GUEST INFORMATION

House Essentials

Welcome to 'La Croix' and your holiday in the Loire. Please take time to read the following essential information and 'do's and don'ts' to make sure your stay is enjoyable and comfortable.

Toilets / Sinks and the 'Fosse Septique'!

Being a rural property La Croix is not serviced by mains drainage. Instead our water waste and drainage system is by 'fosse septique' (septic tank). To ensure the smooth operation of this please observe the following rules:

DO NOT put anything other than toilet paper and 'what goes through you' down the toilets!
That means NO sanitary towels, samples/applicators, cotton wool, paper towels, make up/baby wipes, kitchen roll - all these MUST be disposed of by using the bins provided.
DO NOT dispose of any food waste however small down the sinks - again use the bins provided - this includes tea leaves, coffee granules etc

Anyone ignoring these rules will be charged the full cost of clearing any blockages caused.

Wi- Fi

We have recently upgraded our WiFi to Fibre and have excellent download speeds. The linked instructions show how to connect to the network. The network name is 'Livebox-3D50'. You can connect via the QR code on the front of the box or manually using the password.

Kitchen

There are separate instructions for using the hob and oven, please familiarise yourselves with these. If you leave anything on the ceramic surface of the hob when it is on or off it will 'beep' until you remove it. Please be aware of this and avoid placing items on the ceramic hob. When you use the grill pan, please line with silver foil - this will help with cleaning.

Please avoid placing hot pans and dishes that have come directly out of the oven/off the hob onto the worktop - use the 'trivets' provided. This will help to save the workshop from marks and stains.

Help yourself to any of the dried food and tins that are left in the cupboards and replace if empty ready for the next guests.

There is a dishwasher and a washing machine which are fairly straightforward to use. The washing machine is in the cupboard next to the downstairs shower room.

Bins & Rubbish collection/disposal

Please use liners in all bins in the house and dispose of your glass recyclable rubbish at the 'Dechetterie' in Parcay les Pins.

The system to collect rubbish has changed from January 2023 and we have 2 wheelie bins for you to use.

Yellow lid bin - This is for 'Tour les papers et emballages dans le bac de tri' - this includes plastics, cartons, paper and metal. All items should be loose and not bagged but should be washed of oil/food etc
Black/Red lid bin - this is for all your Non Recycleable rubbish - everything MUST be bagged. The bin will not get emptied if there are loose items
All glass packaging (les emballages en verre) must be taken to the 'Dechetterie' - there is one in Parcay les Pins as well as one on the road to Vernoil on the right hand side as you leave Courleon.

The wheelie bins are emptied alternately on a MONDAY (Yellow lid Bin)/FRIDAY (Black/Red lid bin)- please can you consult the chart (LINK TO CALENDAR) and move the bin to the corner of the road next to the post box on SUNDAY/THURSDAY EVENING before. The bins are collected early in the morning. (YELLOW BIN - 'even' week collection / BLACK/RED BIN - 'odd' week collection). We have left a print out of the calendar in the kitchen for you. On the calendar you want to look for collection for Parcay les Pins. Thank you in advance.

Electric & Water

Should you need it the electricity box is situated in the kitchen on the left hand side of the front window. The water is turned on and off in the box in the kitchen, underneath the electricity box. There are detailed diagrams in the house folder of the levers and switches for both the water and the electrics. If you have a problem, please call us.

Sometimes in Winter, if all the heaters are on and there is a sudden surge in electricity usage because of the kettle, hot water, dishwasher or washing machine, the electrics may 'trip' off. If this happens turn off or turn down some of the heaters and switch the electrics back on from the panel in the box in the kitchen. There could also be local power cuts, it is useful to check with the neighbours if the electrics go off to see if it is a wider area problem or not. Although we are not on site we can contact locally based friends to confirm if any electric problems are due to a power cut or not so please call us if you need to. We have supplied plenty of candles and a torch - just in case!

Heaters

We have electric heaters in each of the rooms in the house. These are not timed so if you need heat you need to switch them on. Ensure they are also turned off before you go our!

DO NOT put anything over the heaters - they are not to be covered in any way. If you want to dry washing or towels and the weather isn't dry use the 'airer' provided.

There are heated towel rails in both bathrooms, again these are not timed so they need to be turned on if you want them. Towels can be placed on these to dry.

Oven buttons

The oven is fairly simple to use but over time the markings for the knobs have got fainter. To help you click the link below to see a guide to the oven !

Link: Oven function buttons guide

Log burner

You are welcome to use the log burner in the lounge, which will be essential heat if you are staying in Winter. Logs can be bought locally at Super U in Vernoil or 'Gamme Vert' in Bourgeuil (near the Hyper U). Please clean out the log burner when you leave at the end of your stay.

TV, DVD & Wii

The TV is connected to Sky Freeview and you can get all the English channels you are used to at home, you just have to remember you are an hour ahead. We have also provided a DVD player with a selection of DVD's. There is also a Wii console with a few games for guests to use if they wish. The Sky box must be turned on to receive all TV channels. It cannot receive French TV unfortunately. If when you turn the TV on it says 'No cable connection' press the 'source' button on the Samsung TV remote control and select the appropriate source. There is a Samsung TV remove which should be used for turning the TV on/off and for volume control and a Sky remote control for channel selection.

