August 5, 2008

Dear Ruth,

Beautiful, amazing, enchanting...... Secluded, relaxing, romantic..... So many wonderful memories of our trip to the South of France, and this lovely house made the trip extra special. The house is well kept and in beautiful condition. The grounds are incredible - the backyard is a sea of wild flowers surrounded by trees and woods. You can't see another house in any direction - it is secluded and romantic. The drive up the hill to the house is a bit nerve racking at first - very, narrow, very steep dirt road, but after driving it a few times it became easier. The caretakers of the property were easily reached and very helpful in answering our questions(we had some stove operating confusion.) It's a lovely, homey house perfectly located a short drive from Entrecasteux and Cotignac. Definitely drive up to Lac St Croix - it is beautiful. I recommend going to the Tuesday farmers market in Cotignac and cooking in and eating on the front patio area... amazing food in a beautiful setting. Bring bug repellent - the mosquitos come out at night. I would strongly recommend this house to anyone looking for a relaxing vacation.

Liz and Terry Donovan
EntH044

July 04, 2007

Hi Ruth,

I just wanted to drop you a wee note to say how much my husband, parents and I enjoyed our week at the Maison Sarcelle. We had a really wonderful time and the house was just perfect. It was great to have the pool to cool off in, and all the terraces meant we had a wonderful variety of ourdoor space to use!

We all will keep very happy memories of our time in Varages, and wish you all the best for the future. We may well be back!

Thanks for everything,

Linda McGregor
VARH018

P.S I meant to ask about the security deposit before we left - how will this be returned to us? I hope you found to house in good order - we managed not to break anything - possibly a record for me!

June 05, 2007

Dear Ruth,

We had a wonderful stay in your delightful accommodatiion. It is so well appointed and so nice to walk into with the flowers and champagne. We totally fell in love with Cotignac and were so pleased we chose it for our stay and hope to return one day.

Thank you & Regards

Debbie Miller
COTA034

February 18, 2007

Dear Ruth,

We had an idyllic stay in this wonderfully located cottage. The property was superb, even more than we had hoped for and the view surpassed your lovely pictures! We spent many a night enjoying the warm balmy evenings on the terrace overlooking the lights of the village; we even ate tasty persimmons from the tree in the garden. We were delighted to stay for two weeks.

Cotignac is a real jewel of a village with an exciting market on Tuesdays and a lovely range of shops and a very useful internet cafe. We left our teenagers in bed each morning, took the basket (provided) and sauntered down in the early morning sun to collect croissants and fresh fruit and vegetables for the day. Absolute bliss!! We also sat under the stars eating pizza or sampling one of the other restaurant’s offerings, in the lovely tree lined market place that had a really special feel as most of it is raised up above road level. Our only dilemma now is how we can transport our jobs in England out to Provence!!

Thank you for you excellent service we were very impressed indeed.

The Sleep Family,
Nottingham, UK

COTH014 Chez Gumpert

November 17, 2006

Dear Ruth,

Just a note to thank you very much for enabling us to have a most enjoyable stay last week based in Chez Jones. Thank you for the wine and flowers - a very nice touch which we much appreciated. We found the house most comfortable and easy to use, and very tastefully and generously furnished. We were very lucky with the weather and we were able to visit many of our old haunts, as well as some new ones.

We hope you or your representative found everything on Saturday as it had been left before we arrived.

We shall be pleased to contact you again when we decide to make our next visit, which we have not yet planned, but will be sooner rather than later, we hope!

Thank you again.

Kind regards

Ruth and Ken Hardingham
ENTH056

October 31, 2006

Dear Ruth,

Now we are back in Australia and I have finally figured out how to get the refunded bond back into my bank account I thought I should write and thank you for that wonderful piece of real estate we rented from you.

