thank you for your warm welcome and kindness during out stay. Anna and Jamie loved meeting Tia and Jack and swimming in your lovely pool.

Many thanks

I like the pool.
I like the place.
I like Mike and Jean.
I cannot wait to come back next year.

Thank you for a very pleasant and relaxing fortnight, you have a wonderful place here. We all enjoyed, very much, the pool which gave Hannah (15 months) her first real experience at swimming/splashing – she’s now a true water baby! Local area was fantastic and we especially enjoyed Saumur, Rillé with great walks and lake, chateaux (Ussé and especially Villandry) and of course the wine. Weather was just right for us, all in all, Great!

Thank you

We’ve had an absolutely fabulous relaxing time … Tasha now has webbed feet, but the underwater swimming and diving is second to none … for us the great attraction was being home, relaxing and enjoying the scenery

I love the swimming pool. Thank you.

We have particularly enjoyed the wine tastings with good recommendations from Jean and Mike.

Troglodyte caves also worth a visit.

Thank you for letting us sleep at your house.

[Thank you for the great picture too, Oshana — Jean and Mike]

Many thanks again for a fantastic week! Highlight, as was last year – the pool! We all enjoy it and the kids absolutely love it. We love it so much we find it a great effort to drag ourselves away, but we did manage a bubbly tasting at Gratien and Meyer in Saumur, where the kids could participate with non-alcohol fizzy drinks – they enjoyed that!

We did the usual Rillé Lake and the gardens at Chateau de Lathan – boys requested a third visit there, so must be good! Bringing our bikes was also a highlight. Joel and Dad cycled every morning for croissants and pain au chocolates! I am afraid one week is just not enough for us. The boys are really sad we are leaving so we’ll have to stay for longer next time. XX Many thanks for making it a very special and friendly place.

Oh the weather was fab.

I really enjoyed staying here again, it was fun to feed Misty, water the plants, feed the horses, go in the pool, go shopping to the markets and make new friends (Sarah and Will)!! I always enjoy it here and hope I can come back next year.

Thank you for the nice cupcake drawing – Jean and Mike

Loire Valley – cream villages, cream cattle, very flat and neat and beautiful flowers everywhere in pots and wild. Maize and sunflowers. A great experience, only our 2nd week in France. Saw Saumur, Tours, Villandry Abbaye de Fontevraud etc etc. Chateau de Chenonceau was worth the drive – thanks Mike. Gite was comfortable and Mike and Jean generous hosts.

Thank you.

Thank you for a lovely holiday, we enjoyed the pool and being able to watch hares from the doorstep.

Our highlights were the Chateau at Brezé with its underground fortress, Fontevraud Abbey for the atmosphere and picnics by the Loire.

Many thanks again for a fantastic week! Highlight, as was last year – the pool! We all enjoy it and the kids absolutely love it. We love it so much we find it a great effort to drag ourselves away, but we did manage a bubbly tasting at Gratien and Meyer in Saumur, where the kids could participate with non-alcohol fizzy drinks – they enjoyed that!

We did the usual Rillé Lake and the gardens at Chateau de Lathan – boys requested a third visit there, so must be good! Bringing our bikes was also a highlight. Joel and Dad cycled every morning for croissants and pain au chocolates! I am afraid one week is just not enough for us. The boys are really sad we are leaving so we’ll have to stay for longer next time. Many thanks for making it a very special and friendly place.

Oh the weather was fab.

Another peaceful week – can’t believe it – miracles do happen!

Thank you for everything.

Thank you so much for the hospitality and fellowship during our stay. We envy your lifestyle and looking forward to sharing good times either back here or in Australia in the near future.

Best wishes and thank you.

How wonderful to enjoy early summer here at Les Mortiers, everything is fresh and green. Rachel (4) and Katy (3) have loved exploring the garden with all its flowers, plants, wildlife and hiding places! The pool has been great, as ever. We look forward to stepping on those new flagstones next year!

The arrival of the 4 new chickens was very exciting and the quails are also a great addition. Their eggs are now the girls’ favourite delicacy. Chateaux visits have been really good, especially Ussé (Sleeping Beauty’s chateau – perfect for little princesses) and Brezé (the underground chateau is amazing for children and adults). Rachel’s picture expresses our joy and gratitude for another perfect holiday.

Rachel – we liked your picture so much it is now on one of our postcards. Jean and Mike

Thank you Mike and Jean for such a lovely welcome. What a lovely place you have.

Mali would like to make a special thank you to Tia for the super generous and kind loan of her musical rabbit.

