Tag: cottages

Kistinic Gatehouse in Brittany

| May 10, 2013

On our recent holiday to Brittany in France we stayed in two stylish holiday homes in the department of Finistere. I discovered Frenchberry whilst searching for family friendly holiday accommodation that provided that little bit extra. We have been treated to absolute luxury with each home and location we’ve stayed in.

We spent the first week of our holiday in the Kistinic Gatehouse just outside the medieval city of Quimper. The Kistinic Gatehouse is a charming house that comfortably sleeps six. It’s situated in the park grounds of the Kistinic Chateau where Frenchberry owner’s Claire and Andrew Bernard live. Our second week was spent by the beach at Lostmarc’h.

The Kistinic Gatehouse is a few minutes drive from Quimper where we enjoyed viewing the medieval architecture and cathedral, indulging in fine patisseries and leisurely meandering through pedestrianised streets. There’s something for everyone in the city of Quimper with a large range of shops and boutiques, restaurants and museums.

quimper

Stunning family friendly beaches with crystal clear water are less than a 30 minute drive away from the Kistinic Gatehouse. We visited Benodet for the day and had fun paddling, building sandcastles and walking along the coastal pathways.

Benodet

The Kistinic Gatehouse has been lovingly restored and renovated by Claire and Andrew. Each bedroom and bathroom are uniquely decorated and designed to a high standard.

Brittany Holiday Accommodation

There’s a private garden with outdoor table and chairs providing a tranquil spot for reading or enjoying a meal, complete with melodic birdsong.

Kistinic Gatehouse

We roamed freely within the 15 hectares of parkland surrounding the Kistinic Chateau. Imogen loved exploring the pathways and discovering the tracks in the woodland.

Kistinic Gatehouse

The lawned garden is perfect for children to play and run around in.

Kistinic Gatehouse

Having stayed in numerous French cottages and gites over the years, I can say that this truly surpassed our expectations and we will happily return here for future holidays.

Planning a Summer Staycation?

| June 16, 2012

Everyone will tell you that having a baby is life changing.

What also changes is the ability to easily, if at all, book a last minute break to Europe or beyond.

Since having our beautiful baby in March last year, we’ve decided to summer staycation for all but one of our holidays when we ventured to Brittany in France.

We’ve been pleasantly surprised at how easy and fun a staycation is compared with travelling overseas.

Now we look for a family friendly place to stay, open countryside to visit, local farm shops around the corner and all within relatively close proximity to London to ease the driving time for ourselves and baby. We often have family and friends join us when we staycation so being able to select a large self catering holiday home is essential.

There’s nothing better than hiring a cottage in the countryside where we know we will be guaranteed peace, tranquility and the joy of beaches, forests and bridal paths for walking and cycling on our doorstep.

We love being able to have a home away from home and enjoy the simple things in life, especially time together as a family outside our busy London life. We like to cook our own meals, have a BBQ in the garden and visit local pubs within walking distance of our holiday cottage.

We had our first holiday with our baby in Orford and it was truly wonderful. We’re back there soon for another summer staycation and we can’t wait!

Our favourite summer staycation destinations are Norfolk, Suffolk, Devon & Cornwall.
 

NORFOLK

For a relaxing and family friendly summer staycation visit the vast Norfolk coastline and countryside on the East Coast. Norfolk Country Cottages offer a choice of over 400 self catering country cottages in a wide variety of settings.

There’s plenty of information on what to do and places to go at Visit Norfolk.
 

SUFFOLK

Suffolk Secrets offer the finest choice of self-catering holiday cottages and holiday homes in Suffolk. Choose from:

Find out what’s on in Suffolk this summer at Visit Suffolk.
 

DEVON & CORNWALL

Marsdens Cottage Holidays feature a superb selection of holiday cottages for all sizes of family in desirable locations:

Find what’s on and where to go at Visit Cornwall and Visit Devon.

There’s sure to be something that suits you and your family in one of these beautiful locations, providing you with the comforts of home away from home in stunning surroundings with activities for all ages.

Where are you planning a Summer Staycation this year?
Share your family Summer Staycation plans using the Comment box below.