One French brother in law could not understand why we would choose Cotignac. He is a canyoning and kayaking tragic so I could understand where he was coming from. Cotignac is a peaceful little village that gave us access to many interesting locations. We had visited some years ago and even then saw Cotignac as a good base. Gorges de Verdon, Moustiers and of course Ste Baume (for a second time) we regard as highlights. That Ste Baume road south of Nans les Pins gave us a scare I do not want to repeat - a Citroen C5 and a very large truck will fit ..... just!!! The second large truck came even closer than the first. Tour Tour and Chateaudouble also impressed as villages that are reaching out to attract visitors. The latter appeared to be in the early stages of takeoff with a lot of renovations in progress.

Ruth you have certainly done a very professional job . It provided us with everything we needed and the approval of our discerning French family was a bonus. Unfortunately we did not use the pool but I can see that it would be a very pleasant spot on one of those hot dry and windless summer days. We did have a lady ask us for the code for the gates, something I was not prepared to divulge to an unknown person. I hope that did not cause any inconvenience.

The town was very welcoming and we used the bakery around the corner and the internet cafe frequently. La Terrasse was quite a find. Excellent food and a super efficient waitress. We marvelled how she managed a full house by her self. A walk around the village after one meal convinced us that La Terrasse had cornered the market. Unfortunately we did not find the cooperative immediately but once we did we enjoyed quite a bit of the local product. Market day was also a lot of fun. Yes, we did enjoy Cotignac; to introduce our friends to the area and entertain family from La Falede and Avignon was a heap of fun.

After six trips to France we are becoming very comfortable with the environment even though our language skills are minimal. When we moved on to Italy things were different. For awhile we both felt we were on another planet. Even the menus were unintelligible!! I guess we have become to comfortable in France

Thanks again

Regards

Les Griffith
COTA034

September 28, 2006

Dear Ruth,

Just a note to thank you for organising the 10 day let we had at Chez Pascal in Entrecasteaux. The Thursday to Sunday period, while unusual, was exactly what we wanted and we were really delighted with our stay. In terms of location it was a perfect spot; totally quiet & relaxing yet a great jumping off point for the Verdon Gorges and the coast. We all returned feeling refreshed and restored having had a really wonderful family holiday. No doubt we will be in touch again.

All good wishes for the winter season.

From Judy Goodkin & family
ENTH066

September 7, 2006

Dear Ruth,

The view to the water running below us from the balcony, the access to the pool, the surround of the pool area, and especially the lovely crisp white cotton sheets awaiting us after our journey - were all particularly nice. The little yellow kitchen and the sound of water from the sitting area - all lovely - and last but not least the closeness of the village made this apartment really attractive for us to stay in. Access to the Lac croix de vie, only a mere 20 minutes, with its little beachy parts for sunbathing and so refreshing to swim in and most important of all, far from the maddening crowd. We highly recommend the Mill apartments for holidays in Cotignac.

Regards

Colm & Be Mordaunt, Ireland

August 17, 2006

Hello Ruth,

I just wanted you to know that we had a wonderful holiday at Maison Sarcelle. Everything was perfect. Thank you. I hope you have a lovely year.
Take care and thanks for the memories.

Rodelle and family
VarH018, Varages

July 19, 2006

Dear Ruth,

Many thanks for your letter and return of the deposit.

Our holiday at the house was one of our best ever. The combination of the outstanding location and view, internal layout and the high standard of decoration, furnishings and equipment combined to make the experience truly special.

We still reflect on the enjoyment of eating al fresco on the terrace, shaded by the lime tree, looking out over the Provencal countryside miles into the distance.

One thing is certain - we will be back!

Thanks as ever for your help and professionalism.

Andrew Lloyd
CotH346

July 18, 2006

Hi Ruth,

Thanks for the return of deposit which arrived yesterday. We took our time driving back to Cherbourg and readjusted to the cooler temperature!

Many thanks for the arrangements at the cottage which we found to be delightful. We were particularly impressed by the privacy despite the apparent closeness of the adjacent properties and it served our purpose well with 'kids' coming and going during our stay. It was our first time staying in the area and the village of Cotignac is certainly quite special and full of interest.Its being within walking distance of the cottage is an asset too as the car can be forgotten for a while.

