Self catering holiday home in the Charente Maritime.

Self catering holiday home in the Charente Maritime. Holiday cottage near Saintes in the Charente Maritime in France. Self catering holiday gites. Holiday rentals in the Charente . . . . .

Self catering holiday home in the Charente Maritime. Holiday cottage near Saintes in the Charente Maritime in France. Self catering holiday gites. Holiday rentals in the Charente Maritime Western France. Self catering holiday cottage near Saintes in the Charente Maritime.

Our house faces the street on the edge of the village of Saint Savinien sur Charente. A gate from the courtyard leads into the church square with a view down the Charente river which, here, is tidal. A lane leads down the hill to the quayside which looks across to the leisure island which includes a cafe among its attractions. The village itself has butchers, bakers and all amenities and on the other side of town is the Intermarché supermarket.

Numero Onze is, in fact, number eleven Rue du Peu which is the street adjacent to our Rue des Barrieres. Its adjoining location means that it has access, through the utility room, to the main courtyard with a table and chairs for relaxing or dining in the open air. From the street, French windows with shutters open into the main living room on the ground floor. This has a fitted kitchen unit with gas cooker and oven and plenty of cupboard space. The room has a dining table and chairs and a settee and comfortable chairs to watch the French television or play video tapes. Also downstairs are a WC and the utility room with washing machine and tumble dryer. This room has a door into the courtyard.

From the hall stairs lead up to a landing with hanging and storage space. The bedrooms and shower room are off this landing. The main bedroom has a double bed and a single bed, whilst the smaller bedroom has a single bed. The shower room has a new shower, a wash basin and a WC .

Saint Savinien is an attractive village on the banks of the river Charente. It has the shops, restaurants and a Saturday market, and summer events such as brocantes and an annual wine fair. Across the bridge is a leisure island incorporating a child’s boating lake and a restaurant. The river is tidal up to the town but is navigable as far as Angouleme 80 kilometres to the west. Also on the river is the nearby town of Saintes, about 20 minutes away with its Roman arch and amphitheatre and bustling pedestrianised town centre. From Saintes a further 20 minutes drive takes you to Cognac where you may visit the famous brands, Hennesy, Martell and, in the medieval Chateau of le Roi Francois, the production of Otard.

Forty-five minutes drive to the West is the Atlantic coast and the Islands. Seafood, particularly oysters, is to be enjoyed in profusion from Royan on the mouth of the Gironde to La Rochelle, one of the prettiest fishing ports in France and a Mecca for Gourmets. The region has a long history going back to Eleanor of Aquitaine who became Queen of England following her marriage to Henri of Anjou. Many chateaux can be visited, both of defensive castle variety and grand houses such as la Roche Courbon, about 15 minutes distant. Locals take pride in their Romanesque churches exemplified at Aulnay where the Portico are carved and decorated with “Saintonge Sermons” as saints rub shoulders with Leo and Pisces and even lute-playing donkeys. Curiously quite a few sculptures feature elephants among the other beasts.

For further pictures and information please view our site on

www.saintsavinien.com