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WHERE TO FIND IGE
In May 2002 we bought two adjoining houses in the church
square in this little village
just off the road that runs from Belleme to Le Mans in Orne (61).
If you look at any map, in between Paris and Brittany you will find
Alencon, and Belleme, our nearest town, is nearby. It is a pretty little town
with shops and banks, a playground and a picturesque heated outdoor swimming
pool which is open in the summer months. There is
also a very smart golf resort here and some terrific restaurants.
WHATS THE PLACE LIKE?
Ige is quite a busy village at certain times of
day and within yards of the house there is a bakery, a general food store and
two café/bars. There is also a butchers, a
hairdressers, a small lunchtime restaurant (very good), and a
garage, all this in a village of 750 people.
WHAT'S THE MAIN HOUSE LIKE?
The main house was built in about 1820 and has been restored, rewired and redecorated. It has a new hot water and central heating system although we have tried to keep as many original features as possible including the original radiators, oak cupboards etc. The rooms are simply furnished with rugs on tiled floors downstairs and rugs on wooden floors upstairs. Both houses have amazing vaulted ceilings to their basements, proof of much earlier buildings on site.
The big house has a kitchen (18ft x10ft) at the back of the house and a downstairs bathroom (10x6) which has a rolltop bath, bidet, handbasin and loo. There is a salon/main living room at the front of the house (20x10) where the sofa also makes a full size single bed. You can watch French TV or run British videos and we keep a small library of books CD’s and videos – take your favourite DVD's along.
UPSTAIRS
A winding
uncarpeted oak staircase leads up to the first floor where there are two
double bedrooms, i.e. one (10x11), oak frame double
bed and a chest of drawers, and the other (18x11) with two new pine single
beds, a toybox and a chest of drawers, not to mention a marble
fireplace. There is now a new
shower room and loo upstairs and the ancient WC it once contained
is now long gone - antique restoration is all very well but plumbing is more
important than sentiment.
The house has a real old-fashioned charm and is a wonderful place to have a comfortable and relaxing holiday, safe for small children and/or the elderly. Our neighbour looks after the key of the house for me and is knowledgeable about the hot water and heating system should you have any questions.
THE COTTAGE
Perhaps you would like to stay at the cottage, which although attached to the main house, looks onto a quiet coutyard beside it. We are able to let the two houses together when required, with the advantage that each unit is completely self contained - great for two families who enjoy holidays together. The cottage accommodation consists of living/dining room, a downstairs shower/wc, a large kitchen, and 2 bedrooms, one with a double bed, one with two singles - each having its own bathroom, shower and wc.
It has an inglenook fireplace and creates a real contrast to the main house, which is a Maison Bourgeoise where the original owner indulged his taste for larger rooms and grand oak cupboards.
We hope this will give you a idea of what a holiday in Ige could be like from 2008 onwards. Our neighbours and friends have made all our visitors welcome as part of the community and its not unusual to see all the children out playing together in the church square or the garden. Locally you will find many restaurants and markets to visit, with Loire Valley chateaux and Eurodisney within a couple of hours by car. There is a superb golf course 3 miles away and an open air and a covered swimming pool within about the same distance. Or just relax in the garden where there are vines and a peach tree shading the garden chairs and table.
