We have owned Le Mascaret for two rental seasons (2004 and 2005). Over these two years we have continued to make improvements to ensure that the property meets the expectations of our guests. Many things have changed. There are now new tile roofs in both properties and a new veranda in the cottage. All the kitchen appliances have been replaced and the farmhouse will have a new kitchen for the 2006 rental season. Our manager's home-cooked meals on arrival continues to draw great reviews and there are always requests for encores through the week. We had asked our guests to write comments in our guest book before departing and you will find these in unedited form. Comments are separated by property with the Farmhouse comments first. Our guests agree that Le Mascaret is the perfect place for a holiday full of activities and also relaxation. Enjoy reading!

Le Mascaret Farmhouse

2005

Thank you for a great house. We had a lovely time with nice weather, good food and wine. Our tan will look nice when we head back to Sweden —and the cold.

Thank you, The Nielssen Family from Sweden
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We had a fantastic time at Le Mascaret. Our favorite activities were visiting La Dune de Pyla near Arcachon which was stunning. We also enjoyed Chateau La Riviere which has a tour and wine tasting, it is on the road to Libourne. Libourne has a fantastic Sunday food market.

The weather has been lovely and we have spent a lot of time in the beautiful swimming pool.

Heather's dinner on the first night was divine.        M.T. and Friends from London *******************************************************

A week that really went fast. Though the weather wasn't at its best, we have really enjoyed the house, the pool, and its beautiful surroundings and, of course, good wine and food.

Thanks a lot for a lovely place to relax and enjoy the company of each other.  The Lindbergs from Sweden
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We've had a really relaxing time. Kids (and us) had a fun time catching the surf at Le Porge. Lovely food market at Saint Andre (Saturday mornings). Great wine from next door. But most of all—a really relaxing time

Thanks!     The G. Family from Scotland
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The house and garden are lovely and although there are neighbors, it still feels very private and secluded. The region is extremely beautiful and relaxing. The Dordogne river, although muddy, is impressive.

We've have been places but it was always nice to be back home, dive in the pool and just feel totally embraced in the quiet of the trees and garden. The house has a very welcoming atmosphere.

All the best,            The Branco Family from Portugal *******************************************************

Sejour paisible dans cette agreeable maison avec un tres bel espace pour les infants. Merci pour les repas sur l'arrivée. Très apprécié apres avec un journee de route. Helas tout a une fin mais nous garderons un tres bon souvenir de ce sejour.      Famille Anseld, Famille Sallagoity from France
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2004
“The house is lovely, comfortable and well equipped. The weather for the first 4 days was awful so we ventured out to St. Emilion, Blaye, and Bordeaux centre. All of which were good days out. We can recommend Heather’s cooking highly! Nearest big supermarkets are Champion, or Intermarche in St. Andre de Cubzac. Next door’s wine is also very nice and we will be taking home a few boxes!

Last three days weather was great so the children could play in the vast garden & enjoy the pool, if only for a few minutes at a time because it was so cold.” The Fs and the Ss (from UK)

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“Our stay has been very enjoyable. The weather was fantastic—over 30 most days. H cooked dinner for us one evening it was delicious. We found everything we needed to cook meals (evening) at the Intermarche in St. Andre de Cubzac & purchased some great wines. Highly recommend the Thursday food market at St. Andre de Cubzac, especially the Paella. Also the veal from the butcher’s trailer. We visited lots of wine areas & we fell in love with St. Emilion over again. Beautiful town and wines. The shopping in Bordeaux was great (well, we women thought so).” The Bs and the Cs (from Australia)

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“We had a fabulous time at Le Mascaret, relaxing and clear summer days. St. Emilion is a great town to visit the catacombs—though a tour in English would be nice. Many restaurants. For teenagers Dune du Pyla (and for anyone willing to climb dunes) is a great adventure & beach. We took the ferry from Blaye to Medoc and you can get a free tour and wine tasting at Croises des Bages in Paulliac—just get an early start. We also recommend a trip to the Lascaux II caves (you must buy the tickets in Montignac & then travel 2 km to the caves). Well worth it. We combined with Sarlat for older adults and for teens and some of us, canoeing down the Dordogne. Very reasonable at Dordogne canoes at La Roque Gageac bear info booth at cliff town. Long drive—you can take 2,3,4 person canoes & kayaks too. We had a great dinner at Le Bord d’eau (pricey but great service, food). But nothing beats hanging around swimming, playing cards, & drinking some local wine. Thank you K & L for sharing Le Mascaret with us.” The Ns (from USA)

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‘Tres agreables vacances au Mascaret, superbe temps, jardin, faune, & flore. Nous étions très bien “The Ms (from France).

