Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Brittany Holiday Cottage with Pool and Gym

I have disclosed all the golf courses under 30 miles from the Brittany Holiday Cottage now for those just over an hour away. There are 2 additional courses around Rennes which is just over an hour from the cottage, they are:

La Freslonniere- 18 holes par 72 over 6173 yards

From the Brittany Golf guide: Situated at the gateway to Rennes, Brittany's capital city, La Freslonniere golf club offers you a top quality course right in the heart of a century old forest.

Rennes- 18 holes par 72 over 6713 yards plus a 9 hole par 32 over 2262 yards

From the Brittany Golf guide: Brittany's largest golf course is a championship course with fast, high quality greens . The narrow fairways have players of all levels thinking carefully about their tactics.

For a golfing holiday the Brittany holiday cottage is a great place to stay.

Brittany Holiday Cottage with Pool and Gym

The weather has been fantastic at the Brittany holiday cottage this year since March and the forecast for this summer is that's its going to be a scorcher. Its during the hot weather that the pool comes into its own and as its for the private use of the guest of the cottage you can enjoy the quite of your own party or make as much noise as you wish.

One thing I always recommend is a night swim, just let me know when you want one and I'll leave the pool open and once its dark switch the pool lights on to enjoy a swim under the stars.

Brittany Holiday Cottage with Pool and Gym

Situated in beautiful countryside the Brittany Holiday Cottage is surrounded by some wonderful golf courses. Val Queven is just 50 kms away its an 18 hole par 72 over 6671 yards.

From the Brittany golf guide:Age old trees give way to links that provide a range of situations while round about the undulating landscape of this former estate is striking.

Enjoy a great golfing holiday staying at La Forge Brittany Holiday cottage with pool

Monday, June 29, 2009

Brittany Holiday Cottage with Pool and Gym

Saint Laurent golf course is just 30 min away from the Brittany Holiday Cottage and has a 18 hole par 72 over 6701 yards or a 9 hole par 35 over 2959 yards.

From the Brittany Golf Guide: Many belive that this magnificent parkland course is both the most beautiful and challenging in Brittany . With these challenges, it will test even the best of golfers, but with 4 sets of tees, everyone can find a distance that suits their game to a tee. The 9 hole course shares the charm and beauty of its big sister, but plays to a much easier 2959 yards.

The course is very close to Auray so you could have a great round followed by a relaxing meal at the old port before returning to the Brittany holiday cottage for a dip in the private pool.

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Brittany Holiday Cottage with Pool and Gym

You have a wide variety of golf courses near the Brittany Holiday cottage with private pool, Le Lac Au Duc is just 60 kms away. Its a par 36 over 3210 yards.

From the Brittany Golf guide: This is a technically difficult golf course situated alongside the biggest natural lake in Brittany(570 acres). It is however suitable for all players whatever the handicap.

La Forge Brittany Holiday Cottage has a host of great days out available whatever your interest.

Brittany Holiday Cottage with Pool and Gym

Just 40 kms away from the Brittany Holiday Cottage with pool is the Baden golf course.

Its an 18 hole par 72 over 6509 yards plus a 3 hole par 9 practice course over 585 yards.

From the Golf in Brittany guide book: The Baden Golf club offers you a quality18-hole course among pines and broom and next to the Auray river. Separated from the practice area by one hundred year old oaks, the pitch and putt practice course welcomes all beginners.

Staying at the Brittany holiday cottage gives you access to some wonderful golf courses and what away to unwind after 18 holes to jump in the private pool and relax.

Brittany Holiday Cottage with Pool and Gym

This week the guest staying at the Brittany Holiday Cottage played golf at Rimaison and had a wonderful time playing the 9 hole course.

Course details: Par 35 2824 yards and less than 10 kms from the Brittany Holiday Cottage.

From the Golf in Brittany guide: The magnificent grounds of this retired French chateau are a treasure trove of historic "old stones"and stunning views of the panoramic Blavet River Vally, while the spectacular elevation changes, rolling terrain and well manicured greens provide golfers of all levels a challenge they will never forget.

