10/10 Excellent
Malcolm M.
11 July 2019
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Somme Enchantment
The location of the gite , right next to the Somme canal, offers interesting walks along the canal to see the varied bird and animal life. The Gite has been renovated to a very good standard with three ensuite double bedrooms. The dining kitchen is incredibly well equipped with every gadget you could want if you feel the urge to cook from scratch. The kitchen has an island as well as a large dining table so evenings can be spent having a leisurely dinner. The separate living room is enormous with an equally enormous flat screen tv that has UK channels as well as French available. There is also a good selection of games. Outside there is a patio dining set and a comfortable outside sofa and armchairs. There is a garden too, with a resident pet rabbit. The family dog, we called him Jackson, is very well behaved but appreciates having a tennis ball thrown across the yard, if you want to engage with him. Florian, the host, speaks good english and is approachable if any help or advice is needed. He and his wife work throughout the day so you have all the land to yourself.
The Little Train of The Somme operates on a Sunday throughout the summer and is just a few miles away, well worth the trip for a smoky, steamy, trip up from the river , through a tunnel onto the plateau.
The Montagne De Frise , a hillside, is a short walk away and it is still possible to make out the 1st World War trench lines as you look for the orchids and admire the views over the lakes that fom the Somme river.
The village of Frise is very quiet, no shop or restaurant , but it ideally placed if you are visiting the Somme battlefield sites, Frise itself was the frontline in 1916 and the church was rebuilt afterwards.
Lochnagar Crater, Thiepval, The Newfoundland monument, etc and Albert ,with its basilica and underground museum, are all within a short drive . Amiens, with its waterfront and Gothic cathedral is about 45 minutes away. The roads of the Somme are delightfully empty and wind through the beautiful , rolling ,countryside a pleasure to drive or cycle. The cycle trail of the Somme passes your door. The Haute Somme has an app that has several walks and cycle rides, one walk, 'The machine gun' passes the gite.
The gite is comfortable and would be warm in the winter with central heating and an additional Wood pellet stove in the dining kitchen and electric heaters in the bedrooms and shower rooms. So much more than a base to visit the Somme battlefields. Excellent,
Malcolm M.
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2019