Phil & Jean Clemas
CotA114

July 12, 2006

Dear Ruth,

Like to say thank you for a fantastic week in Cotignac. The House, the music,the garden unforgettable. Enjoyed sharing our meals with the cats.

thanks

Neil and Carol
CotH514

July 5, 2006

Hi Ruth,

Sorry we never got to meet in person. We wanted to thank you for a wonderful stay in Cotignac. The apartment was a great fit for our family – lots of room and a great kitchen. We really enjoyed our time there.
We all really enjoyed the pool.
We will recommend this apartment to our friends.

cheers

Judy Wright
CotA034

June 15, 2006

Dear Ruth,

We had a fabulous time this year in Cotignac. In the past, we loved Chez Gumpert. But Chez Kempe (or the former house of Timothy Findley) was absolutely fabulous!! It located a little further from the center of the village making it less convenient, but the house itself, the views, the intellectual stimulation of the environment (the books and music) coupled with the peaceful quality of the gardens and terraces were all too wonderful for words!! One always believes that they're operating on an elevated level while trying to maintain a balance between what's necessary in life and our passions. Chez Kempe (Findley) gave us reason to challenge our assumptions about ourselves and reinvigorated ourselves in our search for knowledge, experience, excellence, and self-actualization. It was this opportunity for self examination that made this year's holiday so special

Merci,

Susie Sanders

May 4, 2006

Dear Ruth,

We had a lovely time at Cotignac. The house was extremely comfortable, the village charming and the local shopkeepers particularly warm and friendly. I was most impressed with the range and quality of produce coming from such a small number of shops. Next time, though, we will bring a smaller car!

Best Wishes

Miriam Henry

April 17, 2006

Dear Ruth,

We had a really lovely holiday staying in No.10 which we found quite delightful. The weather was absolutely perfect and as we were painting everyday we were out all day and so pleased to get back to our lovely little flat, put on the music and open a bottle of wine. Everthing was so convenient - right on our doorstep and we all hope to return again one day and capture the charm of Cotignac on paper.

Thank you so much.

Penny Corlett, Liz Holloway and Joy Mulvey

January, 2006

Dear Ruth,

Just a quick email to say thank you so much for organising our stay at Chez Gumpert. The house is superb - much better than we had ever expected. The Gumperts certainly have a real flair for decorating. We loved the terrace and the view. Cotignac is also a lovely village - much under-rated I think. We've been so lucky with the weather too - blue skies and sunny days every day until today, which is more than anyone can ask for in January!! Just as well that it started to snow today as otherwise we may never have left!

Thanks also for organising the internet - it was especially useful to us as we are returning home to live in Australia after a year in London, and the time here on the net enabled us to find a temporary flat for when we first get back.

Thanks again and best wishes,

Anne-Marie Nankivell and Edward Hare
CotH014

31 Oct, 2005

Dear Ruth,

Thank you for all your efforts to make our holiday in Cotignac a success. We enjoyed all aspects about the house although would have enjoyed nicer weather and can only imagine how delightful it would be in the heat of the summer. I think the family must be a little bit like us as it was outfitted with things that suited us. Be it the pots and pans, bowls, linens and comfy beds, furniture, art work, hot water heaters off each bathroom, all made life more enjoyable. We have a relative living in Africa and have visited him, so could even relate to the African stuff.

Best regards,

Frances McAlister
CotH346

October, 2005

Ruth,

We had a magnificent time at Chez Jones. What a wonderful village and house.

Peter Marshall

July 10, 2005

Hi Ruth,

We really enjoyed the apartment in Cotignac. It was beautifully appointed, and we had many great nights sipping wine and eating wonderful food on the patio. We really appreciated the spaciousness after a week in a rather small little studio appartment with two teenagers in Paris and I just loved the color scheme and pictures!

Best wishes,

Susanne
COTA136

July 06, 2005

Dear Ruth,

We had an absolutely marvellous time at La Bastide du Rocher.The house was so lovely, and the town of Cotignac charming. We have been raving about our trip to all of our friends and colleagues! Thank you for everything,

Christine Read
CotH346

July 03, 2005

The Petherams enjoying the summer kitchen of CotA155

June 05, 2005

Dear Ruth,

Just a brief note of thanks for the arrangements made by yourself and for the fantastic hospitality we received during our stay at the Gite in Cotignac.

