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T? Louisette is a luxury gîte situated in the small hamlet of Kergouet, ten minutes drive from the historic town of Pontivy in the centre of Brittany. There are direct routes from the ports of St.Malo and Roscoff and the airports at Rennes, Dinard and Lorient. Gîte Facilities Four bedrooms (the master bedroom has an en suite bathroom with sink, shower and WC) Sleeps seven (+ cot) Living room complete with a modern wood burning stove, TV with British Freeview channels, Radio/CD player. Stylish integrated kitchen with oven/hob, fridge/freezer, microwave, coffee machine, washer/dryer and dishwasher. Main bathroom with bath and large separate shower. Separate WC. Sunny enclosed breakfast terrace at the front. Large private enclosed garden and wooden terrace at the rear (safe for children) Parking for three cars. The gîte is one minute’s walk from the Nantes-Brest canal with long scenic towpaths and locks to explore. Fishing is possible with a permit. The gîte owners are nearby if anything is needed. Disabled access (all floors on one level, spacious bathroom and WC, ramps for access to house and garden). PONTIVY Pontivy is an historic urban centre in the centre of Brittany. It is made up of two towns wrapped around each other. There is the medieval old town with its narrow, winding streets and half-timbered buildings, and the geometric Napoleonic town complete with imposing Hotel de Ville, courthouse and old barrack buildings arranged around the market square which fronts on to the River Blavet. Twice in its history Pontivy has been known as Napoleonville (the town of Napoleon). It was intended as his base of operations and was heavily garrisoned. The town is situated in a rural part of Brittany known as the valley of the Blavet and this river runs through the town meeting the Nantes-Brest canal by the Île des Récollets. The town boasts the magnificent 15th century Chateau Rohan as its centrepiece, built by the powerful Ducs de Rohan. Guided tours are available within and art exhibitions are occasionally staged. Pontivy is home to a number of restaurants and bars such as the “Grand Café” which is over 100 years old and “Bob Pub” complete with a stylish art nouveau inspired interior. There are also numerous shops, boutiques and several small supermarkets and the town is almost entirely free parking. The weekly market is held on Mondays in the central plaza. You can walk or cycle the 6 km directly to Pontivy from the gîte via the canal towpath. The surrounding countryside is replete with small villages boasting innumerable chapels of architectural and historical interest. There are well laid out walks and cycle paths for you to discover the treasures of central Brittany. LOCAL AREA Nearby there are several sites devoted to wind energy with spectacular wind turbines to marvel at. Access to the turbines is easy, you can put your ear against them and hear them working. The impressive Lac du Guerlédan is 20 minutes drive from Kergouët. Here you can laze on the beach, swim, canoe, walk or enjoy a meal in one of several restaurants on the shore. Boat owners can fish, sail or water ski. Built to provide hydroelectric power and clean water, it interrupted the course of the Nantes Brest Canal - the lock gates are still in place under many metres of water. The partially restored Abbey de Bon Repos is situated at the western end of the lake and has walks, forests, a shop and a restaurant. There is an excellent Sunday market here throughout the summer. Every year it plays host to a spectacular Son et Lumière event with drama, fireworks and light-shows to take the breath away. There are many forests in central Brittany, perfect for long walks or watching the wildlife. In the town there are facilities for ten pin bowling, swimming and cinema. The nearby town of Loudéac has an excellent leisure pool boasting rapid currents and a flume. Horse riding is available at nearby stables. Large towns within an hour to an hour and a half drive include Rennes, Lorient, Quimper, and Vannes. All have excellent shopping and great character and Lorient boasts the immensely popular Interceltique Festival every summer (see links). Smaller towns worth visiting are all around. Auray is fascinating, clustered around a steep sided harbour, Carnac is a real seaside resort with outstanding beaches and lots of fun shops and restaurants. It also boasts the extraordinary standing stones aligned in long straight stretches, many kilometres long. Ancient churches all around Pontivy host the annual Art dans les Chapelles exhibition of contemporary art and sculpture. Several circuits are organised for those who wish to enjoy both the art and the heritage. The 2007 edition runs from 30th June to 16th September. Beaches to the south are reached in about 50 minutes and have lovely sand and shallow pools. The coast to the north is more rugged but equally beautiful. Allow an hour and a quarter for the drive. CANAL The Nantes Brest