Reviews

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=140 BGCOLOR="#FF3399" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <IMG SRC="5440e840.jpg" border=0 width="1294" height="132" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=180 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="5416aa40.gif" border=0 width="106" height="164" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <B>Our Virgin Vine Window</B></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Welcome to La Savonnière!"><U><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f0ffffff00.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="accommodations.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Accommodations"><U><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f0ffffff00.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Accommodations</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="rates.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Booking"><U><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f0ffffff00.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Booking</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="surroundings.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="About Our Surroundings"><U><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f0ffffff00.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">About Our Surroundings</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="information.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Local Info"><U><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f0ffffff00.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Local Info</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="directionsandtravel.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Directions and Travel Modes"><U><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f0ffffff00.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Directions</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="reviews.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Reviews"><U><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f0ffffff00.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Reviews</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="pictures.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Picture Album"><U><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f0ffffff00.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Picture Album</B></U></A></div> <bR> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=340 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="536" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 153 ><NOBR><div> <B><IMG SRC="57b98900.gif" border=0 width="152" height="144" ALT="PBrush" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <I><B> Client Reviews  </B></I></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <B><IMG SRC="57c98900.gif" border=0 width="152" height="144" ALT="PBrush" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> <B> </B><FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFFF99" FACE="Arial" ><I><B> </B></I></FONT><B> </B></div> <div> <I><B>Note: All Reviews have been </B></I><FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FF33CC" FACE="Arial" ><I><B>verified </B></I></FONT><I><B>by Holiday-Rentals.Co.UK</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>They are reproduced on this webpage for your convenience but you can click on the link below to go direct to Holiday-Rentals</B></I></div> <div>   <a href="http://www.holiday-rentals.co.uk/98525?refid=property_link&catid=98525" title="Holiday-Rentals.co.uk advertises over 50,000 villa rentals & self catering holiday homes by owner worldwide. Book holiday lets with the owners direct for great value! Leaders since 1996.">See my self-catering holiday home No. 98525 on Holiday-Rentals.co.uk</a>  </div> <div> <IMG SRC="58e86480.gif" border=0 width="390" height="584" ALT="Microsoft Office Word Document" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <B>Town Hall  in Lannemezan</B></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="5a798900.gif" border=0 width="152" height="144" ALT="PBrush" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <I><B>La Savonniere - A recommendation from one of our German guests!  5 Stars</B></I></div> <div> <B>Erholung pur</B></div> <div> <B>Mike_2009</B><B> NRW, Deutschland.</B></div> <div> <B>Date Submitted: November 01, 2009 </B></div> <div> <B>Date of Stay: July 2009 </B></div> <bR> <div> <B> Wir haben 3 wundervolle Ferienwochen hier verbracht. Das Haus ist liebevoll eingerichtet und die Aussstattung ist sehr gut. Es fehlt nichts, was man für das tägliche Leben braucht. Die Lage ist einsam romantisch. Wir haben schöne Abende auf der Terasse verbracht und den Sonnenuntergang genossen.  In der Umgebung gibt es viele schöne Ausflugsziele, so dass keine Langeweile aufkommt. </B></div> <div> <B>Die Site-Managerin hat uns bei unserer Ankunft liebevoll empfangen und uns alles gezeigt. Auch später war sie immer für alle Fragen ansprechbar und hat uns mit Tipps zu Ausflügen versorgt. Insgesamt ein schöner Urlaub </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Owners Response:</B><B> We thank our German guests for their kind words. What follows is a "Babel Fish" translator version of their comments translated into English: </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>We spent 3 wonderful holidays weeks here. The house is affectionately furnished and is very good. It is not missing to anything that one needs for the daily life. The situation is romantic. We spent beautiful evenings on the Terasse and enjoyed the sunset. In the environment there are many beautiful trip goals, so that no boredom arises. The Site Managerin received us with our arrival affectionately and showed us everything. It was always accessible for all questions also later and us with hints to trips supplied. Altogether a beautiful vacation </B></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="58498900.gif" border=0 width="152" height="144" ALT="PBrush" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <I><B>La Savonniere - peaceful and beautiful</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>embejemi Newcastle upon Tyne</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>Review Submitted: August 11, 2009 Date of Stay: June 2009</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>Our first impressions of this beautiful home was one of typical French quaintness. Quaint it may be on the outside, but inside it is full of all the mod-cons essential for today's living. We were met by the estate manager for whom nothing was too much trouble, and indeed throughout the two weeks remained friendly and contactable. The house and gardens were immaculate and we enjoyed many hours just examining the different plants and flowers. The area surrounding L'esparos is stunningly beautiful, we enjoyed many days exploring the area. We even drove over to Spain spending a day in Ainsa. The owners of La Savonniere has clearly given much thought to the comfort of their guests. The sleeping accommodations were spotlessly clean and the beds very comfortable. The nearby hostelry provided cuisine of the highest standard, and the chef delighted in trying out his excellent spoken English to us, nothing was too much trouble. If there was one thing missing, it was a morning supply of fresh French bread, the village store is sadly closed, and if there was a baker's van we didn't hear it. I'm sure if there was, Dan would have mentioned it in the 'bible', a wonderful folder of useful information left ready for his guests. Such thoughtfulness is what made our trip to La Savonierre a truly memorable holiday. We hope to return.