Gy en Sologne, Traditional Solognot Cottage In Village Centre

About Stuart and Gillian Maiden

Hello, we are Stuart and Gillian Maiden. This is us enjoying refreshments in front of the Maison du Magique in Blois. We recommend taking some time to rest here on your visit to Blois and enjoy the chateau views and life passing by. Oh yes and from around Easter an additional surprise!

Stuart and Gillian Maiden purchased this Cottage in 2004

Why Stuart and Gillian Maiden chose Gy-en-Sologne

We discovered we'd both loved France from an early age starting from French exchanges whilst a secondary schools. Gillian made life long friends in Vero and Olivier during her exchanges and it was because they lived in this area that we decided to buy our second home here. Vero was very supportive and scouted out loads of houses for us to view. In addition to the number of rooms we were looking for a renovated house in a small village near a boulangerie. We had begun to despair on the French understanding of renovated. Had we translated the wrong word?! Nothing had been quite right. However, we knew when we parked in the village square of Gy en Sologne that we'd found the right place. We were almost shown separately around the cottage between the owner's son and the estate agent and met up in the courtyard smiling. Neither of us had to say anything. We knew this was the one! Then we were told there was more! And on that hot afternoon we walked to the edge of the village to see the allotment, field and wood that came with it.

What makes this Cottage unique

When we bought the cottage one of the three doors at the top of the stairs opened into the roof with a low beam. This gave us the chance to add a bit of ourselves and the beam was raised and our lovely master bedroom created. In addition to the cottage being within easy reach of our friends it has allowed us to make new friends in the village too. We enjoy just being there, Stuart enjoys cutting timber in the wood and Gillian now has her own tractor to 'cut the grass'. Our local Explorer Scouts in England come over and camp 'au nature' in the field. When we can we enjoy village events such as the Fete de la Garde, a festival which celebrates the local hunting . We enjoy the easy walking around the area through woodlands and by the etangs (ponds) for which the region is well known. There's plenty to see in the area too. We still haven't exhausted the magnificent chateaux and local markets. The terrace is a true sun trap but in the late spring and summer you don't need to go too far to find an outdoor pool - we particularly like the one at St. Aignan. All year round in the evening it's lovely to eat outside and enjoy the stars. The village street lights switch off just before eleven pm, so the stars are brilliant and well worth a midnight walk on a clear night! If it's too cold though relaxing by the log fire is also a must. Living next door to Gy Suis Gy Reste is a real bonus. The restaurant is well worth a visit for regional home cooked food at lunchtime or to pop in for aperitif before an evening meal at home.