Rural France, Enjoy the peace, Tranquility and space of the countryside!
Introduction
Hello We are Claire and John and our daughter Beatrix. We have one Bruno de Jura cross dog Esteban who is a big softy and two beautiful cats ( moggies) Aggi and Cleo and at some point hope to have some chickens! We moved from the UK in 2020 for a less stressed life and for our daughter to start college here! It’s been an interesting and somewhat challenging start with Brexit and the Pandemic, but be love our rustic house, the open space and tranquility it brings, from the hot hazy summers and the cold cosy winters! We are so happy to have found Trusted House sitters as we are very keen to ensure that our fur babies can be safe, well cared for and kept in their own environment when we go away or return to the UK, which is pretty frequent due to aged parents and our daughter who has regular ongoing medical treatment still provided in the UK. Our house is very much a 'work in progress' but has all the creature comforts! It is set in a rural hamlet and has an enormous enclosed garden. This is a great place if you want some real down time. The nearest smaller towns are 8 and 15km away! And Chateauroux is 22km away, so a car is essential!
Show more...Home & location
Our home is part of the Saint Valentin community it is 5km from the village centre, situated In a small hamlet of three farmhouses it sits In an acre and a half of enclosed garden with views of ever-changing fields and sports some of the most beautiful sunrises and sunsets. Our home is very much a work in progress, it is currently on one level but we have started to make it two! There are two bedrooms (ground floor) fully air conditioned and en-suite. The rest of the house is open plan to give full sociability and there is another air conditioning unit in the sitting-room area. The house is fully equipped with every day amenities, and whilst not the most glamorous of places yet, it is light, airy, tidy, clean and cosy. The kitchen is well equipped so good for the enthusiastic caterer! There are many games, TV with fire stick, music centre, Alexa, and we have lots of art bits for the creative folks. Outside we have a barn which is extremely rustic but is used for lots of entertaining, amongst other things in it, there is a karaoke machine, TV, DVD player, Electronic Keyboard and lots of games, it also has various exercise equipment for anyone wishing to keep fit! In the garden we have a large trampoline, and there is a badminton set, swing ball and boule set available. In the summer we put a large swimming pool up! You can enjoy outside dining in the garden and there is a charcoal burning Barbecue available. There are a selection of loungers tables and chairs for your comfort. In season we grow various fruit and vegetables, so if our sitters are here at the right time they will hopefully be able to enjoy some fresh organic produce! Although there are no on the doorstep attractions to walk to. We do have many beautiful countryside walks. This is however, an ideal place for relaxation and peace, A place to give you some away time from the outside world worries. That said, if you would like to venture out and about and experience other things then you have a plethora of choices many within just a short drive from some amazing parks, local markets, wine-tasting, theatres, museums, chateaus, sports facilities, shopping, Cafes and restaurants, we are just a 12 minute drive to Issoudun and a 15-20 minute drive to Chateauroux. Our village Saint Valentin is quiet and small but has a renowned Japanese restaurant, a post office and its very own garden of love. Every year on the 14th of February the village holds a festival for Saint Valentin. We love it here and we hope you will too!
Show more...Responsibilities
We would love for our sitters not only take care of our animal family and home as we do, but to really enjoy the time spent here! Esteban, Cleo and Aggi are fed twice a day. Cleo is old girl and mainly lives upstairs in the attic she has a litter there which needs to be cleaned out once a day. The water bucket outside for Esteban needs to be refilled with water when required and we do a garden poo patrol every to keep the garden clean! Esteban travels really well in a car and will happily go out with you for the day but he must be kept on a Halti and lead because whilst not that big he is immensely strong and not that obedient! especially when he gets a scent! He can be left in the garden or in the house but not for long periods usually we would not leave him for more than two hours at a time. Esty is quite a sensitive boy and doesn't like arguments and shouting. He was abandoned as a young puppy and so does like human contact He sleeps in a pannier next to the bed but does have a tendency to sneak up on to to the bed and lie very still! We would be grateful if our plants were watered regularly and daily when it is hot! We ask all sitters to look after our home and all our property and keep it clean and tidy!
Show more...Meet the pets
Esteban (Esty)
3 years
Cleo
15 years
Agatha (Aggi)
2 years
Sitter Reviews (7)
Homeowner Reviews (0)
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Claire and John’s home was like a home away from home! My girls were delighted to have pool, trampoline, toys and Wi-Fi as part of their holidays. It was a restful location with all mod cons and affections pets. Esty is a lovely dog and the cats were typically independent but affectionate. We had a wonderful time and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it, especially for families who like doggy cuddles.
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Claire, John and Bea were absolutely wonderful - you couldnt ask for a better family to sit for. And as for Esteban the dog - he was an absolute JOY. We were in France for a period and one of our sits cancelled due to ill health so we had to hurriedly look for another - and Claire and John's sit popped up for us. We WhatsApp and Claire did tell us that the house was "Work in Progress" ! When we arrived we were very surprised that the "work" had obviously not progressed very far and that there was still a huge amount to be done. However, as I said - Claire and John were wonderful. We had a lovely meal on our arrival and they could not have been any more generous. Poor Bea had to vacate her bedroom so that we could have a bed to sleep in !! The weather was miserable but we had a wood-burner to keep us warm - when John finishes the upstairs it will be so much better as all the heat will then not disappear into the roof space. Now - the very best part of the whole sit was the lovely Esteban. What a wonderful dog he was, so gentle, so patient and such fun to take out on walks. We enjoy walking and we happily took Esteban out every day for 6 or 7 mile walks. He thoroughly enjoyed it and so did we. Cleo remained in the house very unbothered by anything and Aggi was a very determined "mouser" and would bring in her offerings on a daily basis. We were so sorry that we were unable to use the BBQ but weather was just not up to scratch. Thanks to a wonderful family - it was a challenge but a good one !!!!
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I had a great stay at Claire, John and Beatrix's house. They are truly great people and made me feel at home, always available to answer any questions I had. The animals are very kind and gentle, Esty will always be around wanting to be hugged and the cats really like to receive pettings. I highly recommend it to people who like a peaceful and beautiful place and who really appreciate animals. I hope to be able to return soon :)
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This housesit was one of our favourites so far before it even started, and by the end has the undisputed title. Esty is such a gentle and sweet boy, and our kids absolutely loved having him follow them around and cuddle up… he is like a cat in a large dogs body! Cleo is the sweetest girl, and while timid at the start, she eventually got quite bold and made her way down for cuddles whenever she could. And Aggi is the perfect country cat! The kids loved her sleeping on their beds, and while she explored outside all day, she would come in at night for cuddles by the fire. Claire and John were impeccable hosts, so receptive and kind, and their home is a lovely space to stop and enjoy some peace and quiet. They provided us with so much information and guidance we would have been set for much longer than we needed, and the whole family enjoyed our stay. Thanks to Claire, John, Bea, Esty, Cleo and Aggi for making our French countryside experience one to remember with immense fondness. Definitely hope to be back soon xx
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We did this houssit with the whole family and were able to bring our dog, the whole experience was AMAZING! We loved Esteban (very gentle and sweet dog) and the cats (expecially Cleo was very cuddly). The nature, space and peace of the place was exactly what we needed and we enjoyed the pool and all the toys available. There was nothing amiss and the house was very comfortable. The best thing about it though were Claire and her family, the nicest and kindest people you can imagine. We would have loved to spend more time together and I would definetly recommend staying at their beautiful place and looking after the fur babies!
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Claire and John
