Self Catering Gite 4 Persons: Cottage Rental, 2 Bedrooms, Sleeps 4 in Faverolles-sur-Cher

We stayed in the gite (me, my husband and a friend) to do some cycling in the Loire in September 2010. It was perfect from start to finish. Directions were excellent and Rebecca welcomed us with a tray of tea.

The gite is very well furnished and the kitchen has everything you would need. There's a good supermarket 5 mins drive away. The weather was very good. We had one wet day but even then, by the time we got back home, the rain had stopped and the sun was out. I think we ate outside each night we cooked. Hot air balloons came over most evenings and the stars were very bright each night.

On 2 evenings we ate in the main house, en famille. Rebecca is an excellent cook - the salmon in sorrel sauce was bliss! I'll be growing sorrel this summer! The meal was very traditionally French - aperitifs, starter, main, cheese, dessert & then coffee. Wines were from the vineyard literally across the road. I think it was 23euro including wine last year - well worth every single cent! We brought a dozen bottles of the local wine home - saved some for Christmas and they brought back wonderful memories of a lovely lazy holiday in the Loire.

One of the nicest things (apart from the food) about eating there was meeting other guests. We all ate together and met other Brits, some New Zealanders, French and Americans.

You do need a car to stay there and we did a mix of riding out from there or putting the bikes in the car and travelling out. Cheverny was our favourite chateau by a distance and we also loved Blois & Amboise towns.
Philip & Rebecca are perfect hosts and we would definitely stay there again if we're back in the area. It would be a perfect overnighter if travelling through France.