PS Postcards – nice touch

Best wishes

A lovely but chill week – thank goodness for the fab stove. Langeais, Chinon and Ambois were great and the girls loved the aquarium. The pool was a huge bonus and kept the girls happy. Would love to come back soon.

Autumn is a wonderful time to be here with some warm sunny days to laze and potter about here, and great markets (Bourgueil and Langeais) and Chateaux (Villandry is our favourite).

We have all enjoyed daily swims, and a roaring fire on these chilly nights has been a delight. The girls loved feeding the chickens and collecting eggs – the best we have ever tasted! The buildings and garden at Les Mortiers look more beautiful each year.

From the first bottle of Guy’s red in the garden to the last sweep of the floor, we feel completely at home here, all of us. Congratulations Mr and Mrs Brookes, and thank you for another perfect holiday.

Thank you for a great stay and just what the doctor ordered. The pool has to be complimented, swimming outside in September – amazing.

Mike and Jean – You are never getting rid of us!! Until next time! Have a lovely wedding – you are an inspiring couple!!

What a stupid idea to come here and think that we could see Anjou in one week! Not only that, we underestimated the number and size of the chateaux (with all those staircases), we had forgotten to plan for the markets and the caves. Thanks to Jean and Mike for their quick and friendly response to our extra wishes. The pool is great, even Martin enjoyed it! In summary: we will be back.

A great holiday in a lovely area. I’ve never met more laid-back hosts and we all loved the pool.

We have had a fantastic week here at Le Grenier. Mike and Jean have been very friendly and helpful. Highlights included – horse riding at Chateau Gizeux, the lake at Rille, Fete des Vins at Bourgueil, castes at Chinon and Breze, the Foire aux Chiens and of course playing by the pool. We cannot believe how quickly the week has passed and how relaxed and contented we all are.

Thank you. We have had a lovely week in the Grenier. Good location, excellent rousit information, tasteful decoration, super pool. We hop to come back for a second visit.

Thanks for a superb holiday once again! Two fabulous weeks in this gorgeous part of France. See you again next year.

Our seventh summer visit to Les Mortiers has been as inactive as the first! We’re not sure if we are being predictable or we’ve found a home from home. Here’s to the next visit.

A fantastic holiday! We’ve had a wonderful time. The highlight of the week must be the pool. The boys have loved it and would willingly stay in it all day and every day. We enjoyed the peaceful evenings, placing our chairs outside the Grenier door, reading and taking in the beauty of the place. We hope to return next year.

What a beautiful property you have in such tranquil surroundings. Lovely comfy beds with cotton sheets and to lay in bed looking at the stars was amazing.

Having driven all night from Cumbria, aside from the great welcome from Jean and Mike, the first clue to the fact that Le Grenier is a superior gite is the comfortable bed, so beautifully made up with pure cotton sheets.

If heaven is a place on earth, this is where it is and who better to have looking after it but Mike and Jean. Nothing was too much trouble, even the loan of a guitar for which I will be eternally grateful. We will be back.

Thank you for a lovely stay. I (Chloe) really enjoyed it. I will recommend to my Mum and Dad.

Thank you both for a most enjoyable week in wonderful surroundings at Les Mortiers. This is the most perfect place to be based to visit all the attractions of the Loire area – and there are plenty of them.

Many thanks for a wonderful and relaxing stay, we were both so liad back we almost fell off our chairs! Parcay Les Pins is a delightful village and the locals are great, we enjoyed the fire stations open day. We will be sorry to leave, once again, thank you for a truly great and relaxing holiday.

We’ve had a blissfully relaxing week in this lovely idyll.

Words cannot express how we feel about coming here. Thank you again for making us so welcome and for the flowers.

We’ve had a lovely week, we wish we could stay longer. Loved the swimming pool and enjoyed my bike rides to by croissants in the village. I love all the environmentally friendly things too. Hope we see you again.

Thanks ever so much for helping to make this a truly memorable holiday. The Grange is a beautiful and comfy place which felt like a home from home and will hold special memories for us in years to come.

A wonderful relaxing break. We were looking for somewhere quiet, calm and yet with enough entertainment for the children, and we found this here. A perfect retreat.

A wonderful place to be in the autumn – misty mornings, gentle sunshine and ‘mellow fruitfulness’! The heated pool has been a great development for the little ones and for us – a lovely treat each day. Thank you Jean and Mike for your hospitality, friendship and access to World Cub Rugby.

