My wife and I wanted to share a holiday with all our children and grandchildren together, something we had not experienced before. We were twelve in number, with ages ranging from two to early seventies, so it was not an easy task to find a holiday home large enough to accommodate us all. In addition, it had to be well equipped, to have facilities and features which would suit the whole family, and to be within easy reach of shops, services and places to visit for days out.
La Tuffiere on the outskirts of Langeais in the Loire Valley fitted the bill in all these respects. It is a large stone-built house set in very attractive grounds. A key feature was the swimming pool, which was a good size and was securely fenced to prevent toddlers (and doddery grandparents!) falling in accidentally.
A special word of praise here for the gentleman who arrived without fail each morning to maintain the pool and surrounding area in excellent condition.
There was a wide range of play and sports equipment in the adjacent outbuilding to appeal to everybody, and equipment such as TV and DVD player within the house itself.
For the most part, we catered for ourselves using the extensive range of cooking utensils provided, and also the barbecue on several occasions. For the last evening, we ate at the local creperie, which was also a good way to celebrate one of our granddaughter's birthday.
Langeais itself is a very attractive small town on the Loire, west of Tours. One of the main events is the weekly Sunday market, and the local chateau is well worth a visit. The local supermarket carries a wide range of goods, but a cautionary note to holidaymakers from Britain, used to the extended shopping hours of the major supermarket chains. The opening hours for the Langeais supermarket are 9.00am to 7.30pm, with a closing time of 12noon on Sunday. Most of the local shops in the centre of Langeais close for a couple of hours in the early afternoon.
For trips out, we visited several of the chateaux for which the area is well-known, such as Villandry, Azay-le-Rideau, Chenonceau, and one or two smaller ones such as L'Islette.
All in all, it was a most enjoyable fortnight, and I thoroughly recommend this holiday home.