ROMANTIC BASE FOR TWO In the village of Thezac (Charente,…read moreFrance), the 11th century church towers over the houses and the surrounding cornfields and vineyards and the bells ring out the hour (though not by night). When the house lights go out, it is dark. Pigeons coo (and coo), birds of prey glide and dive, rabbits run in the garden (until the cat catches one), hares are regularly seen and there are deer in the vicinity. The friendly and courteous people rise early and work hard in the vineyards, the cornfields, the fields of sun flowers and maize and in their vegetable gardens. The village has no shops but just over 3 kms away in Pisany you'll find a small supermarket and a baker. Thezac is in the middle of nowhere but close to many attractive places such as Saintes, Royan, Talmont and Mornac (two of the prettiest villages in France official), the beaches, and the motorway if you want to go further (Bordeaux, for example). Ken and Nicky Roberts (kgrob@aol.com ) have worked hard to restore the farm buildings of Au Milieu Des Vignes over the last six years or so and the completed project is a credit to them. Three gites stand together (each with its private terrace c/w with barbecue and sun loungers) and a fine sized swimming poor (a bonus in hot weather) is shared, as is a large garden. The thickness of the walls of the converted barns means that the gites are cool inside, another bonus when temperatures rise. The gites are marketed as romantic hideaways for couples (no kids, no pets) and that is exactly what they are. When you have enough of the holiday hustle in Royan, enough of the beaches, enough of driving, you can quickly retreat to Thezac, a dip in the pool and let the world go away.