We’ve had a wonderful week in the Loire. What better place to celebrate my parents’ 50th Wedding Anniversary. We’ve all thoroughly enjoyed our week here. Thank you Jean and Mike for being welcoming and helpful hosts. Thank you too for the celebratory bottle of fizz!

Thank you for another great visit. The horses have been great, so have you!

Another year, another great holiday. We will be back next year for another does of “The Good Life” – minus Felicity!! See you next year.

Brilliant holiday. Les Mortiers is a gorgeous spot and the pool is fab!

Our 3rd visit to Les Mortiers. Despite the weather enjoyed visiting favourite places again – Langeais, Villandry, Saumur and Chinon. Pool as good as ever and thankfully heated. Thanks Jean and Mike.

Thanks to Mike and Jean with assistance and local knowledge. Must be one of the nicest places in France.

By far the best foreign holiday we’ve ever had. We’re all sorry to go and I’m sure we will be back. Thanks so much Mike and Jean.

We have had an amazing time here at Les Mortiers. Thank you Mike and Jean for being absolutely super hosts. We loved playing with the donkeys and horses. We went to lots of chateaux and our favourites were Villandry and Chenonceau.

Peace, rural peace!

Great to arrive here after our damp week in Brittany! Our third visit here. Once again, thanks for your warm hospitality. A bientot.

And when your trouser button starts to pop after all the local wine and food, then it is well worth hiring bikes and heading off for the day into the woody forests. Many thanks for such a relaxing time here.

Wow! We have had such a delightful stay here!
It was so relaxing and welcoming!
This was our 2nd time here and it was sooo much fun! The pool was awesome and so were the horses!
I really hope to come again!
This is the best
I will never forget it
Merci Beaucoup

If only you could ‘bottle’ what you have here at Les Mortiers you would be millionaires ten times over! Thank you for the peace and relaxation.

Another wonderful week. See you next year!

Do try the local strawberries!

Jean and Mike very welcoming without ever being intrusive.

It’s been a great time again.

Culminated in Real’s fantastic wine tour, wonderful wine, but a new perspective on French history, industry, agriculture and entire way of life.

Blissful sunny days in such a beautiful part of France and in such comfort.

What a lovely escape we have had at Les Mortiers. Thank yo so much for your hospitality.

PS Swimming pool – fabulous!

Fabulous week at Les Mortiers – unbroken sunshine for the whole week. Our kids loved it all, especially the garden and the pool.

A fine fortnight. We have had a comfortable and relaxed time.

Our second visit. Collecting sweet chestnuts and walks in the wood. We will miss the smell of pine cones burning in the log fire, with chestnuts roasting slowly on the top.

Our second visit was as good as the first – lovely weather, lovely cycling, lovely place. Thanks for a brilliant time.

A wonderful holiday. In all – a great week. Beautiful and even relaxing with a five and a two year old.

We went to Saumur on the horse and cart ride. It was really good. I can’t wait until next year.

A perfect peaceful place to relax and unwind. Thank you Mike and Jean.

A lovely environment for the family and grandchildren to enjoy a holiday in France. A week we will all remember.

Just coming to the end of our eighth visit to Les Mortiers in six years – yes we like it here! See you next year.

Glorious Food Wine Whatever Hosts Gite Pool What more can you ask for? Thank you for a memorable week.

Just had to come back again this year!

Les Mortiers will stay in our mind for ever as the place we got engaged, and will always bring a smile.

What a fabulous time. Rachel (15 months) and Amelia (2 years) have pottered around picking plums and talking to donkeys! The pool has been a delight to us all. Thank you for the extra fans and a wonderfully equipped kitchen (and Dan Brown’s ‘Demons and Angels’). Would highly recommend Chinon and Langeais markets and The Moulin Bleu for a delicious meal overlooking the Bourgueil vineyards. See you soon!

Everything we could have wished for, we hope to return, especially for the pool.

A l’annee prochaine!

A marvelous stay in a great place. Les Mortiers is ideally situated to explore a lovely part of the Loire – great food, wine, culture and gentle friendly people. The gite is so well thought out and excellently appointed with quality and caring showing through. It also has the very best neighbours! Jean and Mike thanks so much for the welcome and for all the helpful advice and recommendations – wine tasting was fun. Thanks for a great stay.

What a wonderful, peaceful place. Thank you for a brilliant weekend, we would really like to return. The swimming pool is fabulous, to be able to swim in October. Wish we were staying longer – we really felt part of a big family. We certainly enjoyed ourselves and our trip to the Cave. The wine was delicious. Hope to see you again.

