This is a lovely property, clearly loved by the family who have grown up here. Pretty much everything you would want from a holiday home - large garden, sun patio, good kitchen and dining room, nice living rooms and bedrooms. Lots of food ingredients which means you don’t need to bring spices, s&o etc. About 1 and a bit hours drive to Loire Valley, but only 20 minutes to the nearest of the Loir/Loire chateaux. Le Mans a fascinating to wan with lots of history # plus the Le Mans 24 hour museum if that 8nterests you. Overall a lovely holiday in a delightful village.

What a wonderful base from which to explore the beautiful chateau and vineyards of the Loire Valley! Villa Victoria is tastefully and elegantly appointed, the five bedrooms are large and comfortable, and although there are no en-suites, there are five bathrooms including one that features a 2-person Jacuzzi. There were six of us, and we had no problem with bathroom schedules. The kitchen is well equipped and adjoins a lovely formal dining room. The grounds are beautiful, and there’s a lower lounge area with a fire pit as well as a patio right off the kitchen where we spent our cocktail hours after a day of touring. The house is located in the small, quiet village of Yvré le Pôlin and there’s a nice grocery store/butcher, a bakery, a bar/newsstand, an ATM and a pharmacy all within a five-minute walk of the house. One could tell that the town doesn’t get very many foreign (in our case, American) visitors, but the people were friendly and warm wherever we went. Although there are no restaurants in the village, there are two very nice ones within a 15 minute drive: ‘La Botte d'Asperges’ in nearby Guécélard and ‘Fleur de Thym’ in the town of Ecommoy. Two nearby must-see attractions include: ‘Château du Lude’, a beautiful ‘small’ chateau and gardens located in the village of Le Lude, and ‘Jardin d'Atmosphere’ in Saint Biez en Belin, a spectacular small garden created by a husband and wife over 30 years. It’s a beautiful place to relax in nature. Our host Arlette went above and beyond to make our stay enjoyable, suggesting sites & restaurants she thought we might like and even going to the trouble of borrowing two bicycles for our use. She met us at the house to show us around and to explain how to use the washer/dryer, stove, etc. Although she doesn’t speak English fluently, she’s a wonderfully warm, helpful person. We all had a terrific time and we’re anxiously looking forward to our next visit to Villa Victoria.