Horizons Vendeens

I have forgotten to mention you a craftsman -who will work for us in the next few weeks- in our partners’ details for the restoration of the gites and the pool.

In order to secure the mezzanine, we needed getting a banister, and to keep the character of this gite, we should appeal a craftsman working with the wrought iron. Indeed, a banister made of another material could alter the character of the house. Moreover, the wrought iron has the advantage of not warping in time and of being thougher, compared with wood for example.

The chosen company is l’ACMIF; with this following link (http://acmif.com/), you can see its abilities, skills and works.

Before the banister will be in the gite, you can find below a sketch:

For any further details about the gites and the interior pool, let us know with:

• contact@horizons-vendeens.fr

• or by phone: 00 33 (6) 23 00 13 67

For the gite 2, “la gentilhommière”, we have been waiting impatiently for the works of cleaning out the walls so that we have been able to get a more precise idea of this gite. Indeed, it has been hard since almost 1 year to imagine this stone building, from ruin to a residential “use”. Unfortunately, weather did not help us today for the photos…

The front façade of the gite “La gentilhommière:

The gable end wall of the gite:

For further details about the gites and the interior and common pool, let us know your requirements:

• by email: contact@horizons-vendeens.fr

• by phone: 00 33 (6) 23 00 13 67

In order to distinguish the gites in the Horizons vendéens, instead of saying gite 1 and gite 2, we had to customize them. Since the beginning of works, we have tried to find indications and details, which could have helped us to describe at best these 2 gites, a difficult step but an important one!

A lead was a book -that a friend of us helped us to find- “l’histoire des maisons nobles de Pouzauges“, -”History of the noble houses, located in Pouzauges- which was written by Yves Dopsent, according the archives of Clément Blandin. Although this book was very interesting, it describes Puy Papin – hamlet, where are located our gites- only for the listed edifice on the other side of the road; indeed, before the road has been created, our buildings used as outbuildings of this “Logis” from Puy Papin. Consequently, no well-known personality was able to live there, apart from servants working for the lords of the Castle, then of the “Logis du Puy Papin” and their animals, or at least no precise detail has been given for the “activity” and ”function” of these buildings, that will be our gites. So, these gites will not be named after their former owners.

As far the gite 1 is concerned, this stone building -which has been inhabited untill July 2007 and so  partially restored- gives us a feeling of place to swap and reception, and reminds us of an inn. With that in mind, the chosen name is l’hosterie, old French word, which is synonymous with inn.

For the gite 2, this stone building has been neglected for years and was more particularly in ruins, so it has a secret side, even mysterious one. It was mainly used as a shelter for animals, some call it a sheepfold and others call it stable… As this function has nothing to do with the one of the gites, and as we have restored it into a residential use with the charming old stones, the nam of this gite will be as follows la gentilhommière: this old French word describes a pleasant and charmingly converted cottage, located in the country.

 For further details about these gites-to-be -l’hosterie & la gentilhommière- and about the interior common pool, do not hesite to contact us:

• contact@horizons-vendeens.fr

• or by phone: 00 33 (6) 23 00 13 67

As explained in the previous posts, the wall built in breeze blocks in the front façade of the 2nd gite had to be covered with stones in order to have the original look of these old stone buildings. This work has required patience for everyone: for the stoneworkers, for the craftspeople working after the stoneworkers, and also to us;

Indeed, we was eager to see this wall finished; finished in order to clean out the stones and most of all, to take photos for the website.

If all goes well, the coating and the cleaning out the stones of this gite should be done before the end of this week… in the meanwhile, let’s see the development of this wall with photos:

For any details about gites and/or the pool, dot not hesitate to contact us:

• either by mail: contact@horizons-vendeens.fr

• or by phone: 00 33 (6) 23 00 13 67

Just few words to confirm you that the gite 1 has really 3 bedrooms, so can sleep 6 persons. But with my previous post “what about bedrooms in the 1st gite“, photos have shown you only 2 bedrooms for this gite. An explanation shoul be required…

As works go on in the both gites, we need space to stock plants and also furniture -beds, wardrobes, sofas, households appliances…- for both gites, and the mere room, which was available and spacious enough -19m²- and also was able to be closed to avoid dust and any risk to damage furniture, was the 1st bedroom.

After having shown photos in the mezzanine, we can follow our visit towards bedrooms -upstairs- in this gite 1. Furniture and wrought iron beds  are now available, just wait and see the decorating and to make beds in order to welcome tourists…

Bedroom 2 with the 2 single beds:

Bedroom 3 with the double king size bed:

For further details on the gites and the pool, do not hesitate to contact us:

• 00 33 (6) 23 00 13 67

• contact@horizons-vendeens.fr

Works are going on the swimming pool place with the tiles:

If you need more details about the gites and the pool, do not hesitate to contact us:

• 00 33 (6) 23 00 13 67
• contact@horizons-vendeens.fr

Little by little, gites start taking shape! Before long, restoration works will come to a close, craftspeople make way for tourists…

Below, photos show you the screed in the gite 2, which has covered the heating floor and that has being dried since 2 weeks. One week more, the tiles will be put down.

In the gite 1, photos are more scarce but after these finishing touches, see below the ground floor of this gite, more particularly the mezzanine with its quiet spot -on the left, while coming up the stairs- and its space for children -on the right, above the kitchen. Now we should furnish this place but above all, secure it with a banister made of wrought iron.

For further details about gite and pool, do not hesitate to contact us either by mail contact@horizons-vendeens.fr or by phone -00 33 (0)6 23 00 13 67 

Soon, in the 1st gite, photos will show you the kitchen, that will be ended in the following days…