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.

Beautiful Château restored by two charming Englishmen. Michael and Ben are wonderful hosts who…read moreprovide excellent food and drink in a lovely setting. The home sits on 12 acres with ponds home to ducks, peacocks, and very small fish. The home is renovated to include modern conveniences but still feels like a traditional French country estate. And everything was great but the food did stand out. Really the best food we had in our week in France.

Thank you so much to Cathy, Olivier, Phillipe and team for giving us such a wonderful stay at Cote…read moreOcean ! All of our extended family (12 of us !) absolutely loved their time at Cote Ocean, and would love to go again ! The team could not have done more to give us a wonderful stay ! I have not had such a relaxing holiday for many years ! Thank you ! Debbie Tilsley.

Perfect in every way! We really enjoyed our stay but the…read morebest thing about the place is the warm welcome by the owners, Cathy and Olivier as well as their daughters and other staff. Nothing was too much trouble for them! The rooms were very pleasant, the location is great (about 20 mins walk to town along the sea front) and the pool area is first class. The breakfast (which is included in the price) is all homemade and perfect. We shall definitely return and recommend the place most highly. Thank you to all for such a wonderful holiday. Mark, Helen, Ava and Annie Rose Blackburn

From the owner: Our business specializes in making our customers feel like at home. We provide a range of products…read moreand services, and go above and beyond your expectations to deliver on time and with a smile.