Holiday gites in Poitou-Charentes
Two lovely self catering cottages with a swimming pool in South West France
Exploring the Marais Poitevin
The Marais Poitevin is a large area of marshland between Niort and the western coast north of La Rochelle It is the remains of the former Gulf of Poitou and the western zone – some 66% of the total – near the sea is called the “dry marsh” and is used for farming and breeding. The remainder on the eastern side is called the “wet marsh”, a maze of islets criss-crossed by picturesque canals and nicknamed the Green Venice (la Venise Verte).
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Cycling in Poitou-Charentes
Cycling tips and bike rides in Poitou-Charentes
An article written by a friend that perfectly describes how to get the most out of exploring the area by bike.
The great Belgian rider Eddy Merckx said: ‘Ride as much or as little or as long or as short as you feel…but ride.’
Getting the Bride to the church on time
Citroën DS23ie on wedding duty
I was driving the Citroën DS23ie down to the Dordogne to provide our wedding car service at a most beautiful event when to my horror the oil pressure warning light came on some 40km into a round trip of 500km when slowing for a roundabout. It went out when the revs rose above 1400rpm and I had no alternative but to press on, as it was out of the question to abandon the trip and leave the bride and groom without the car. Thanks to robust Gallic engineering the DS got the bride and groom to the church on time, in style and in comfort.
Barn Renovation to classic car workshop
Being a large traditional Charantais farmhouse there are a number of barns here that have served a variety of purposes over the last 200 or so years. One of our barns was used as a pigeonnier (dovecote) in a previous epoch, evident by the entry point high up on the wall supported by a stone lintel and with a stone ledge. Around the walls of the barn are small holes, each with a stone lintel, which provided nesting. Pigeons were kept for their eggs, flesh and dung. Many of these nesting holes have been filled with stone when the use of the barn changed.
Holiday gites in Poitou-Charentes 
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