Over the next few days I will post details of other courses around the Brittany Holiday Cottage with pool and gym.

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Brittany Holiday Cottage with Pool

Over the last 2 weeks a lovely group of Dutch people have stayed at the Brittany Holiday Cottage with Pool and during there first week at La Forge tried a round of Golf.

They had a wonderful time playing the Ploemeur Ocean course, an 18 hole course which runs along the coast with great views as you play.

Details of the course, its a par 72 over 6452 yards and located 46KM from La Forge.

From the Golf in Brittany guide: Gazing out across the sea and Island of Groix. the extensive links of Ploemeur, caressed by soft ocean winds provide a wonderful experience for the nature lover and the golf connoisseur.

I will post other reports of Golf courses close to the Brittany Holiday Cottage.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Brittany Holiday Cottage with Pool

What a beautiful morning at the Brittany Holiday Cottage today as I prepared to leave for my sisters wedding back in the UK.

Got up at 7 to feed and clean the chickens, then dropped Elsa off at some friends before making sure all the pot plants were well watered. Hopefully just being away for 2 days the plants will be Ok, the worry being how hot its been over the last 2 weeks.

I had to top up the pool earlier in the week due to evaporation and had to put more in this morning....still should never grumble when the weather is good.

Had a good drive to the airport, I left the Brittany holiday Cottage at 12 and arrived at Brest just before 2pm at a steady 65mph, flying too Luton airport via Ryan Air.

On the return journey i might pop into oceanopolis in Brest, reputed to be the largest aquarium in Europe. If I do I'll take a few pictures and show case them on here next week.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Brittany Holiday Cottage with Pool and Gym

Its been absolutely fantastic weather here at the Brittany Holiday Cottage over the last 10 days, the guest have been using the pool all the time and have had some wonderful days out. They enjoyed the markets at Auray and Vannes.

I'm going back to England tomorrow for my sisters wedding, flying from Brest too Luton airport and the guest are looking forward to looking after the chickens.

I was on on my bike Saturday and was surprised to see a French woman washing her laundry in a specially built pool beside the road. Flagstones were laid on the bottom of the pool to create a stone floor and the pool was just 1ft deep and around 10ft square. The water was crystal clear and washing rocks were on the side of the pool, I felt I had fallen through a time tunnel going back to medieval times. When I asked a friend who lived just down the road from the pool he said that all the locals use it, as everyone is on a water meter they did not want to be charged for washing clothes.

He then went on to say that in the winter he has seen retired women carrying carpets along the road in the winter months after washing them in the pool.

Next time I drive by I'll take a picture and add the photo on here.

Ive been here in Brittany running the holiday cottage now for 3 years and I'm still surprised at what I see some times and it really brings home my love of the French way of life , with the biggest thing being, there is defiantly none of this ' keeping up with the Joneses' as in the UK.

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Brittany Holiday Cottage with Pool and Gym

When I bought the property I was considering creating an additional holiday cottage at the end of the property but after some scary quotes decided that La forge as a Brittany holiday cottage with private pool would also benefit from offering a gym for the guest.

In January 2008 the gym was created and I shipped over all the equipment over the course of several trips back and forth from the UK. I bought the items via ebay but as the company would not ship then too France, it was down to me.

Whats in the gym:

Flat bench press that can also be adjusted for incline and decline bench press.
Preacher curl bench with Bar
Squat rack
Lat pull down machine with 100kg stack, plus a range of bars ranging from a 60in Bar down too 36in Bar plus rope for doing tricep cable pull downs.
Adjustable sit up bench
Multi purpose bench that can be adjusted for flat, incline and decline work
A Swiss Ball great for doing sit ups
An exercise matt
Extensive range of weights and dumbbells ranging from 2 kilo's up to 30 kilo's
Electronic Stationary Bike with heart monitor


I'm in the process of getting ready to compete in the NPA Mike Williams classic in October and the gym allows me to have a full workout so I'm confident that it can cater for every ones requirements. Not so much now but in my twenties I could not go on holiday unless I had found a gym where we were staying, I could not be away from training for over a week, with that in mind I created the gym at the holiday cottage I'm sure I'm not the only one addicted to working out.