Lovely to be back, this time with Rachel, 5 and a half months. Swimming has been a daily treat for all of us. Langeais market (Sunday morning) was a great French experience – a piece of “Sanglier” is a very tasty and highly recommended purchase. Autumnal sunshine and bountiful vines and fruit trees have made this an extra special time of year to visit. Rachel highly recommends the local apples and pears. Thanks, Jean and Mike, for two delightful evenings and for those precious extra days.

Another great holiday. Many, many thanks Jean and Mike. Look forward to returning to see the finished Cave!

Our second visit here and we arrived on Heather’s birthday! Have had a lovely restful time, revisited some favourite places – Zoo at Doue and Langeais. Don’t miss Candes St martin, Montsoreau and the waterfront at Chouze. If you are in to gardens don’t miss Chateau de la Chatonniere, Le Rivau and – wacky – new gardens at Parc Monpassant de Bois in Allones – comes with golf carts for driving around in! Thoroughly enjoyed our time – see you again.

Lovely holiday – weather fantastic – children loved the pool and there were no burnt shoulders! Babysitting service a real bonus – we enjoyed an exceptional meal at L’Oree des Bois. Many thanks for your hospitality.

We looked forward to our holiday for months and we weren’t disappointed. The gite was very comfortable, you seem to have thought of everything. We all enjoyed the pool and were grateful for the cover. We visited the dog show as recommended and wanted to take all the puppies home with us! I think we managed to visit every market going. The Gourmet market in Bourgueil was a good evening out! The girls will miss the horses and the donkey and have enjoyed feeding them. I am sure we will return.

This is our 4th French holiday on the trot and without doubt this has been the best. Mike and Jean have been exemplary hosts, unobtrusive but always there for help and advice.

Thank you for a relaxing and enjoyable holiday. The air-conditioning was appreciated the first few days we arrived. We enjoyed the local wines from Bourgueil, Mike’s Chardonnay, playing tennis at the tennis court around the corner, cycling to the Lac at Pincemaille (steam train on Sundays). Finally, we have all enjoyed spending time in the pool – a great asset.

Started the holiday with trepidation as it was so different to what we are used to, but didn’t need to worry, it turned out absolutely great. Good accommodation in Poppa’s cottage, good hosts and great location. Thank you Mike and Jean for your hospitality.

Well, it is time to head back to the rat race in the UK! Although after two weeks here in Parcay it does not seem to daunting a task. We hope to take our new relaxed lifestyle with us! You could not really ask for a better place to explore from than Les Mortiers.

Another lovely holiday spent here at Poppas and The Grange, but this year even more special as we brought all the family with us. We will bring an extra space hopper for you, Mike, for the 2005 Hopper Handicap Race (the handicap being the volume of wine consumed prior to reaching the starting post!).

A brilliant week of running, swimming, laughing, drinking, eating and touristy bits! A relaxing time made perfect by the ice cream Mars Bars on tap and wine by the bucket load. Recommendation No 1 can only be the La Licorne Restaurant at Fontrevaud – the langoustines were amazing! The horses and hens have kept Marie Elise well entertained. She just wishes she could stay longer! Thanks to Mike and Jean for the baby-sitting, the Mars Bars and the air conditioning unit.

We found Poppas an ideal holiday ‘spot’ for oldies and we have had a lovely restful fortnight. But we can imagine this peaceful, well-equipped gite greatly enjoyed by all ages.

Home from home as we are now on our 4th visit. We arrive and relax immediately. Always very sad to leave, the whole place is so relaxing.

Had a really enjoyable holiday on our first visit to the Loire Valley. The gite was great and the weather kind to us. We really respected Mike and Jean’s professionalism and had a great time with them at our final barbecue. Hope to come back again one day.

Thank you for the warm welcome. We’ve had a lovely relaxing few days and hope to come back next year. A l’annee prochaine

Un grand merci Jean et Mike a vous deux pour un merveillieuse weekend. Votre attention a tous les details qui rendent la vie plus belle, plus agreeable, plus humaine, plus sensible et formidable. Bravo pour ce joli gite – merci.

A bientot

We have had an enjoyable week at Les Mortiers. Despite being late in the year, we have had some good weather. Les Mortiers is well situated and in a lovely setting. I’m sure it must look fabulous in the summer. Thanks for a great time.

Wonderful week, great food, marvelous hospitality – excellent rod-building course. Thanks Mike and Jean. See you next year.

Another wonderful week. Thought the addition of the cover on the pool a great innovation for all-weather swimming.

