Ending on a high note...

On Tuesday we said goodbye to our last guests of the season at 'Les Balcons' and where we will miss the meeting and interaction with our guests,  we won't miss the hard work of 'changeover' days. The season has been good to us with guests from Scotland, England, Ireland, Australia and USA.I think it was our friend Nicole, who also offers accommodation locally, who said that one of the great things about this business is that the world comes to you! This is so true and we like the fact that the houses we offer are used to bring different parts of the world together - our last set of guests were couples from Australia and the USA

rendezvousing in Europe - like many before them.

 Our guests have been very generous with their comments in our guestbooks though some may be difficult to live up to like 'Jim & Pauline rock' (you know who you are) and our most recent inclusion:

09/10/2012

  

"Five star experience- thanks to Jim & Pauline for, not only, providing such a well equipped home but for all the advice and assistance - some beyond the 'call of duty'. We travel around the world a lot and you have made this 'world class'."

Art Shulman & Linda Roseman, Melbourne, Australia + Stan & Wendy Finger, USA

Where we do not think, personally, that we have reached these giddy heights, it is a good feeling knowing that the hard work we put in to making our guests' stay as comfortable and as interesting as possible is appreciated.

We wish to thank all our guests for choosing to take their Loire Valley Experience with us.

Loire river swimming...

Many visitors to our part of France enquire about river swimming. The idea of swimming in the Loire river itself must hold an attraction to many 'wild river' swimmers but sadly its not encouraged or even permitted in some sections because of its dangerous currents and shifting sandbanks. It's tributaries however offer many opportunities for river swimming with many towns offering artificial beaches.

We are very lucky here in our little part of France and the Loire Valley to be blessed with a number of options for river and lake swimming, with the Creuse river virtually on our doorstep offering safe and guarded swimming as well as itsbeach between Barrou and Lesigny.

This year because of the low rainfall the local kids had a great time in the river at Barrou itself and indeed some guests at Le Bourg couldn't resist its temptation either with daily swims from the bottom of the garden.