BBQ

There is a charcoal BBQ which is outside the ground floor bedroom. Please ensure you dispose of any used charcoal at the end of your stay and the BBQ is left clean for our next guests.

Garden Furniture

There is a set of garden furniture which includes 6 chairs and a table. Please bring inside in the event of bad weather and ensure the umbrella is down before you go in at the end of the evening.

Gazebo

Please ensure the fabric shade of the gazebo is rolled back before you go in at the end of the evening and also in the event of windy / stormy weather. Please read the separate instructions for this.

If advised, at the end of your stay and during the winter months, please store the garden table underneath the stairs in the kitchen and the chairs in the hallway at the bottom of the stairs.

Well/Cave

The well in the corner of the garden is very deep and although is covered and fenced off please ensure children to not play on or around it at any time. Please also ensure children do not play in or around the 'cave' on the road side of the house. We accept no liability for any accidents.

In the event of any problems / queries, please do not hesitate to text or give us a call and we will help or arrange for the problem to be fixed

Local Information

We have compiled the following 'essential' information to familiarise yourself with the local amenities.

General Store

There is a general store in Parcay les Pins which sells, groceries, some fresh vegetables and English newspapers. The boulangerie is also in the general store. It is in the centre of the village by the square.

Boulangerie

You have a choice of boulangerie to buy your daily bread and croissants. There is a boulangerie in the village of Gizeux which is about 2 km away from La Croix. It takes less than 5 minutes by car and is also close enough for an early morning cycle. It is found in the centre of the village. Local shops generally close between 12pm and 2pm each day for lunch. There is also a boulangerie in Breil which is a little further away but well worth the drive especially if you like fresh brioche - it is closed on a Monday.

Supermarket

The nearest supermarket to La Croix is 'Super U' in Vernoil. It takes less than 10 minutes to drive there. You take the road (D206) to Courleon and follow into Vernoil. Once through Vernoil you come to a roundabout. If you take the first exit right at this roundabout you will find Super U. There is also a petrol station and cash till here.

The Super U is open each week day from 9am to 7.3-pm but is closed from 12:30pm to 2:30pm each day for lunch. On a Saturday it is open from 9am until 7:15pm and closes at 12pm on a Sunday.

There is a larger Hyper U in Bourgueil which is about 20 minutes away.

Cafe/Bar

Le Cafe Musee in Parcay les Pins is run by some friends of ours, Darren & Louise and this is a great place to have a coffee/drink/meal! They have a 'fish & chips' night on a Thursday but it is essential to book as it is very popular. They also now have a pizza evening on a Sunday and Wednesday evening. You can also order pizza's on these days and take them away. It is worth popping in during the day to book if you want to eat there in the evening. They have regular entertainment nights and we will forward any details on to you if they coincide with your stay.

Pizza Takeaway

Pizza's are available for takeaway from the bar in Parcay les Pins on a Sunday and Wednesday evenings

Market Days

A lot of the local towns have morning markets which sell a combination of fresh food and clothes/homeware etc. Most start early in the morning and start to pack up by early afternoon, so it is good to get there before lunch if you want time to have a good look around.

The markets are held as follows:

Bauge - Monday

Bourgueill - Tuesday

Vernantes - Wednesday

Noyant - Friday

Saumur - Saturday

Pharmacy

There is a pharmacy in Gizeux on the road out of the village towards Bourgueill.

Doctor/ Hospital

There is an English speaking doctor located at the pharmacy in Gizeux. The nearest hospital is the Centre Hospitalier de Saumur (CHS), in Saumur - a 25 minute drive away. The CHS has a 24 hour accident and emergency department. Emergency phone number in France is 112.

Banks

The nearest cash machine is located in Super U supermarket in Vernoil. There are also a number of banks in Noyant, Bourgueil and Saumur.

La Poste (Post Office)

The nearest post office is in the village of Parcay les Pins. It is located in the centre of the village in the Mairie building.

Cycle Hire

In the summer season the campsite complex (Huttopia) on the Lac du Rille hires out bikes. They are a local depot for the cycle hire company 'Loire Velo Nature' located in the village of Brehemont which is situated on the Loire a Velo cycle route. You can reserve bikes in advance by telephone and arrange to pick them up at the local depot at Camping Huttopia, Rille free of charge - their telephone number is 00 33 (0) 6 03892314. Otherwise you can go to their main location at Brehemont (7 rue des Deportes, 37 130 Brehenmont). According to their website you can also arrange for bikes to be delivered to your accommodation, this needs to be booked in advance so it is best to give them a ring and discuss your requirements. You often don't need to book in advance but this depends on whether you want more choice with the type of bike and how long you want to hire one for.

There is also a cycle hire shop in Bourgeuil which is about a 10-15 minute drive from La Croix. Here is the link to their website:

www.corrivaud-et-fils.fr

There are also bicycle hire places in and around Saumur, usually called 'Location de Velo'. There is one on the Loire front by the car parks which hires bikes by the hour, half or full day. So if you fancy a leisurely cycle along the banks of the Loire this is a good starting point.

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