Lots of places in the world are beautiful, but the reason we love the Loire is because of Mike Brookes and Jean Winter. To us you are family and we love that you are part of our lives.

Now we expect a return engagement on the other side of the Pond!

Last time we were here I wrote a poem!

We ate too much, we drank too much
We slept for a million years
To stay again in this wondrous paradise
We’ve left ---------------there will be tears.

We feel refreshed and ready to face the stresses of ‘real’ life.

Another wonderful holiday. Many thanks Mike and Jean. Back in September 2005 for the hat-trick.

We had a wonderful week, the accommodation was perfect and our hosts made us feel most welcome. We would love to return.

A week of glorious weather (which surprised everyone!) superb accommodation with every requirement fulfilled and a wonderfully tranquil location. Our busy, bustling city at home was swopped for a week of bird song and frog song. The children spend hours in the lovely pool. The ‘dome’ was very effective and quickly raising the temperature to a very comfortable 24C.

Les Mortiers – idyllic oasis in a beautiful part of France.

The local pizza van is super (Wednesday in the village) … Above all a fantastic week was had by all, very relaxing, lovely and peaceful. What a shame to have to go home, which seems another world away…

A lovely relaxing week – don’t want to leave. We found what we were looking for – tranquillity, good food, good wine and a perfect base for exploring. We will be back next year.

Thank you very much for a splendid week in this lovely gite. We have found peace, quiet, relaxation and a wonderful sense of space to re-condition our frazzled edges… We are rested and refreshed and back to the fray in Southampton.

So much to see and so much to do, and such a good time had by all, we must come back.

It was a long journey and a long drive but worth every kilometre. The gite is top notch and so are Jean and Mike. We have managed to cram in a lot in two weeks … We finished off with a wine-tasting tour with Real which was excellent. He is a lovely man – very interesting and informative – highly recommended.

Our memories of our numerous barbecues, dips I the pool and bottles of lovely wine will help us get through the cold, dark and wet English winter.

Merci et au revoir until next time.

The wine tour with Real taught us more than we could have learnt ourselves. Will be back next year.

Two weeks of bliss, weather fantastic, loved the place, the pool and the evening sunsets.

Many thanks to Mike + Jean and all that! And I recommend Doue Zoo Feeding those donkeys and playing with a toddler called Tia, the lake and Vilandry and that’s my recommendation for all you holiday people.

A splendid location for the Loire attractions – plus a lovely pool and care and attention from Jean and Mike – what more can you ask.

What a wonderful gite. This was our first time with an independent gite that we found on the internet. Much better than we have used before. Mike and Jean are wonderful hosts. We really enjoyed out time here. Particularly the pool.

I had a really good time on this holiday. Too everyone look after the donkeys, especially Greedy they will eat all your leftovers from tomatoes to potato peelings!!!

Thank you Jean and Mike for letting us share in your idyllic and peaceful way of life!

Michelin rating – 3 star (worth a journey!). A wonderful time – good location to go sight seeing and to relax in between.

This place is magical. From the moment we turned off the road – to entering the gite, seeing the garden, the pool – everything. We have had a super week. Super gite, super weather, super holiday. Don’t want to go home.

We have had a fabulous few days here with our young children. Despite what they say about the changeable weather … we’ve had nothing but “blue to blue” since we arrived. Thanks for a great week.

Back for the second time, lovely as ever. Weather glorious and swimming pool so good. This year even I swam! Loved every minute, hopefully we can return. Such a lovely holiday.

We Came…

• After 5 nights in Paris and we felt like we were with our best friends, and knew that we had selected an “ideal home” for our vacation.

We Saw…

• Chateaux too numerous to list.

We Ate…

• Mike and Jean reserved a table at L’Oree des Bois for the Sunday after arrival. It was exceptional.
• On Monday we ate at Nichole’s – whose daughters were home on vacation – and are as lovely and warm as Nichole. We all tried to converse in a foreign language and did!
• On Tuesday we went to the market at Bourgueil to stock up on food.
• On Wednesday our friends from San Diego arrived. We had drinks at L’Orangerie (our favourite spot in Saumur), lunch at Auberge St. Pierre – the Coq au Vin is good – and returned to Les Mortiers for dinner at the picnic table where Mike and Jean joined us for an evening (and night) of fun, food, and wine, and more wine! No-one counts wine bottles at Les Mortiers!
• On Thursday we returned to Nichole’s where we were warmly greeted by not only Nichole, but here husband who donned a stetson hat and posed for a picture with Nichole, whom we jokingly referred to as his “squaw”.
• Friday – Sunday, we toured Normandy and Brittany.
• Monday we lunched at Jeanne de Laval in Les Rosier – lobster salad, turbot in béarnaise – only 3½ hours because we passed on the cheese course – sensational cuisine!
• Tuesday, back to the market at Bourgueil where we bought sea bass for Wednesday and joined Mike, Jean and their friends Iain and Jo for lunch at the Faisan D’Or. Of course, we had the Gallette Bourgueilloise for breakfast.
• Thursday, our last day here was the best. Lunch at L’Orangerie, and after a day in the life of a gite owners buying supplies and testing the wines of Guy Delanoue – superb!

