Splendid loft, La Rochelle classified ****

The space In 2012 Ina (Dutch) and Yvon (French) got started on the conversion of a barn into a huge loft of about 300sm. The keyword has been "let the light come in", and indeed, light is pouring in from all directions, even the roof. The other keyword has been "see through" and from any spot on the first floor you can actually see through the house in all directions. The first floor comprises a living space of about 107 sm with a kitchen area, a dining area (which was once the dining and sleeping place of the cows and as a reverence to that past, we have thrown a couple of cow hides to the floor) and the living room with cathedral ceiling. There are, as well, a master bedroom with bathroom and office and another bedroom with its own bathroom. We gain access to the first floor by a metallic spiral staircase (the loft spirit). Watch out ladies, the landing floor is made of glass, so the light can go through (and the eyes also). At this level we have 3 bedrooms, each with its own bathroom. A 400 sm garden with a manicured lawn and flower beds graces the exteriors and, weather permitting, you can sit outside, on our deck, sipping a glass of "pineau", le local aperitif, courtesy of the house of course! We are in a small, very quiet town of no more than 1300 inhabitants but conveniently located at the doors of La Rochelle. As a matter of fact, the tren station is only 12 mn away and so is the "vieux port". If you are on a discovery trip, La Rochelle has plenty to offer: museums, aquarium, the labyrinth of the old city still showing the stigmas of a sectarian and intolerant past, restaurants, bars...and the ocean. Its marina (Les Minimes) is the largest of the East Atlantic Coast. Futuroscope is less than 2h away and the Puy du Fou (which is the best attraction park in France, even before Disney) is a mere 1h30 trip. You can get lost in the intricate net of canals of the Marais Poitevin in less than half an hour. The romanesque architecture ("Normand" for English people) of Saintonge is close by. And, of course, for the amateurs of fine liquor, we have Cognac at 70 km where you can get high by merely walking the streets of the city. Bordeaux, recently promoted "Unesco World Heritage" is well worth the 1h45 journey. We'll be happy to pick you up at the tren station or at the Airport. Phone # 33 699870095 (from abroad) 0699870095 (from France)