</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>Owner's Response: We thank our British guests for their review. We are sad also to hear that the village store is closed. These are hard times for many businesses and we hope that they will reopen soon as we enjoyed the convenience of having the epicerie so close. We never mentioned the local van since the epicerie was so convenient. We believe that a van comes by that sells fresh produce, breads and other sundries. Unfortunately, we do not know its exact schedule but believe that it comes early in the morning. Two large stores, an Intermarche and a Champions are about 15 minutes away from our front door. There is also a Lidl, an Aldi and a Leader Price in the same area. There is abundant shopping close by, but unfortunately, for the moment at least, not outside our front door as there has been up until  the recent past.</B></I></div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="58d90080.jpg" border=0 width="400" height="264" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <B>Baronnies Fruit Stand</B></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="58598900.gif" border=0 width="152" height="144" ALT="PBrush" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>Charming House & Beautiful Surroundings</B></div> <div> <B>Client:  Thistle - UK</B></div> <div> <B>Date Submitted: June 10, 2008   Date of Stay: March 2008</B></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>Charming house in beautiful surroundings. Large and tastefully decorated rooms, comfortable beds, cheery eat-in kitchen with huge fireplace, breath- taking views, and artful landscaping. Everything spotlessly clean. Countryside invites rambling, relaxing, and sightseeing. Here you can experience French country living yet with all the amenities. Wish we could have stayed longer.</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>Kathy</B></I></div> <div> <B> </B></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B><IMG SRC="530355e0.gif" border=0 width="309" height="350" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>Petunias in our planter</B></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="58698900.gif" border=0 width="152" height="144" ALT="PBrush" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>A Beautiful Old Home With 21st Century Amenities</B></div> <div> <B>Client:   Buglet     Springfield, VA, USA.</B></div> <div> <B>Traveler review for this vacation rental (98540)  5/5      </B></div> <div> <B>La Savonnière in April / May</B></div> <div> <B>Date Submitted: June 02, 2008   Date of Stay: April 2008</B></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>La Savonnière is a great mix of 18th century buildings with 21st century amenities. The house is beautifully decorated, the landscaping is extraordinary and the town of Esparros is very quaint. Les Baronnies offer a beautiful locale for hiking, biking, skiing and enjoying the rural lifestyles of neighboring areas. A charming stay away from the tourist crowds.</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>Owners Response: We appreciate the kind words. We love old things and we have tried hard to maintain the ambiance of this old home while bringing the house up to par with a new home. I think it is a battle that is never won, but one that, if care is taken, can make a house like this far more interesting and likable than a new home. We have spent a considerable amount of time redoing our rear yard, making terraced gardens where once before there was only a slippery slope. We very much appreciate hearing that they were enjoyed.</B></I></div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <I><B><IMG SRC="52588050.gif" border=0 width="392" height="261" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></I></div> <div> <I><B>Clematis flowering on our wall</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <B>     </B></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="58798900.gif" border=0 width="152" height="144" ALT="PBrush" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>Wonderful Home, Location and Culinary Experiences</B></div> <div> <B>Traveler review for this vacation rental (87073)  5/5 </B></div> <div> <B>Client:  RMW   Falmouth, MA, USA.</B></div> <div> <B>Date Submitted: May 22, 2008   Date of Stay: November 2007</B></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>Had a great time at La Savonniere. A very interesting house filled with character and charm.  I was surprised by the how quiet and peaceful the area is and yet, how close and convenient it is to get to major cosmopolitan and shopping areas.  I loved Les Baronnies Valley in which La Savonniere is situated.  Les Baronnies is as lovely as it is tranquil.  Life in the valley still seems to be set at a pace reminiscent of how I picture life to be like 200 years ago.  There are many shops, farms and restaurants in the valley. all producing local and tradionally made food or hand crafted products.  It was fun to explore the valley and find some of these hidden epicurean delights, most of which were tucked away in visually interesting places.  We also enjoyed our wine touring spree in the Madiran.  The vignoble proprietors were obviously very proud of their wine.  They took the time to explain what makes the Madiran so special and the best part was the wine tasting itself, going from one beautiful vineyard to the next.  </B></I><I><B>After scurrying about, it was nice to come home to La Savonniere.</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>I would highly recommend a stay at this property.  </B></I></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="638" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" BGCOLOR=#FFFF99 > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 307 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="4c39d2b0.jpg" border=0 width="413" height="299" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="4f2c02d0.jpg" border=0 width="192" height="301" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 20 ><NOBR><div> <B>The old stone slate roof of La Savonnière</B></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <B> La Savonnière's Virgin Vine</B></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div>  </div> <div> A charming spot</div> <div> <B>      </B></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="58898900.gif" border=0 width="152" height="144" ALT="PBrush" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B> <A NAME="a_charming_spot_"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>A Charming Spot </B></div> <div> <B>Traveler review for this vacation rental (98540)  5/5   </B></div> <div> <B>Client:  Jim7   Surrey, UK.