We all enjoyed the most superb holiday; with fantastic accomodation and weather that couldn't have been any better.

Many thanks once again,

Richard, Stephanie, Alister and Natasha
CotH346

October 04, 2004

Hi Ruth,

We had a wonderful time!!. It was a great place to return to after venturing out on day trips. I personally enjoyed Cotignac...hope I spelled that correctly? The pool was very nice. We enjoyed the outdoor covered area the one afternoon it rained and the fire place when it was a little cool that same evening. The kitchen, pool, inside and outside dining areas were used extensively. The property was clean and well maintained when we arrived. I would recomend this house and your services to any of our friends.

Best wishes,

Michael Fannin
EntH066

September 19, 2004

Ruth

Thank you very much for arranging our stay in Ponteves..(PonH024)..The house was perfect, the village and surrounding area absolutely wonderful. I still think of it when I am stuck in a traffic jam in and out of work....I shall never forget star gazing at night and the total lack of light pollution... Once again many thanks and hope to return again soon...

Dave Bellis

August 2004

Dear Ruth

Thankyou for a fabulous holiday! What a fantastic apartment (CotA104) and village. We just couldn't believe how gorgeous the flat was when we opened the door. It looked lovely on the pics we had from the website but is so much more beautiful in reality! You have thought of everything there and there is everything you need and it is so prettily furnished throughout. It makes such a difference when you have a lovely place to come back to in the evenings and pretty bedrooms to sleep in and wake up in. It was great to have all the leaflets etc of the area and the videos about the village too. Its the most lovely self catering apartment I have ever stayed in.

We loved the area and had loads of lovely walks - well strolls bearing in mind the heat! - and visiting the vineyards and the surrounding villages. Cotignac is certainly the prettiest place around there I felt, although it is all lovely. We went to the gorge a lot too. Spectacular there and by the lake too.

So thanks again Ruth for making it all so brilliant with the flat.

All the very best to you,

Sarah Anderson

Nov 10, 2003

Dear Ruth

No 10 Le Moulin (CotA104) is a really great apartment, in a fabulous location. I must say that it is the nicest apartment that I have ever stayed in and there have been numerous. It is well thought out and beautifully decorated. We loved exploring this beautiful area in France. Á la prochaine fois.

J. Moore

July 10, 2003

Dear Ruth

We did have a really wonderful time in that lovely house. I forgot to say in the letter that I left for Mr. & Mrs. Jones that I especially admired the lovely drapes throughout the house. Having made drapes myself, I am well aware of the work that goes into making lined drapes, and theirs were done perfectly.

Also, the use of the telephone was very helpful. It was certainly sufficient to have one telephone. The challenge came in deciphering the operator messages. Now we know that if one gets a busy signal, the telephone will redial the busy number until it is free and then call the original number to make the connection.

Thank you again for the Blanc de blanc. It was my favorite wine although the local rosés were delightful in the hot weather. We bought several bottles while in Entrecasteaux, but the cave was closed on Sat. when we left so we were not able to get more for our trip home.

We look at our picture, amazed that we were there and that it is all over.

Yours truly,

Jane Martinez

June 16, 2003

Dear Ruth

Wil and I are writing to tell you what a perfect stay we had at 3 rue des Ribbes in Cotignac. The space was absolutely delightful with lovely views out all of the windows. We especially appreciated that it was so newly and tastefully decorated, and the kitchen was marvellous. We loved our meals on the terrace and our afternoon dips in the pool. Even though it was only steps away from the beautiful Place and the boulangerie!, it was quiet. Cotignac is a charming town and so unspoiled--we'd like to return one day. Thanks again, Ruth, for all your help in getting settled, retrieving my address book, etc. etc. I might add that we enjoyed a delicious meal at La Fontaine also a lunch in the Town Hall Square.

Our thanks again!

