La Georgiere is a welcoming, detached, traditional family farmhouse in the heart of the Vendeen countryside close to the small market town of Aizenay, set within half an acre of peaceful gardens.

The tranquil, well established garden provides both sun traps and shade. To make the most of the outdoors, we have spacious outside tables with plenty of chairs and sun loungers. Visitors can enjoy boules, table tennis, badminton and barbequing (local sardines are a speciality!).

The farmhouse is welcoming and spacious, offering four bedrooms : a large kingsize room, a double bedroom, a children?s room with two sets of spacious bunk beds, and a baby or toddler room with cot bed.
The fully fitted kitchen is well designed with plenty of cupboards and includes a gas oven and four ring hob, microwave, toaster, etc. A large conservatory accessible from the kitchen houses the washing machine, extra sink/draining board, etc and is an excellent place to keep all your beach and outdoor equipment during your stay. The kitchen is open plan with a large dining area which comfortably seats eight people. This is a lovely cosy room with open fire and French doors opening onto the garden.
The large lounge has two sets of French doors leading to different areas of the garden. It is spacious and comfortable with a large widescreen TV and a DVD/Video combination. We have a very large bathroom with bath, shower, double sinks, bidet and separate toilet off the bathroom. An additional WC is near to the bedrooms. All the rooms within the farmhouse are spacious, comfortable and well equipped.
It has full central heating.

Aizenay is a 3 minute drive away. It is a pretty market town with a beautiful church dominating the centre and offers bakers, patisseries, restaurants, bars, summertime outdoor swimming pool and two large supermarkets. A market visits on the first and third Mondays of the month, and annual summer street festivals are held which are typical of rural France.
Aizenay is at the centre of a cycle route that runs through 30 kms of quiet countryside along the path of an old railway line. This cycle path passes by the fields at the back of the house, and is a lovely way to explore the surrounding area. The town is situated on the edge of a 228 hectare forest which is criss-crossed with foot and cycle routes, and is easily accessible via the cycle path to the rear of the farmhouse.

The Locality :

The peaceful surrounding countryside offers opportunities for walking, cycling, bird watching, golf and fishing. Lakes and villages within the setting of rural France can be explored from the property, whilst stunning expanses of beautiful sandy beaches are within a 20 minute drive.

We are close to two lakes : Lac du Jaunay has a footpath encircling the entire lake, with lovely areas for picnics as well as a small restaurant housed in a beautiful old ?longere? on the banks of the lake.

Lac d'Apremont is 10 minutes away where the picturesque, unspoilt village of Apremont clings to the rocky sides of the Vie valley, dominated by the romantic ruins of a Renaissance castle. A dam has created a large lake offering boating, canoeing and fishing as well as a lakeside beach with children?s play area. It is lovely to swim in during the summer, especially for children.

The beaches of the Vendeen coast are absolutely stunning. Wide expanses of clean, sandy beaches stretch for miles on end in this region, offering safe bathing, waves for bodyboarding and surfing and rockpools at low tide in some areas. The local beaches are regularly awarded the European Blue Flag credit for cleanliness and water quality.

Our closest main beach is the St. Gilles Croix de Vie Grand Plage which takes about 20 minutes in the car. This is a huge expanse of gentle sloping soft sand patrolled by lifeguards in the high season. Its shallows are perfect for young and old paddling and swimming or use the designated areas for body boarding or surfing.
At Sion sur L?Ocean the coastal path rises above cliffs creating the ?Corniche Vendeen? which is a stretch of beach offering tranquil coves. St. Jean de Monts, St. Hilaire de Riez and Les Sables d?Olonne are within a half an hour drive, and are also stunning sandy beaches. Les Sables has a quaint zoo, lovely for children and offering a shady break from the summer sun.

And much more?

St. Gilles and Croix de Vie are lovely twin harbour towns on the banks of the River Vie which have regular markets, pretty shops and great places to eat. A ferry makes the 65 minute crossing to the Ile de Yeu which is a popular and picturesque island.

There are so many places to explore; from the beautiful seaside resort of Pornic (north in the Department of the Loire Atlantique) to the port of La Rochelle and the Ile de Re (south in the Charente Maritime).

Don?t miss out on the famous market in Challons every Tuesday morning, (a 20 minute drive away), perfect for buying local fish, shell fish and other produce for the BBQ ? combine it with lunch out in one of the brasseries!

The Puy de Fou is justly world famous ? a medieval theme park with jousting, falconry and spectacular reconstructions and evening light show, less than one hour away.

The southern Vendee encompasses the Marais Poitevin; an area known as ?Green Venice?, which is a system of ancient canals weaving amongst beautiful countryside and villages, and is readily explored by flat bottomed boats available for hire throughout the region.

And of course by no means least there are vineyards close by, one only a 5 minute drive away. We will be glad to give our recommendations. Beware - the owners love to talk about their wines and seem to insist you try every one!

If you would like to know more about what the Vendee has to offer then Angela Bird?s book ?The Vendee? is highly recommended or visit her web site:
www.the-vendee.co.uk.