Whenever we go
over to Le Gaillon, one of the first things we do is open the visitors book
to read the comments left by our latest guests - it always gives us such a
buzz to read that people have enjoyed staying in our house so much - we must
be doing something right!!!
We are also delighted to have been
inspected and recommended in Alastair Sawday's latest edition of the
"Special Places to Stay -
FrenchHoliday Homes" guide.
Read more:
www.specialplacestostay.com.
Here
is a selection of genuine comments left by past visitors in our guest book or by email
after their stay...
Rachel, Michael, Chris
(10) and Tom (7)
05/08/2006:
"We've had a very enjoyable week - thank you. We
braved Paris and had a great day. Went to the Parc St Paul which the boys
really enjoyed. We've all enjoyed the videos, jigsaws etc - very useful on a
rainy day."
Eamon, Caroline, Josephe (10) and Leo (2), Rochdale
28/07/2006:
"A fantastic week paddling in the pool, catching
grasshoppers (it's easier than you think!) and chasing the cows back down
the lane! Made good use of the table tennis - daily tournaments. Weather
incredible, topping 35deg on wednesday! Yikes! Cannot think of a better way
to start the summer hols..."
Andy, Angela and Alex (3), Reading 15/07/2006:
"...Did lots of relaxing in the sunshine, and
cycling along the Avenue Verte...Visited the beach at Quiberville and had
great fun. La Bocasse is a good place for young children providing they like
the rides, and La Paix did a fabulous meal. Also visited Disneyland Studios
and had a great relaxing day out. Le Gaillon is highly recommended to visit
as the setting is perfect!".
Jeff, Julia, Finlay & Mervyn, Burton on Trent 01/07/2006:
"Enjoying a well-deserved break here at Le
Gaillon... Everyone's really enjoying settling in to a relaxed way of life.
The kids aren't waking until 8am - bliss, they normally rise at about 6.30
at home! ...Thursday and Friday were glorious, really hot. Had a great day
at the beach - got there before the tide came in and the kids really enjoyed
paddling in the sea, building sandcastles and exploring the rockpools...
We've all had a lovely relaxing holiday and are sorry to leave but hope to
visit again soon. thanks for letting us stay at your beautiful retreat".
Alison, Tim, Esme (4), George (2), Essex 24/06/2006:
"Wonderful family holiday with a lovely base.
Children have had a great time in the garden and have gone to bed exhausted
every night..."
The Somers-Eves, London 16/06/2006:
"Mission accomplished - relaxed!".
Marion N and family, Essex 10/06/2006:
"I
just wanted to drop you a quick note to say how much we enjoyed staying at
Le Gaillon. We had a thoroughly enjoyable time there, only wish we could
have stayed longer! The cottage was lovely and the location was fantastic,
so peaceful and away from it all. And the weather was just as we had
ordered! We had a lovely day out in Honfleur while we were there. I’m sure
you have probably visited it many times. What a beautiful place. We also had
a lovely afternoon wandering around Gerberoy, well worth a visit.
Thanks again."
Ken, Marion, Paul,
Helen & Holly, Essex
07/06/2006:
"Enjoyed a wonderfully relaxing break... A great
time has been had by all in this beautiful setting - weather has been
gorgeous, the barbecues delicious, the table tennis competitive, the cows
friendly (they even seem to have their own frisbee!) and Gerberoy stunning.
Thanks for letting us share your lovely cottage!"
Tony, Angela, May & John, North Somerset 29/04/2006:
"It has been a very peaceful stay in this
delightful farmhouse. If you need to get away from the hustle and bustle of
life, this is certainly the ideal place to stay. We would thoroughly
recommend it to our friends... We visited "the beaches", "the Somme", Paris,
Monet's garden - all in a week!"
"A beautiful position - the only sounds we have heard
have been the birds and sometimes the cows. We have seen deer, a red
squirrel and a hare and its baby! A lovely cottage, which was spotless on
our arrival - very homely - loved the fires, very cosy. Beds lovely and
comfortable".
Chris, Rebecca and Zac, Wandsworth, London 19/04/2006:
"Spring is on the cusp of truly bursting into
bloom here and sadly it is time for us to return to London - we look forward
to a return visit during the summer so we may witness the garden in its
glory. We have been regular visitors to the Pays de Bray for a number of
years - this is by a country mile the best place we have stayed to date.