Judy and Wil Mehring

October 30, 2002

Dear Geof

We meant to write to you sooner, but things have been hectic since we got back. But now we're starting to settle back into our real life.

We just wanted to tell you that we had a great time in Cotignac. The town was so picturesque and we LOVED the Kielman's guesthouse. It reminded us of a fairy tale house. One of the best parts of our trip was sitting on the balcony with a bottle of wine and looking out into the valley. And we want to thank you and Ruth for being so helpful, and also for finding a place for our friend Nat on such short notice. We will definately come back one day, and we will definately use Chez Domaine again.

Thanks for everything!!
Sincerely,

David and Angela Wentz
Property: COTH09/2

The photo associated with this message was kindly supplied by David and Angela.

July 16th, 2002

Dear Geof

This is just a short note to say that we are now back in Australia having completed our trip through France and Italy. I am writing to thank you for your part in making our holiday a very special experience for the whole family.

Staying at Chez Gumpert was certainly one of the highlights of our trip. Everyone has been amazed when we have shown them our photos of the house and the town of Cotignac. We really enjoyed the wonderful house and your hospitality. Your enthusiasm about the area really made it special.

After leaving Cotignac we spent a few days at Santa Margarita Ligure and then a week at Pian del Voglio (between Florence and Bologna) before going on to Lake Orta. It is really beautiful there. We stayed at the Hotel Orta - you should try and get up there for a weekend. We then went through Switzerland to Chamonix and Annecy (also very beautiful - I think that you recommended it) before heading up to Reims and then back to Paris. The weather stayed really hot until the day we were leaving Annecy. While at Chamonix, I drove through the Mont Blanc tunnel which was really impressive.

Thanks once again for your hospitality. Can you also pass on our thanks to the Gumperts in New York for making the house available - it helped to make our holiday very special. I would like to come again next year - but 12 months isn't nearly enough time to plan ;-)

We will certainly recommend you to anyone we know who is going to that area and would be more than happy to provide a recommendation to anyone considering staying with you.

Peter, Helen, Rodney and Geoffrey Quiggin

email: peter.quiggin@opc.gov.au
Property: COTH01/4

June 6th, 2002

Dear Ruth and Geof

Just to let you know that we have now returned to Sydney and trying to settle down after our month in Spain and France. A highlight was our wonderful week at Cotignac in No 10 Le Moulin. We had high expectations and were delighted with what we found. The apartment was excellent - well furnished, nice outlook, comfortable and extremely well located. Nice to be able to walk just a short distance to the first class patisseries etc and the exquisite center ville. And Cotignac is so well located. It was a beaut week, and I am busy recommending Chezdomaine to anyone who will listen. Thank you for your help in such a memorable week for us.

Regards

Kingsley Perry

email: Kingsley.Perry@dpws.nsw.gov.au
Property: COTA10/4

May 22nd, 2002

Dear Geof and team

Just to say what a lovely holiday we had recently in Cotignac, staying at Chez Kielman (from 27th April to 7th May). The gite was very attractive and well-equipped with wonderful views over the village and, though the Kielmans were resident for some of the time, they were friendly but never intrusive. Also, although we didn't have any problems, Geof was very helpful and gave us his business card on the first evening.

As for Cotignac itself, can I just add our eulogies to all your others, and say how beautiful we thought it was. We spent many happy hours sipping coffees and wine in the Cours Gambetta watching the world go by, shopping in the myriad of little craft and food shops, and doing the spectacular walk near the cliff at the back of the village. The locals were friendly and welcoming and we fell instantly at home. The whole experience was mellow and relaxing.

As for the Haut Var itself, we were pleasantly suprised by how green, and how uniformly attractive and sometimes spectacular the scenery was, from the gently rolling vineyards and hill-covered woods to the drama of the Gorge du Verdon. We'd be driving along, maybe getting a bit blasé by all the gentle beauty, turn the corner and gasp at the sight of snow-covered mountains in the distance. Aiz-en-Provence was lovely, too, even though it was torrential rain when we visited.

It soon became apparent that a ten-day visit would never do justice to the place, so we plan to return ...

