Peaceful, relaxing, perfect.

A super gite. We have stayed in many over the years and this is definitely one of the best. It is a beautifully renovated and well maintained cottage. You can tell it was a home rather than a "holiday let", with all mod cons.
Mick was very helpful and anxious that everything was just right for us.
It is deep in the countryside so you have the benefit of nature close at hand and a slower pace of life where people are friendly and appreciate you making the effort to speak in French.
We played golf on the 9 hole "rustic" course at Le Chammet which had wonderful views over the lake and challenging holes and hills. 20 euros for 18 or 27 holes.
We visited Limoges on a Sunday - a good day as there is little traffic and plenty of free parking on the side of the roads. The Botanic Gardens beside the cathedral are also worth a visit with its fountains and wide variety of labelled flowers. Afterwards we visited Oradour-sur-Glane. It was an emotional experience.
We enjoyed a good evening meal at the Logis hotel in Chambret and an excellent, good value lunch at Eymoutiers, followed by a lovely walk by the Lac de Vassiviere.
I would certainly recommend this property to likeminded couples who are happy with their own company and don't mind driving from base to shops and restaurants etc.

Mick.
Many thanks for the use of your lovely gite, it`s every bit as nice as it looks on your web site.
The information in your folder was very useful and helped us find our way around easily.
The countryside, both near at hand and further afield, is really beautiful.You chose a superb region to settle down.
We`ve had a good rest and re-charged our batteries - no doubt they`ll get drained quickly once we`re back in the UK.
Best wishes and thanks again.
Julia & Bob S.
5th - 19th September 2009

Dear Mick and Ruth. Date of stay 1/8/09 to 22/8/09.

Thank you for a wonderful holiday at your beautiful house.From our arrival and the welcome basket to our departure it has been a great holiday.The house really is " a home from home" and has everything needed in order to enjoy this location.
We came to "charge our batteries" and were 100% succesful- the local area is lovely and the local people exceptionally friendly.
Again our sincere thanks for a lovely holiday.

Date of stay 18/7/09 to 1/8/09.

This has been our first holiday in France and we have definitely got the bug! We have had such a fantastic time,what a beautiful location. The wildlife is amazing.... lizards,birds(we even saw a Golden Oriel), deer,wild boar,buzzards,amazing insects absolutely beautiful.
The cottage has been such a haven and so central to many places.

Treignac:
Beautiful town with lovely coffee shops and a lovely river- lake with a man-made beach also there.
Orador sur Glane:
Very moving,with the town still remaining in tact from the horror of 1944.
Pompador:
Beautiful town with an amazing chateux. Tour of the horse stud and stables definitely worth the visit.
Park Reynou:
Excellent zoo!! I am nearly 40 and was as excited as a child to feed the animals popcorn (they sell it for 2euros a bag)! Animals are very well looked after and the settings are pretty.
Meilhards:
A very french village it feels like you have stepped back in time. Chez miguel (bar and restaurant) is worth a visit. Try the "workmens lunch" for 12 euros per person. It will feed you for the week.

Verdeyme
Everyone in the village is very friendly and made us feel very welcome. We are sad to leave and hope to be back very soon.

The welcome basket kindly provided by Mick and Ruth was a godsend - thank you both. The jam was gorgeous !

Thank you for such a warm welcome to La Nouvelle Vie in such a peaceful and relaxing area of France.
We have had a huge variety of weather conditions during our week here from 30 degrees cent one day to 10 degrees cent the next,violent thunderstorms including one with hailstones! This is something we haven't experienced before in 25 years of touring France.
The heavy rainfall proved to be a bonus as it made the "cascades de Gimel" (just east of Tulle) very dramatic indeed.The same afternoon we visited the church in Naves (just north of Tulle) where there is a wonderful carved wooden altar piece (remember if you visit to take a 2 euro coin for the audio visual display).
We also visited the lake (Lac de Vassiviere) which was a lovely peaceful setting (midweek, probably busy at weekends).We walked to various places marked on the guide and discussed the sculptures dotted about the area.Some were puzzling indeed.
Dont forget to walk to Mount Gargan as the views from the top are worth the effort.
Thanks again for the lovely place to stay, we have enjoyed it

An excellent week at the cottage
Nice House
Nice Weather
Nice Host
Nice Time

Highly reccomended and enjoyable. Cottage owner went the extra mile to make our stay great.

For a peaceful, well appointed and welcoming gite, this is surely one of the best.
We enjoyed the scenery, the towns, contended cattle, the wild life and the flower-laden fields.
Mike made us particularly welcome and the welcome pack provided, in part, by Ruth was very well received because it allowed to us to get the holiday started without having to worry about the first "shop".
There is plenty to see in the area from ancient history to Resistance museums and commemorative sites.
Our thanks again for a wonderful stay.
Elizabeth and John

So many good experiences during our very short (4 day) stay so in no particular order-

> Your warm welcome with very precise instructions on how to work everything in your well equipped & very comfortable gite. Special mention here for the welcome pack with freshly baked bread and Ruth’s excellent jam.
> Lovely early morning walks along the lanes, friendly local people, handsome Limousin cows & calves, the amazing forests and the beautiful wildflower meadows.
> Sunday lunch at the Hotel de France in Chamberet .
> A stroll around the old town of Treignac followed by plat du jour with glass of wine at the Hotel du Lac, cost – 14 euros for 2
> One rainy evening when the weather closed in and we relaxed by the log stove.
> Visit to the site of the Nazi atrocity at Oradour sur Glane – almost impossible to comprehend but very moving.
> A long relaxed dinner with local wine under the tree in the garden at sunset.
> Wildlife - including buzzards, woodpeckers, jays, lots of butterflies, squirrels, a fox cub, stoat/weasel, deer, and all the signs but no actual sighting of wild boar.

Early May shows this beautiful region at its best - so fresh, green and vibrant –
We cannot wait to get back there.

Shane & Mary