</B></div> <div> <B>Date Submitted: September 14, 2008   Date of Stay: August 2008</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>We very much enjoyed our stay. The house was well appointed and comfortable and the owners had clearly gone to a lot of trouble to make it so. We found the village and its setting in the valley charming and were lucky enough to be there for the fête nationale. It was handy that the village had its own restaurant which we visited several times. The </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FFFF80" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="information_gouffre_de_esparros.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Local Info"><U><B>local cave (Gouffre) </B></U></A></FONT><B>is within walking distance and well worth a visit. We also found it a good base for excursions to the Pyrenees and had some memorable visits. All in all we and our friends had a </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#00FFCC" FACE="Arial" ><B>very good ti</B><B>me. </B></FONT></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="55ee95e0.jpg" border=0 width="233" height="350" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <B>Rear Walkway Flower Bed</B></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="58998900.gif" border=0 width="152" height="144" ALT="PBrush" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>Traveler review for this vacation rental (98540)  5/5   </B></div> <div> <B>Client:  Red97    Worcestershire, UK.</B></div> <div> <B>Date Submitted: September 02, 2008   Date of Stay: July 2008</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>For us the most special aspects of our holiday at La Savonniere were the fabulous walks and having a lovely, comfortable, welcoming house to return to each day. It was a lovely holiday!</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>The weather was fantastic!  </B><B>We appreciated the time put into answering our questions via email before we arrived.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>The house was full of character - the flag stones in the hall look as if they have many stories to tell - & it was really cosy.  We loved all the little surprises around the house, e.g. - the lights in the garden, the nautical decorations, etc. The beds were comfy & we slept very well.</B></div> <div> <B>The many terraces in the back garden were delightful & we sat out there a great deal.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B> <A NAME="the_guest_information_booklet"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>The </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FFFF99" FACE="Arial" ><B>Guest Information Booklet</B></FONT><B> was exceptional.  </B><B> It was amazing to have so much information & it was easy to use & to read. The index meant we could pick out the information we needed easily. We read the whole book & thought it was excellent & very useful.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>The location was great too - in such a lovely quiet village & yet near enough to the N929 to be able to get places easily (we nipped into Spain one day). The small alimentation (Local grocery store) was very useful - both on the day we arrived, when we asked where "La Savonniere" was - oh "Chez Dan?” he asked, which I thought was lovely & straight out of a French grammar book, & on subsequent days for bread & milk etc. We ate at the local cafe one night which was very enjoyable. </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>The walks were great. We did most of the walks in your book - very useful </B><B>(the </B><B> <A NAME="_film_walk_"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FFFF99" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="surroundings_movie.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="About Our Surroundings"><U><B>“Film Walk”</B></U></A><B> </B></FONT><B>was outstanding)</B><B>. We explored a few walks to & around some lakes, S of Arreau on the N929 on a couple of days & those were really nice. We went white water rafting. The mare was not yet well enough for us to be able to book a pony & trap ride - a shame since it would have been delightful.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>It was excellent being able to use the telephone, knowing it was free for both local calls & calls home. If we had brought our own computer we could have used the Internet connection.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>The boys especially enjoyed the DVD descriptions in the info book & we watched DVD's several evenings. We enjoyed several local markets, the caves in Esparros, & the area very much.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>We had a lovely time at this beautiful & cosy house. </B></div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B> <embed src="HTMLobj-1329/AlloAllo_BenBateson.mid" autostart="false" width="145" height="70">  </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>See also:</B><FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFFF99" FACE="Arial" ><I><B>  </B></I></FONT><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#33FFFF" FACE="Arial" ><B><IMG SRC="57d98900.gif" border=0 width="152" height="144" ALT="PBrush" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></FONT></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Welcome to La Savonnière!"><U><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b70140f0fbff00.gif" HEIGHT="21" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="accommodations.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Accommodations"><U><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b70140f0fbff00.gif" HEIGHT="21" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Accommodations</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="rates.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Booking"><U><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b70140f0fbff00.gif" HEIGHT="21" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Booking</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="surroundings.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="About Our Surroundings"><U><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b70140f0fbff00.gif" HEIGHT="21" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">About Our Surroundings</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="information.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Local Info"><U><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b70140f0fbff00.gif" HEIGHT="21" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Local Info</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="directionsandtravel.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Directions and Travel Modes"><U><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b70140f0fbff00.gif" HEIGHT="21" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Directions and Travel Modes</B></U></A></div> <div> <B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b70140f0fbff00.gif" HEIGHT="21" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Reviews</B></div> <div> <A HREF="pictures.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Picture Album"><U><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b70140f0fbff00.gif" HEIGHT="21" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Picture Album</B></U></A></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>