Canal, 364km in length, was built on the orders of Napoléon to link the two ports. This was at a time of great tension between Britain and France and Napoleon wished to secure access to the sea in case of a blockade. Construction began in 1811 and it was finally inaugurated by Napoléon III in 1858. In its heyday it was used to transport coal, slate and fertilizer. The building of the dam which created the reservoir at Lac de Guerledan in the 1920’s cut the canal in two and made the journey from Nantes to Brest via the waterway impossible. Although a boat lift was promised when the reservoir was being constructed, it was never built. The canal passes within a few metres of T? Louisette and the towpath that accompanies it can be followed for many kilometres on foot or on bicycles. Fishing is available subject to a permit which can be bought locally for various durations. The cost is reasonable and covers fishing in the whole of the the département of Morbihan. You can upgrade to a Brittany wide permit if you wish which would allow you to fish in Lac de Guerlédan. Whichever direction you take from Kergouët you will come across lock gates or écluses. Each gate has a large reservoir pool beside it and these attract interesting birdlife. Kingfishers, white egrets, moorhens, mallards, herons and grebes are all regularly seen within a kilometre of the house. In addition the many oak trees in the region make it an excellent habitat for jays and woodpeckers. Owls are heard most nights in summer and autumn and large birds of prey can be seen circling in the warm air. In the autumn bagfuls of sweet chestnuts can be collected for roasting and eating. MAP/DIRECTIONS Approaching from the north east, (Saint Malo, Dinard) Head south passing Dinan, Caulnes and St. Méen le Grand where you turn west for Loudeac on the N164. From Loudeac, take the D700 south west towards Pontivy. After 14km, take the exit for Saint Gérand. Follow the road up the rise towards the village, turning right at the mini roundabout by the stone cross. Follow the road around the church turning left to go up the hill past the shop and the two schools. At the slightly staggered crossroads go straight across and follow this road until you cross the canal. Follow the road around the right hand bend and turn left before the level crossing. Follow this road until you arrive at a sharp right hand bend. T? Louisette is the last house on the right before the next level crossing. Approaching from the north west, (Roscoff) Head south past St Pol de Léon towards Morlaix. Turn right onto the N12, signed for Brest. After 2.5km turn left towards the south, Pleyber-Christ on the D785. After 11km take the left turn onto the D764 towards Huelgoat and Carhaix Plouguer. As you approach Carhaix Plouguer, follow signs for Rostrenen on the N164. Stay on this road for 80km then turn south onto the D767 for Mûr de Bretagne and Pontivy. As you approach Pontivy you will cross the canal (be aware that vehicles crossing the flow of traffic here have right of way). Follow the road down to the roundabout where you turn left. D768 towards Loudéac. At the mini roundabout take the left fork and continue to the next large roundabout where you go straight across, second exit. After 2.5km turn left at the silos of Groupe Glon, Sanders. Follow this road for 2km, crossing the Nantes Brest Canal. You will see the Base Saint Gérand, Les Mousquetaires on the right. Turn right immediately after this building, signed for Kergouët. Follow the road and you will cross the level crossing, T? Louisette is then the first house on the left. AVAILABILITY / BOOKING INFORMATION Notes for James: Calendar of one week blocks (sat – sat). Must be easy to read and colour coded (using colours readable to colour-blind). BOOKING INFORMATION Please note that T? Louisette is a non-smoking gîte. Bookings are from Saturday to Saturday. The gîte must be vacated by 10.00am and new arrivals are welcome after 4.00pm. Once you have booked a stay, the booking will be held for one week and is confirmed upon receipt of 30% deposit. The full balance is payable six weeks before arrival. We will provide tea towels, kitchen hand towel, washing up liquid, dishwasher tablets, hand-soap, loo rolls, cleaning materials, bin bags, fire lighting materials and logs. New arrivals will be greeted with a bottle of fresh milk in the fridge, flowers on the table, a copy of the local paper and a bottle of wine. We also provide complementary tea, instant and ground coffee, sugar, salt and pepper as a welcoming gesture. Bed linen and towels are provided. They can be changed mid stay if needed subject to an extra charge of 5€ per person. Please bring your own beach towels. To enquire about booking a stay, please either telephone or email us. Click here to be added to our mailing list for special offers and discounted late availability bookings. CONTACT DETAILS Info@tylouisette.com La Famille McCann Kergouët 56920 Saint Gérand FRANCE Tel/Fax: +0033 (0)2 97 51 42 54