My aim is to buy additional equipment each year, the next items on the shopping list would be a leg curl and a leg extension machine.

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Brittany Holiday Cottage with Pool and Gym


Its been another scorching day at the Brittany Holiday Cottage with pool and gym, this morning I've had to top the pool up with water as its been hot all week and the pool has been used every day by the guest staying at La Forge.
As promised I've enclosed a picture of the new chicken coup that was bought via ebay, with the addition of the plastic sheets on the roof to increase the life span of the coup.
I clean the coup every day, just sliding out the bottom tray and removing all the droppings and once a week I spay the entire coup with a disinfectant spay that kills any red mite that may be present. Its basically a 2 min job each morning and 5 min once a week so all in all the chickens are very easy to look after.

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Brittany Holiday Cottage with Pool and Gym

The thing I like since creating the Gym at the Brittany Holiday Cottage is how over time, it's expanding as new equipment is bought which enables more exercises to be performed. With the long term goal of opening a public gym in Baud in the future my aim is to make several purchases each year.

Went out today and bought some additional 5 kilo plates to create heavier dumbells for pressing or curling, currently the existing dumbells go up to 20 kilo but know dumbells can go up to 30 kilo's. I will buy a few more disc's once they are in stock to enable 40 kilo dumbells to be made.

Yesterday I picked up my mountain bike that's been sitting in a garage or shed for the last 10 years and had a friend make it road safe for me. Its been 22 years since I've been on a bike and after a wobbly start it all came back and I started to feel confident again. The great thing about riding a bike around the area around the Brittany holiday cottage La Forge is that the roads have very light traffic and its enjoyable riding along all the country lanes.

My aim is to either power walk or ride my bike every day from now on, Ive just got 16 weeks left before my NPA Mike Williams competition date and still have just under 3 stone to loose.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Brittany Holiday Cottage with Pool and Gym


To live the French dream running the Brittany holiday cottage with a private pool and Gym during the current economic climate, I decided in the summer of 2008 to increase my advertising to maintain my occupancy.
I seem to hold a trump card over my competitors as La Forge offers the private pool rather than shared and as a holiday cottage it has always been popular. In 2007 I had 17 weeks booked and 2008 16 weeks, Ive been told the average holiday cottage only has 10 weeks per year.
I decided to create a web site in the summer of 2008 and also decided to advertise in Holland. The reasoning behind the dutch advertising was that alot of Dutch holiday in Brittany and with the decline in the value of the pound compared to the Euro, for anyone paid in euro's the cottage would be alot cheaper than previous years. So I placed an ad with Gites.NL
In 2007 I took 8 weeks of bookings for the 2008 season, by the end of 2008 only 2 weeks were booked for the 2009 season, things were looking very slow indeed with the down turn in the UK economy hitting hard. I have worked in a recession before and had confidence that no matter how tight money is, people still want to get away and sure enough just after the Christmas holiday the enquiries began and I'm now very pleased to report that the cottage is booked for 17 weeks with still a few weeks in September still available to rent. How nice it would be to hit 18 plus weeks this year.
In addition to the website, the Dutch advert, I also had 2000 leaflets produced and had them delivered in WGC and Upminster, it all came down to some thing I learnt at work.....its funny how the 'Lucky ones' in sales always seem to work harder, with that in mind I know Ive done alot more than most and now see the rewards.
If you want some thing enough you do what ever it takes to make it work and be successful and for me living in France has always been the dream, the desire and now I'm here I'm never going back.

Friday, June 12, 2009

Brittany Holiday Cottage with Pool and Gym

The chickens are doing really well at the Brittany Holiday Cottage had4 eggs for the first time today, so up to maximum production. Last Friday I returned from England and brought back the coup I had bought from ebay via a company called GardensandPets-uk, felt a little disappointed with the coup, it did not appear as strong and robust as advertised and some pre drilled holes were missing for the self assembly.