Many thanks for all your help.

Regards

Mr and Mrs David Jones
Property: COTH09/2

May 11th, 2002

Ruth,

Just a note to say how much we and our friends enjoyed our 2 weeks in Provence. The house was delightful and, for our purposes, the location could hardly have been better

once we found it, of course

Thanks to you and Geof.

Frederick Palmer
email: fpalmer@btinternet.com
Property: ENTH04/4

January 30th, 2002

Hi Geof,

Apologizes for the delay in writing to you. No we didn't forget. My computer has been back and forth for repairs since November until last week...

Yes! as you can see we arrived home safe and sound. But then we always felt like we were at home in Cotignac, especially in Chez Gumpert. A charming country cottage set in a wonderful location. Our thoughts often wonder back along the quaint little lanes to revisit the market stalls and shops. I must say bread does not taste the same, much to my chagrin for living in Australia. Bakers Delight has French sounding names for loafs of bread, but the taste misses the mark some what! And we have our photos of the views from the cottage windows and the hill top which always help to clear the mind of suburban life. A very lovely place. Maybe not as good as my beloved Queensland, but certainly runs a close first. The saying maybe ' runs a close second' but 'first' sounds better.

We have shared many a conversation with friends about our visit to Provence and a little country village called Cotignac. If people follow through on their dreams or wishes, you may have a few more Aussies over there to confuse the locals. And let us not forget the cricket match, well maybe we can forget the score, but not the day itself. The Poms and Aussies playing together. The Ashes will never seem the same.

Actually our holiday was wonderful. We were and still are very grateful for the many great and good things that happen for us and to us.

Thank you for the hospitality on our arrival and making us aware of the charming French village of Cotignac and the quaint little cottage, we came to know as Gumpert. The home away from home. Please pass on our regards to Ruth.

Regards Tom, Lea, Kallan and Journie.

January 19th, 2002

Bonjour Geof,

Sorry this has taken so long to come...here are some of my thoughts about Cotignac....

...I still dream of returning to Cotignac one day, and often log on to your website to check things out...

Hope the business is going well. Best wishes for 2002.

Cheers,

Su Robertson

September 25, 2001

Dear Geof,

We returned to the USA from our vacation in Salernes just one day before the tragedy in New York and Washington took place. So we have not had much time or inclination to reflect on it. But we wanted to let you know that we had a wonderful time. We enjoyed the sunshine, the food, the wine and and and..... The appartement was quite delightful once we got used to negotiating the staircases..Again thanks for all your help. We will be sure to give your name to our collegues once our lives here return to normal and we can again think of vacation trips.

All the best.

Ed and Berta Mikulcik

July 17, 2001

Ruth,

I was part of the group with Vinka Hartman that rented "Chez Hunt", Hameau de Notre Dame, June 30 - July 7. I suppose you get a number of complaints in your line of work. This is NOT such a note.

What a fine time we had in Cotignac. I would readily recommend the village & you to any & all who might ask. It is no wonder that Provence enjoys such a reputation.

Suzanne Bellini
email: suzbell@attglobal.net

June 22, 2001

Hello Ruth:

We just wanted to let you know that we had a WONDERFUL time at #3 Le Moulin in Cotignac. The apartment was even more that we had hoped for, especially after the dive we stayed in in Paris. Even though the weather was not the best, we got out and about every day. The town itself is very charming, and the area has a lot of incredible sights. Quite unlike our part of Canada.

We had only one complaint: we ran out of wine. But only for one night, which was quite long enough. And your extra touches (the wine and the flowers) were above and beyond. Thanks so much.

Sincerely yours, and a bientot,

Dave and Pat McPherson and Nancy Burns.

May 24, 2001

Hi Geof,

Chez Gumpert and Cotignac, what an ideal combination. Delightful accomadations in a very pleasant and friendly village,centrally located in the Var region of Provence and within easy reach of the coast and hills and canyons to the north.

Exceeded all expectations. Only one problem one week is not enough in this idyllic setting.

Thanks Ann and Austin.