Thank you for a very enjoyable Easter break - back soon!"
Susanne G, Cross-in-Hand,
Sussex 31/03/2006:
"...All in all a great time was had by all and we
slept beautifully..."
Fiona
& Chris, Australia, 30/03/2006 (email sent prior to arrival, on receipt of
our information pack!):
"We have rented quite a few houses in Europe over the last couple of
years and I have to say the information you have put together is the most
comprehensive we have come across. Thank you - it makes so much difference
to know with such particularity exactly how everything works and what
resources are to hand."
Tony & Angela, John & May, Somerset, 24/02/2006:
"Just a quick message to say we had a great time at Le Gallion. A lovely
home in the perfect spot. Did lots of things, D day, Somme, Paris, Monet
Gardens and some local things! Thank you for allowing us to stay in such a
special place."
Victoria and Steve, London E1, 11/02/2006:
"I just wanted to write and say how much we enjoyed staying at Le Gaillon -
what a wonderful house! We had a really lovely week exploring Normandy, and
it was always a treat to come back to Le Gaillon in the evenings. Thank you
so much for organising it at such short notice, and I hope you are enjoying
your week there now!"
The Vickers family from Hove, 27/12/2005:
"So relaxing! Brilliant to wake up and only see fields and trees from my
bed!!! Christmas day opening our presents in front of the fire!!! How
magical. The house is wonderful - the fires brilliant - the beds comfy.
We've just lazed around and walked, played football (boys only!) and
eaten... Can life get any better?"
"I like the countryside, it's very nice. Fires every day, smell of woodsmoke
in our noses, walks interesting, see lots of wildlife... Nice being away
from everyone, you can make as much noise as you want!" (Ted)
"It was fantastic, only seeing countryside for miles" (George)
"It was excellent and I loved the green and having fires everyday. Christmas
day was the best ever I have had..." (Billy)
The Hobbs family from Walton-on-Thames, 22/12/2005:
"Another lovely pre-Christmas chill-out with our boys! See you next year, Le Gaillon!"
"I had a nice time here it has been a nice holiday..." (Harrison, 6)
"I had a wonderful time in France - I really enjoyed myself" (Charlie, 10)
"I had an amazing time in Le Gaillon. I wish I could live here" (Connor, 11)
Joe, Tim, Rebecca, Kate, Larry, Bex, Ben, London/Bristol/Surrey, 21/11/2005:
"Back once again, we relit the fires of our memories of great times before.
Another lovely time!"
Alan and Joyce, Leicestershire 10/9/2005:
"So relaxed I couldn't think what the date is! Lovely house in superb
location... Everything is provided for here and there is plenty to see and
do in the local area... Plenty of wildlife about - we saw the owl and also
all the birds of prey circling and a red squirrel. Enjoy..."
Julia, Steve, Joshua (8), Ellis (4) and Alysia (2), 13/08/2005:
"Had a fantastic two weeks! A superb setting, we especially enjoyed being
totally by ourselves with nobody else around! The children loved playing in
all the space - especially hide and seek and butterfly catching on the
lavender... Although we have all enjoyed just relaxing in the garden and
house we have also done plenty of travelling. The places we enjoyed - Rouen,
Paris (we had a wonderful day!), Bayeux, Dieppe, Quiberville (beach really
good for rock pools when the tide was out) and many more lovely villages.
Will definitely recommend to our family and friends!"
Syd, Chris, Val, Peter Alex(5) and Sam (4),
06/08/2005:
"Had a super time ... Thanks for all the thoughtful touches ... Lanes and
villages charming ... saw deer, hare and herons. All in all a superb week,
with almost constant sunshine and beautiful scenery all around - many
thanks."
Gary, Avril and Ben Cairns, 23/07/2005:
"Lovely place to stay with lots of places to visit... Will recommend Le Gaillon to family and friends"
Lisa, Steve and Dan (7), West Sussex, 16/07/2005:
"Beautiful setting with stunning views. Total privacy and peace!! Delicious
local food and drink, friendly local people, and a 'comfy home' made our
holiday complete!"