Went out and fixed some plastic sheets to the roof to increase the life span of the hen house.

The chickens are becoming really tame and enjoy the odd treat of Kiwi and lettice.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Brittany Fishing via the Holiday Cottage


Just a short journey from the Brittany holiday cottage is one of my new sea fishing marks just a mile away from Guidel main beach. Ive now fished the estuary on 3 separate occasions, the first time being my first report on here, the second 2 weeks ago and the third time today.

2 weeks ago I fished with my daughter right on the mouth of the estuary, there were 'no swimming' warnings along the beach due to the strong currents and watching boats trying to leave the estuary at one point most came to a halt the tide was running so strong.

On that occasion a 5 ounce grip weight could not hold bottom, within minutes of casting out, the lead had moved right along the beach and that day only 1 Bass was caught, slightly smaller than the 9 caught on my first outing. I did find however a nice beach to dig for Lug worm.

Today I fished back at my original mark and caught 7 Bass but they were so small bites were hard to see and all were returned. Ive noticed as the last few months have passed by, the size of the fish have got smaller, I was told that the time for the Bass was between September and January and now can confirm this. I was hoping that another species might be around for example Eels or flat fish.

I started fishing today at low tide at 1pm and fished right up to high tide at 7.15 pm all fish were caught between 3pm and 6pm on rag worm on a running ledger.

Still being new to France myself, the idea is to fish every 6 weeks to make a diary for years to come of when is the best time to fish and what to expect and to help and advice guest staying at the Brittany holiday cottage.

Sunday, June 7, 2009

Brittany Holiday Cottage with Pool and Gym


After spending 2 weeks with my daughter at the Brittany Holiday Cottage for the May half term eating Pizza, Ice cream and chocolates I feel my diet has fallen astray, although I have not gained any weight. On reflection I had hit a wall with regards to weight loss and now I'm back and hitting the diet again am hopeful the weight will start falling away again. Its only 18 weeks before my competition and I'm still at 16 st I have an additional 3 st to loose to hit my target weight. 2lbs per week would be a weight loss of 2 st 8lbs so I'll be 1/2 st out, I'm not worried as i tend to loose more weight in the last couple of weeks due to the pre- show excitement.


My first target is to get down to 15 st 7lbs for my sisters wedding on 26th June....must start doing more cardio.


The Gym at the Brittany Holiday Cottage has a stationary bike that has a built in heart monitor so I'll endeavour to do 2 sessions a week of bike work plus 3 runs per week in addition to weight training.

Saturday, June 6, 2009

Brittany Holiday Cottage with Pool

Just spent 5 days in the UK and returned to the Brittany Holiday Cottage with pool last night and how nice it is to be home. The guest that arrived on 30th May invited me to join them on the terrace and they were thrilled with the week that they had enjoyed at the cottage. They said that the weather was so great, hot and sunny all week ( 27-28 c ) that they spent all the vacation beside the pool apart for a few morning trips out too Aurray and Vannes.

They really enjoyed looking after the chickens and enjoyed using the Gym.

I travelled via L & D lines from Portsmouth too La Harve at a cost of £129 for a return trip, the return sailing was at a good time 10.15 am arriving at La Harve at 17.00 and arrived at the holiday cottage just after 9pm.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Brittany Holiday Cottage with private heated pool

Just arrived back in the UK after spending a wonderful 2 weeks at the Brittany Holiday Cottage
with my daughter, the weather has been fantastic over that time. New Guest arrived at La Forge on Saturday and all were thrilled about the cottage and garden and in particular the chance to look after the chickens while I'm back in the UK.

The group booked the holiday only 10 days earlier and I had just bought the chickens, when asked if a neighbour should look after them they said they would be delighted as her husband was thinking about getting some himself and it would be a great practice run.

Last Thursday saw the start of our egg production double, we are now getting 2 eggs per day, looking forward to when all 4 hens start producing. When I return this Friday I'm bringing back the new coup that i bought from ebay so I'll report back on whats it like and I'll enclose a picture.