May 01, 2001

Geof,

I have been meaning to contact you for months following our stay in Cotignac. We had a wonderful time - loved the apartment, loved the village and people and surrounding sights. A real bonus for us were all the local walking trails that were suitable for leisurely strolls and picnics - kept expecting you to pop in for a drink and we were sorry that we didn't get a chance to say thanks in person.

Hope the business is going well and please feel free to give our email details to anyone seeking a testimonial.

Jenni Joel
email: Jennifer.Joel@nre.vic.gov.au

April 25, 2001

Dear Geof,

Forgive me for taking so long to thank you for your wonderful vacation rental in the Too Charming for Words village of Entrecasteaux. My new husband Eric Starkey and I spent a week of our honeymoon in the EntH03/4 in October 2000.

After a week of go-go-go-in Paris we took the TGV down to Aix en Provence and rented a car and drove to Entrecasteaux for the next week. The drive was lovely, fall weather was wonderfully crisp and the wine country was beautiful. Your driving directions were perfect and the house that we stayed in was so charming! After we opened our shutters and found our key and unlocked our door, we were met by a vase of gerber daisies and a bottle of champagne in the rustic and exactly like the www. picture showed front room. It was better than I had hoped. We were entranced by the whole place.

Ruth came by a day or two later to see if we needed anything and to tell us about checking out. She was very nice and brief and unintrusive. We explored all of Entrecasteaux, Cotignac, Brignoles and made day trips to Arles, Avignon, Cannes, & Juan Les Pins. We dined at all three of the restaurants and toured the Chateau (it did not have a restaurant in it yet). We bought groceries at the market and bread at the boulangerie and enjoyed our stay so much.

But the minute we drove up to the sign that read Entrecasteaux--- it was the smells- the rosemary, lavendar, olive trees, fireplaces, rain wet earth that filled our senses and and is something we will never forget. It was truly a dream honeymoon that would not have been as dreamy without your web site, first of all, and your wonderful rental, your attention to detail and honest transacting with us from all the way over here in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA.

Thank you very much,

Kari Hirst Starkey

PS- It was the first time in my life that I have ever been without a TV, telephone, and/or computer and I loved it.

Geof,

We have now returned from our two months in Europe and here is my report on Cotignac.

It was undoubtedly the highlight of our trip. The house and the locality turned out to be all we had expected. As it was our first visit to Provence we had all these images implanted from "A Year in Provence" type of input and were therfore delighted to find that the reality matched the vision. We have stayed in old converted accommodation before and we were very impressed with the owners efforts at Cotignac (is it the American influence but that shower was the biggest we have ever seen in Europe outside of *****).

The village itself is great, we will always remember sitting out under the plane trees sipping our aperitifs of a warm summer evening. I could say we will be back, and we would love to, but there are so many other places we want to fit in next time we go to Europe. Anyway we will certainly be recommending it to family and friends.

Incidentally our friends from the UK were very impressed. Their efforts at finding something through UK agents could not find anything as good and certainly not at that price.

We did have difficulty with your directions on arrival. "Take the second turning left past the wine co-op" led us up the hill past the co-op looking for the 2nd turning. Still you get a good view of the village up there.

All in all it was great fun. Thanks for a wonderful holiday.

Regards,

Ron Humpherson - Australia

GEOF,

WE JUST ARRIVED BACK IN THE STATES LAST NIGHT AND I HAD TO E-MAIL YOU THAT CHEZ GUMPERT WAS JUST LOVELY. IT WAS SO MUCH MORE THAN WE HAD EVER ANTICIPATED. THE HOUSE WAS FULLY EQUIPPED, COMFORTABLY FURNISHED, HAD A BEAUTIFUL VIEW OF THE CLIFFS OF COTIGNAC AND THE LOCAL PEOPLE WERE CORDIAL AND FRIENDLY. OUR STAY THERE WAS BEYOND OUR HIGHEST EXPECTATIONS. AGAIN 'MERCI BEAUCOUP' FOR ALL YOUR HELP AND ASSISTANCE AND WE WILL HIGHLY RECOMMEND CHEZ OZ TO ANYONE INTERESTED IN VACATIONING IN PROVENCE.