Thank you for your assistance, hospitality and friendship.

Lovely to be back, if only for a few days. First in the pool this year! Bought the wine for our wedding this summer from Bouvet Laduaby – highly recommended. A truly wonderful place to be…

Managed to totally chill-out.

Les Mortiers was the perfect place to stay while exploring the Loire. Your generous hospitality made this vacation a great one. Thank you so much for all the advice on where to shop and buy food and wine. […] We appreciated how well equipped the kitchen is, since I love to cook.

We leave feeling totally rested and relaxed.

As it was our first time in the French countryside we didn’t quite know what to expect, however, all our expectations have been surpassed.

Thanks for a great holiday. Troglodyte caves were a great visit, but I much preferred your wonderful pool. Nichole’s chicken + chips was wonderful.

Les Mortiers has the best of both worlds, old world charm and new world comforts.

Everything about your place is conducive to total relaxation.

Seven days of loveliness. thanks very much Mike and Jean – you’ve got an oasis!

Recommendations:

    Train touristique @ Saumur
       Tuesday market @ Bourgueil
         Lazing about @ The pool
      Avoid the drunk @ Parcay
       Swatting flies @ The kitchen
             Earplugs @ Saumur (loud Vespas)
               Boules @ The sandpit
Sparkling Brut wine-tasting and museum
                      @ Bouvet Laudebay
Toilet seat balancing @ The bathroom
        Keep it short @ The visitors’ book

We came a long way but it was worth every minute. Thank you Michael and Jean for a peaceful and happy time. A wonderful retreat from the rush of modern life.

A lovely relaxing retreat for our honeymoon and our first visit to France.

And finally a lovely house, good weather, brilliant hosts and a magnificent pool – loved our time here!

I think we will look back on the 2 weeks we spent at Les Mortiers as one of our best holidays ever. We loved the relaxed ambience provided by Mike and Jean. From the cotton sheets to the ice creams in the freezer, every detail was attended to. It was the perfect place for us as well as our children. Our children loved feeding the horses carrots, watching the chickens, playing in the sand and of course the pool. We enjoyed the pool as well as sitting out on warm evenings drinking wine and enjoying Jean’s lovely flowers. We hope to return next year.

To think we found Mike and Jean’s labour of love on the bloody Internet. We never would have discovered this precious hideaway without the web, web pages and the miracle of e-mail. Hi-tech brought us to a place where the pace of life slows down and the outside world can just go away for a while.

Les Mortiers is one of the few places in the world we would return to!

Probably the best holiday so far! The most relaxing place we have been. So much for the kids to do with the animals, pool and so much open space to run around.

We only paid a fleeting visit to this lovely little gem in the Loire valley … the accommodation is outstanding.

I can’t remember having so much delicious wine and relaxing this much.

We have had a lovely relaxing week in this very peaceful place and have re-charged the batteries.

Our 11 year old son enjoyed the rope park near Saumur very much and went twice. We also went to Futuroscope, which was fun with loads to do for children.

Mike and Jean - thank you for your helpful hints and creating such a laid back atmosphere. We have enjoyed ourselves greatly and will have to return in the future.

A lovely relaxing holiday - just what we needed!

Jean and Mike, you have a beautiful home and we made the most of it - especially the pool.

We enjoyed hiring bikes at La Fleche and cycling the Voie Verte. Also, cycling around the lake at Rillé and seeing the most magical poppy field. Gizeux Chateau was lovely (and we were the only visitors so we had it to ourselves) Montsoreau is well with a visit if you want to be by the Loire. Saumur, of course, is a must.

We visited the markets of Langeais and Bourgueil - but beware the man in a hat selling cheese and saucisson - apparently he is notorious for ripping off tourists, including us on our 1st day.

PS. The kids are going to miss the geckos.