Mr & Mrs Corballis, 02/07/2005:
"Loved the house - could steal it! Wonderfully quiet and relaxed
atmosphere... We go back refreshed"
The Gaunt family, 09/07/2005:
"The house is beautiful and has been ideal for our week away... All in all a
great place to come to get away from everyone and everything."
The Day family, 02/07/2005:
"We have had a lovely relaxing week. Views stunning and we have enjoyed the
cows and wildlife... Mollie has loved playing with the dolls house and
watching all the disney films, we've all loved just lounging in the garden
admiring the view!"
The Wrights and the Vockings, 25/6/2005:
"We have had a fantastic two weeks and shall be very sorry to leave. We are
already talking about when we can come back! The location of Le Gaillon is
perfect in all respects: fantastic views, superb cycling country and a
lovely garden for the 4 children to play in.. plus, evenings playing boules
on the gravel, sitting outside eating meals... and all within a couple of
hours of Boulogne! In summary, a perfect family holiday resulting in 2
families hooked on France!"
"I enjoyed Le Gaillon. Me and my brother Jack had lots of fun in the garden.
I liked the swing chair. I thought the cows were friendly. Me and my family
played table tennis and football table. We liked to play with the dolls
house. I'm glad we went there. We went out to Disneyland and Dieppe, they
were lots of fun. The beach at Dieppe was lovely and the weather was very
hot but I still injoyed it no matter what. I would love to come here again".
(Molly, aged 7)
"I loved it here at Le Gaillon. There are loads of brilliant things to do. I
liked it all especially the cemeterys, Dieppe, the Normandy beaches and
Disneyland Paris. I had loads of room to play on the grass. My baby cousin
Tom had a great time looking at the cows and Emily had a great time too.
France is a lovely place and I want to come here again sometime". (Jack,
aged 10). The Morans & The Bradburys, 10/6/2005:
"Feel totally relaxed, some of us too relaxed... Thanks for the use of your
beautiful cottage in lovely surroundings".
Jean & Alan, Beckenham, 28/5/2005:
"A welcome return visit - another relaxing and enjoyable stay. Visit to Giverny to Monet's house and gardens which were a delight. Weather very good
particularly for the last few days which meant long, lazy days in the garden
and delightful meals at the house and at local restaurants. Hope to be back
again soon."
Mr and Mrs Bridge, Warwick, 23/4/2005:
"Started the week at a high tempo - visited Rouen, Paris, etc... We intended
to visit more places and take in more sights - however, Le Gaillon has
proved too comfortable and relaxing to leave for long... ... Now our week
here has come to an end and I know we will miss the warmth of the open fire
and the peace of the country. We'll just have to visit again soon"
The Kirton family from Hertfordshire, 16/4/2005:
"A glass of wine, a loaf of bread and local cheese - what more do we need in
such a wonderful place? ...Peace, perfect peace..."
The MacQuillan party from Basingstoke & Weston-Super-Mare. Christmas 2004:
"What a lovely place to spend Christmas! The weather has been sunny and dry.
Christmas day we spent at Disneyland. Perfect day - especially as we
returned late to find it snowing... The children think it is wonderful here
and have dragged daddy and uncle Colin out to play table tennis in the
freezing cold. Angie, especially, loves it here as her dad owns a farm and
she feels it home from home... ... we have really enjoyed ourselves. Thank
you."
The Hobbs family from Walton-on-Thames. 23/12/04:
"Just a quick note to say thanks for the lovely time we had in Le Gaillon.
We enjoyed every minute! Have a lovely Christmas, The Hobbs Family"
Matt and Paul from Southampton. 04/12/04:
"What a lovely week at Le Gaillon! Peace, tranquility and relaxation away
from the madding crowd... Forges looks really pretty all lit up - with an
enormous Christmas tree that puts most cities to shame!! Cold, crisp weather
but hardly any rain, dense fogs that create an air of mystery and intrigue
along the country lanes. The house has been cosy and warm (the log burner's
fantastic!) and has been a real home from home with everything you need for
a comfy stay. Despite this we did manage to leave a few times to explore.
Rouen was well worth the time, but really for a taste of simple rural French
life with great wine, food, views and hospitality you needn't venture more
than a few miles. So maybe next time for venturing further afield... but
then again... maybe the glow of a log fire, tranquility and splendid
isolation will win again!"
