The Cygnet is a 30m² troglodyte bedroom with en-suite bathroom, entirely carved into the cliffside - definitely for the adventurous at heart. There are dehumidifiers, fans and bedwarmers to control any humidity, but please remember that this is, ultimately, a cave. We have renovated it with a majestic (non-working) fireplace and modern functional bathroom with a walk-in cocoon of a shower. There is no kitchen with this unit, but you do have coffee, tea and sugar, and a refrigerator and microwave in the open cave next to your space. You share a patio with us, so if there is anything you need you can always find it with us ;-) .

Frankly, I never thought I'd end up living here but - you see, I met a man. On a ski trip - Alps - chalet - fireplace - well, it's been over twenty years. I can't give you the complete insider's guide to France yet, (I believe that takes three generations) but I can give you an ex-New Yorker's guide to this fabulous Valley of Kings. We'd started in Paris, of course - our first studio was my husbands - that's where we lived once we decided to share a continent. We were there until our son was about negative-one-month old, and we didn't want to have to convert the bidet into a bassinet. Once we moved, I started renting out that apartment and everything fell into place. As an architect, I loved fixing up the apartments, and as an ex-pat, I loved meeting the people who come to enjoy their vacations in Paris. Now, we’ve made the move out to the Loire Valley. We've renovated two glorious properties here, creating several fabulous vacation homes, you’ve got to see the pictures. The locations are perfect for exploring the region – the chateaux, the wine, the scenery, it’s beautiful.

Our property place is beautifully quiet, however there is a train track that passes right behind the houses on the other side of the road. We are a bit shielded from that, since the gites are on the courtyards up on the second level, not directly facing the street. There is no visual connection but you will be aware of the occasional train when it goes by. We have several other gîtes on other patios, all part of our 'Songbird Sanctuary' - if you are travelling with friends it can be most convenient.