SINCERELY,

JOHN, PAT, SARAH & ANDY SCAFIDI

Hi Geof

We arrived home safe and well. The Entrecasteaux experience was the highlight of our three month Euproean trip. We were totally surprised and delighted with the quality of the house, the quality of the village, the quality of the countryside - in fact the whole expereince.

Wining under the Plane trees, exploring the small villages, visitng the wineries, seeing St Tropez, market shopping, are fond memories. The two countries that we want to return to are England and France. Loved them both.

Ruth was excellent in helping us book subsequent accommodation and sorting out our hire car problem. Please pass on our thanks to her. Once again, thanks for the brokering and services you provide through the website.

regards

Robert and Lesley
email: rburnheim@telstra.easymail.com.au

Geof:

I have been remiss in not getting back to you sooner.... we are still in the post-vacances recovery period I guess.

We had a wonderful time on Contignac. House marvelous. Town marvelous. Weather marvelous. Next trip we will by-pass Paris altogether and just head south.

Ruth was very helpful, especially. Linda needed to receive some biz-related faxes while there, and Ruth very graciously offered up her own machine,and also delivered the transmissions.
I have taken the liberty of recommending your service, and this house especially, to my friends and colleagues. wouldn't be surprised if you received a few inquiries from DC in the near term (I will waive my commission!).

Thanks, again, and cheers....

Steve Jenning
email: jenning@shs-net.com

Hello Geof!

We are just back frĺn Provence, Cotignac. It was really a nice village and a wonderful and comfortable cottage, clean and well-equipped. The garden was such a peaceful place to sit in the evenings, with the best views we have had from any house we ever hired for vacation. And for us Swedes, used to chilly evenings, the pleasant evening temperature in Provence is really appreciated, even if we wondered about the frogs in the beginning. They started as soon as the sun went down... Well, we also had better music, as there was some nice live music at a distance every evening. Ruth was very welcoming and nice, it was good to know she was there if we needed help.

We will recommend the house to our friends, and hope to be able to come back also ourselves. Many thanks for contributing to make our holiday very pleasant!

Best wishes

Leena, Lasse and Emelie Aggestig
email: leena.aggestig@desktoppen.com

Dear Geof

It seems hard to believe that already a month has passed since I got back to Budapest, and the temperature has dropped from the high 30s to under 20 degrees in the last week. I've had to get out the winter woollies! It's interesting to note how relative it all is - when the temperature first went over 20 degrees in the spring, we all said how lovely and warm it was. Now when it drops back from over 30, we all say how cold it is!

When I was in the UK, I was working on an EU funded project with Romanians and Hungarians. At one point we had one of the Romanians staying with us, and one weekend he went off to the British Museum. On his return we asked how he'd liked it, and he replied "It exceeded my expectations". The point of this little anecdote is that his reply is exactly how I felt about Chez Jones. It seemed as though some friends had lent us their house to stay in. The atmosphere in the house was delightful - has the place been feng shui'd? The setting is also lovely- unfortunately my camera decided to go through a mid-life crisis so that the pictures I took have a dark band across one top and one bottom corner, but never mind because the pictures are firmly in my memory :-)

After our week in Entrecasteaux, we spent a second week in the north west of Provence, at the foot of Mont Ventoux in a perfectly adequate holiday home. I think we'd have liked it better if we hadn't been at Chez Jones before it!

Many thanks for all your help in arranging things for us. I would definitely like to stay at Chez Jones again, but next time I'll make sure I start the process earlier!

Cheers

Patricia

David Elsdon and Patricia Hughes
Budapest
Hungary
email: babel17@elender.hu

We spent a fantastic week playing tennis a lot, walking to hidden places with our dog and eating at our most favourite restaurant at L'Esparrus. This house was absolutely the most romantic so far, we know where to book next time…… Last but not least, we are truly jealous of the Gumperts who managed to find this beautiful place.

Lutte and Luc Lenzer.

Belguim