Frank East and party from Lincolnshire. 25/11/04:
"Home from home and not complaining. Good countryside of yesteryear, foggy
days and Le Gaillon provides the ideal winter retreat with the warmth of the
log fire. The location gives the ideal opportunity to visit interesting
places..."
Kate Iles and friends from Bristol. 21/11/04:
"What a simply glorious weekend! It was so nice to leave the hustle and
bustle of city life and return to how life ought to be... ...a jolly good
time was had by all - many an hour was spent playing games and chatting by
the mesmerising log fire, it brought a glow to our cheeks after hours of
strolling through the beautiful countryside (or maybe that was the vin
rouge!!) We took a trip to the fantastic city of Rouen, home of Joan of Arc,
where we happened upon an opera singer with the voice of an angel ringing
out through the cloisters of the magnificent cathedral. After such an
emotional experience we indulged ourselves in delicious gateaux - how
naughty!! Many found trousers a little tight come Monday!"
Bevan party from London & Lewes. 16/10/04:
"A very enjoyable autumn break. Le Gaillon has given us just what we needed
- peace and quiet and a log fire to doze in front of in the evenings..."
The Curtis family from Wokingham. 05/10/04:
"...Couldn't have chosen better! Weather has been amazing for the time of
year, we even managed to get the sunloungers out. Very peaceful and relaxing
- exactly what we were looking for. Feel a little guilty about not exploring
more (haven't ventured far from Le Gaillon), but maybe next time?! Thank you
for a wonderful holiday."
The Fosters from London. 31/08/04:
"A wonderful time. The children have had a ball and we enjoyed the views,
the cows, the stars, etc etc... Beautiful views from the terrace and early
morning mist, late afternoon warmth, and night-time moon and stars. Cows
very friendly. Could stay forever..."
The Lloyds from London. 07/08/04:
"We all enjoyed Le Gaillon immensely: it is an ideal place to chill-out and
the views of the 360° countryside added to the sense of peace. We also
thought your place was excellently equipped and was ideal for a quick visit
to France. We hope to do so again."
The Blythe family from Ely, Cambs. 24/07/04:
"We have all had a wonderful time here... The house is lovely and very
comfortable. Hopefully we will be returning next summer. Thank you."
The Miros from New York, USA. 10/07/04:
"...We enjoyed Le Gaillion very much and would recommend it to our friends.
Thank you. It was a pleasant stay and located close enough to Paris as well
as the coast to be able to visit the different localities."
The Caulfields from Halifax. 30/06/04:
"The holiday was excellent. The house was fine in every department. I have
no criticism whatsoever... ...it is a tribute to you on how immediately we
felt at home. If we were able to have a property of our own I would like it
to be just like yours... ...you were bothered about us and our stay long
after most providers would have done. At the end of it all I feel I have
been staying at a friend's house rather a traditional type holiday
arrangement. Thanks again"
Jean & Alan, Beckenham. 16/06/04:
"We wanted a place to relax and we certainly found it here. The weather has
been fantastic with sun and blue skies almost every day. Eating breakfast
and supper in the garden and enjoying the views and the sounds of numerous
birds..."
Bannerman party from Kent. 13/05/04:
"...one of the best stocked self-catering kitchens we've stayed in..."
The Timneys from Kent. 04/05/04:
"We couldn't have asked for a more pleasant and peaceful location to relax.
The scenery is just beautiful... We had a great time... ...There will be a
good chance we will be back in the future"
Robson family from Hants. 20/04/04:
"The cottage is brilliant with lots of great facilities and extra touches
that set it apart from the usual French residence.. A very comfortable
cottage, the most well-equipped gite we have stayed in. Wonderful views and
the early morning mist made the valley look ethereal... A very relaxing
week."
The Sayers from Essex. 13/03/04:
"An ideal setting for us, and we appreciate all the thoughtfulness that has
gone into making it as comfortable as possible. It must be fantastic here in
the summer, yet the log fires and plush furnishings make Le Gaillon a
wonderful cosy setting when it's cold...."
Chambers family from Warwickshire. 08/03/04:
"We had a wonderful time thanks! What a lovely house in a great location!
...Have relished the peace and quiet of the surroundings and the comfort of
the house... Thank you for making us feel so welcome in your home...