Restored Farmhouse 4/5 Bedrooms Farmhouse (VE002510)

Eating Out

'Café Amélie'
"Café Le Théatre in the centre of Le Blanc has great "Amélie" - type atmosphere, very busy on Saturdays (market day). Also seems to have some kind of betting shop in it! Set dish 7E, usually filling, traditional food also salads, chocolate crêpes a speciality. A great place to sit and people-watch."

'Eating in the Village'
"Café-Bar Le Manillon, Néons-sur-Creuse. Run by Monique, the café-bar is open most days and is a welcoming place to have a drink or simple snack - if you want to have a proper lunch ask Monique the day before and she will cook it to order for you the next day. "

'Local Restaurants'
"There are at least 7 nearby restaurants which feature in the Michelin Guide, including one with a star. There are also simpler cafés where you can eat well for a reasonable price. For example, at Le Sylchristé (10 minutes’ drive) for 11 Euros you get a generous buffet of hors d’oeuvres, a choice from 4 main dishes (eg steak, fish, chicken or pork with gratin potatoes or green beans), a platter of cheeses, a pudding, bread and a jug of red wine per person. "

Local Area and Activities

'Activities'
"The main activity always seems to be talking, drinking and eating - on the terrace, watching the sunset or round the log fire in winter. For more active people there are some games in a wooden chest. The really hyper-active can walk to the village café-bar (1 min), watch boules being played in the square or ride round on the bikes. Further afield there is fishing, bird-watching, wild orchids, butterflies, cycling, riding, golf, canoeing, kayaking, casino and horse racing. The village lies in a "microclimate" said to be sleep-inducing, so sleeping is also popular! "

'Nearby Villages'
"Angles-sur-l’Anglin - stunning medieval village with tiny streets, dramatic castle, river walks and picnic area. Full of flowers in summer with book fairs, painting exhibitions, antiques fairs and a big fireworks display on the first Sunday in August. La Roche Posay - lively, pretty spa village known for thermal skin cure treatments. Bring an empty bottle and catch spa water gushing out from the wall outside the Hotel St-Roch to drink at home. Good skin care products from chemists. Big square with boules, children’s merry-go-round and colourful open air markets. Casino and race track. Fêtes in summer with open air dancing. "

'Néons-sur-Creuse '
"Néons-sur-Creuse is a good place for holidays for people who want to unwind. The countryside around the village is very beautiful, with rivers and woods and is full of wildlife. There are peaceful walks along local footpaths. One of the loveliest things to do at any time of the year is to walk down past the church to the river. It is a really tranquil place to sit. You can see kingfishers, dragonflies and water boatmen. There is an exquisite natural pool for swimming, a children’s play area, a picnic area and an island to wade out to and explore. It’s a nice place to take a picnic and a chilled bottle (or 2) of wine. "

'Swimming'
"As well as the village river, there are many places to walk, picnic, swim or paddle along the local rivers - each village has its own swimming area, just ask for directions. Yzeures-sur-Creuse (next village) has adult and children’s pools. La Bussière (south west of Néons) has big river pool with café and pedaloes. Le Lac de Belle Bouche, (just after Mézières-en-Brenne) a delightful, proper "beach" with sand and supervised swimming, water sports and café-bar, set under pines and palm trees. Previous clients said: "Bellebouche was wonderful. We spent virtually every day there and the children loved it." "

'Things To Do Nearby'
"The village is in the Brenne Natural Regional Park - land of 1,000 lakes, 300 species of birds and full of wildlife. Fontgombault Abbey - fascinating Benedictine Abbey with Gregorian plain chant offices sung by monks in black robes, standing up and sitting down in waves. Saint-Savin Abbey - stunning 12th century frescos in beautiful Abbey. Chauvigny - castle, falconry displays, big market on Saturday mornings. Futuroscope (approx 1 hours drive). The wonderful Chateaux of the Loire (approx 2 hours drive). Zoo at Beauval (nr St Aignan) - previous clients said: "One of our best days out! Fantastic sea lions, falconry display, white tigers - stunning. You could virtually touch the sea lions!""

Markets and Shopping

'Local Events'
"The summer is a great time for local country events: open air markets, "brocantes" (antiques fairs), dances, donkey races, concerts, plays, open air pageants, communal barbecues and "moules-fêtes"."

'Shopping'
"Skin creams made from spa water from chemists in La Roche Posay (try "Aquatherm Creme Corporelle au beurre de Karité" from the Pharmacie des Sources in pump top container - about 16 Euros for 500 ml). Local honeys, jams and spice cake from markets or the Brenne Park Visitor Centre. Local goats’ cheeses. PVC tablecloth material in lovely Provençal designs is sold by the metre at many of the markets and is cheaper than in the UK. Wine, spirits, honey, olive oil, coffee, jams, olives, mustard, woven baskets and espadrilles are all good things to buy locally."

'Village Market'
"Néons has a farmer’s market and bread oven in the children’s play field fortnightly on Sunday mornings in summer. Go early to buy hot bread and ask about cooking your Sunday joint or chicken. Take your chicken in its roasting tray in a wicker basket and your oven gloves. It is usually the Mayor who will put this in for you after the last batch of bread and tell you what time to collect it! Previous clients said: "We had a very enjoyable holiday in your house… We did manage to get our bread from the wood oven on our first Sunday and we had our Sunday lunch - a large chicken - cooked in the oven, that was great fun." "