Would you like to see the Tour de France close up? Well, the final two stages of the 2012 Tour will be arriving and leaving from our area.
Stage 19 is a 52-km individual time trial that starts in Bonneval and ends in Chartres on Saturday July 21.
The 130-km final stage will leave from Rambouillet and finish on the Champs Elysées in Paris on Sunday.
We’re perfect situated if you’re planning on following either or both stages, as we’re halfway between Chartres and Rambouillet.
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Just a quick post to let you know that you can now view availability calendars for both our cottages. They are listed on Homeaway, which provides a calendar features. Click on the links below to check and see when the properties are available (links open a new browser window).
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Called the Cottage des Hortensias (because of the magnificent Hydrangea that sits in the courtyard), it’s a 2-story, 3-bedroom, 2-bath accommodation that sleeps six. Located a stone’s throw from the château, it used to be the concierge’s house and abuts the back of the farm that used to be part of the estate.
We had been wanting to renovate it ever since we moved here, but it always seemed a daunting task. Unlike the other cottage, it hadn’t been lived in for years and was in a state of acute disrepair. So we kept putting it off, until just over a year ago.
Inspection showed that the roof and structure were very sound, so we decided to take the plunge and renovate and remodel from top to bottom. First, we knocked down flimsy partitions and removed all the old plumbing and wiring. Indoors, we brought everything up to code, insulated the heck out of it, and totally modernized it. Outdoors, we transformed the overgrown courtyard into a private patio.
Once the tradesmen had left, Virginie set about working her decorating magic, mixing modern and old, as she loves to do, while I took care of the final finishings and carrying heavy pieces of furniture. The result is a very warm, light-filled house with old, natural hardwood floors.
We invite you take a look at the photos. And please let us know if you have any questions. In the meantime, these two photos give you an idea of the before and after.
BEFORE: Living area seen from kitchen;)
AFTER: Living area seen from kitchen
Our cottage rates include everything such as utilities, linens, internet, taxes and cleaning. There are no extra charges. All you have to bring is food.
We’ve also reconfigured the cottage. Going forward the maximum capacity is six people (instead of eight). There are two studio bedrooms upstairs. We’ve done this because we’re about to start renting out our new cottage, which will have a maximum capacity of seven. More on that soon.
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Virginie has been furiously decorating away over the past few weeks. She has strictly forbidden me from publishing any photos until the rooms were the way she wanted them. And here are the first ones.
The above photo is of the master bedroom upstairs. To the right just behind the wardrobe is the door to the upstairs bathroom, which runs the width of the house. There’s another bedroom on this floor. It sleeps three and is destined for children.
More photos coming soon.
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This little guy dropping in yesterday, quite literally. Some friends were coming down the driveway when suddenly this Eurasian Hobby fell out of the sky, right in front of the car. The victim of a dogfight with another bird of prey.
As luck would have it, our friend’s son is a apprentice falconer. He just completed a summer job at the Espace Rambouillet, a local Birds of Prey Center (recent post). He and his dad drove him to the Espace this morning for a check-up. Looks like one of his claws might have been damaged. He’s is good hands now.
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See the whole collection (Flickr) >
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Found hiding near the house this afternoon. Just a few weeks old, judging from the size and fur.
]]>1. Tipping. Don’t do it. If you eat a restaurant, bar, brasserie, bistro or café in France, service is included. It’s the law. And don’t ask if service is included, because chances are the waiter will say no in a dishonest attempt to gouge you.
2. Credit cards. If you don’t have a French Visa or MasterCard, it is likely your credit card won’t work in 24/7 gas pumps or self-service toll booths.
3. Petrol/gas stations. While on the subject, there are fewer and fewer of them. The big chains (Shell, Total) are losing the war with supermarket stations. This means that for tourists with non-French credit cards it can be hard to find gas on a Sunday or out of business hours. Plan accordingly.
4. Diesel. It’s cheaper than gasoline. So if you’re renting a car, be sure to ask for a diesel. The cheapest gas is to be found at supermarket stations.
5. Road numbers. The French don’t use them to navigates, except on motorways (A for autoroute) and highways (N for national highways). When using smaller road (D roads), navigate by the names of towns. If where you are going is on the main road to a bigger town, follow signs for the bigger town. You’ll start seeing signs for your destination only when you get near it.
6. Car size. Another thing to keep in mind when renting a car is vehicle size, and in particular trunk space. If you’ve got big suitcases and/or children, be sure to rent a car that’s big enough for both passengers and baggage.
7. Luggage size. If you plan to carry luggage in the Paris Metro, think again. There are practically no elevators and only a few escalators, so pack light. Same goes for staying in bed and breakfasts, where you won’t find elevators.
8. Pickpockets. They are quite common in Paris, especially in the Metro, so be wary. My phone was grabbed in February, and I received a report from some guests that they had their wallet stolen in the Metro the day after staying with us. Another common scam is the “lost gold ring”. While walking down the Champs Elysées, for example, you might notice someone stop and pick up a ring. They’ll approach you and say it’s gold and try to give it to you. Don’t accept the ring. Refuse to touch it. The ring is worthless, and they can become quite insistent if you refuse to give them money in exchange for the “gift”. It’s also very distracting, which makes you a perfect target for a pickpocket accomplice.
9. Eating times. Try to plan your day so that you eat during French mealtimes (Noon-2PM and 7:30-9:30 PM), because it can hard/impossible to find a decent meal outside of normal eating hours. This is especially important outside of big towns.
10. Opening hours. Practically all museums and monuments are closed at least one day a week, often Monday or Tuesday, even the world famous ones. Plan your visits accordingly.
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In it you can see that we’ve refinished the hardwood floors. They look great. There’s still a lot to do, but it doesn’t seem as daunting as it did a couple weeks ago.
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