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“We had a terrific time at Le Mascaret. Despite some fairly heavy storms over part of the week the weather was very nice. The surrounding towns are beautiful and we had a particularly lovely lunch at the small restaurant in the town of Cadillac en Fronsadais (La Table Gourmand).” The Bs (from UK)

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Le Mascaret Cottage
2005

We've had a wonderfully relaxing holiday, finding it a bit of a struggle to tear ourselves away from the house and the garden—the weather has been great so the pool has been a treat for cooling down in the afternoons and we've loved being able to sit out eating under the new verandah for breakfast, lunch, and evening meals (barbies and Heather's fine cooking) The Chateau Chemin Court from next door was excellent but we also took advantage of the Fronsac and the St. Emilion.

Gail & Carol & Bob & Bob from UK
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This cottage is just what we hoped for—we have very much enjoyed the garden and pool. The river looked different every day.

We visited Branda vineyard and tasted their wine and learned that there is a lot to learn about wine!

Heather's cooking was very good and it was a real treat not to cook on our first night. We had a meal out in Bourg—Le Pleasance—as recommended earlier in this book. Worth a visit. Other than that we have been quite lazy and thoroughly enjoyed it!!!

Tony, Margaret, Maria, Stuart, and Frances. from the UK *******************************************************

We had a lovely stay at Le Mascaret. Thanks to Heather and Peter for their kindness and hospitality. Weather was great. So was the wine and champagne (great prices!). Look out for the hoopoe who visits the garden, beautiful birds but very shy.

--Mind that roof beam in the bathroom! Especially after a long evening of drinks.

Mary and Ray from Ireland
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Super fortnight—the pool and garden have been enjoyed by all the family.

BBQ has been well used in both lunchtime and evening meals. Lovely weather—a few trips to the beach have been enjoyed—about 1 hour – 1 ½ hours away. “Le Carcans” is a lovely beach and “small resort.”

Sorry to be leaving—a few tears have been shed by our children on leaving.

The Cox Family from Ireland
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We had a lovely fortnight in the cottage. The girls loved the pool and garden. The setting was perfect: really tranquil and relaxed.

The Sunday market at Libourne is worth a visit—don't miss the oysters! St. Emilion is a lovely ancient town with lots of fascinating ancient buildings.

We visited the huge sand dune at Arcachon—spectacular! The beach at Cap Ferret is also superb—wonderful Atlantic waves.

Heather cooked us a wonderful buffet with mouthwatering dips & a delicious hazelnut meringue torte. A very welcoming holiday home. Many thanks!

Sonia, Henry, Miranda, Genevieve and Emerald from the UK *******************************************************

Three of us with the whole of Le Mascaret to ourselves—what a treat! We have enjoyed the pool and garden to the max & thanks too to Heather & Peter for the delicious fresh vegetables from their garden. Have also enjoyed exploring the Bordeaux area and tasting the local liquid produce. Sometime we would like to visit again.

Kath, Phil, and Andrew from the UK
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We have had a wonderful stay. It is a lovely quiet area, very relaxing. We have tasted some fantastic wines in beautiful surroundings.

Hope to visit again soon.

2004

“We’ve had a wonderful stay here. The gardens have provided the perfect playground for the children with plenty of space for Badminton and Soccer. The trees at the back make great goal posts! The English novels have been a bonus to read away the afternoon. We didn’t visit the surrounding are very much—simply content to relax and enjoy our break. The barn is well equipped and easy to look after. The Dune at Arcachon was a big hit with the children. Thanks!” The Cs (from Malaysia)

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“Fantastic Spot—exactly what we were looking for—quiet, idyllic & somewhere to relax… Recommend visiting local markets for fresh produce. If going to Bourg—the best place to eat is “Le Pleasance Restaurant”—very good value. Gardens have proved lovely spot for picnics & we’ve had the BBQ going every night. The pool is a welcome relief from the hot sun.”The Ts and Ms (from UK)

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“???? spot, lovely location—good thing this internet shopping I think it could catch on—BBQ most nights, gardens good for relaxed snoozing. Local shops good but go to “Geant” for the experience!... Visited Cognac, lovely place, and Saint Emilion, very historic nice little town. The tourist train is worth a go around the vineyards. All in all a nice little place to spend a great week.”

The Ms (from UK)

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“A very relaxing spot among the vineyards and the sun shone too! Would recommend any of the chateaus for a vist and the wine has been wonderful. We bought most of our food at the Intermarche and kept the BBQ busy most nights. All in all a very relaxing week and would thoroughly recommend Le Mascaret to our friends. Thank you very much.” D & D (from UK)

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It was wonderful! M. (age 12)