A beautifully restored house with its own heated pool, 5 minutes from the beach

Just outside the pretty coastal village of Gouville-sur-Mer, 'La Brocanterie' is a beautifully restored and modernised stone-built house. Open & light, it is decorated in a clean rustic style combining antiques and brocante and decorative objects , to create a welcoming house, perfect to relax and unwind in, or to come back to, at the end of a day's sightseeing. There is ample space for 2 families or a multi generational family party to all enjoy their holiday without getting on top of one another. The huge sitting room opens onto the courtyard and is ultra comfy, with 4 large sofas, armchairs, TV, DVD, hi-fi (a collection of vinyl...) and a log burner for chilly evenings. The galleried dining room with it's massive dining table by the fireplace, is great place if you're having a really special dinner, unless, of course you prefer to eat outside between the olive trees... The enormous kitchen (56m2), overlooks the pool, is fully equipped for the most enthusiastic cooks, and provides yet more space to eat or relax. The kitchen-conservatory glass doors fold back for great inside-outside flow to the deck and 10m long heated pool. There is a gamesroom with lots of toys & games for children of all ages, adults too, as well as table football and an electronic keyboard. If you dig deep you might even unearth a variety of vintage computer games consoles. WIFI is provided. We have a travel cot, highchair, pushchair, potty, changing mat and baby bath. There are also a couple of bikes for your trip to pick up the morning croissants... The 4 bedrooms / 3 bathrooms are spread over 3 floors. There are two master suites: One on the ground floor, with no steps, level access to ite ensuite bathroom The second master suite is on the first floor. There are two further bedrooms on the 2nd floor: One with 3 single beds, the other with a singles bed and a superkingsize bed, or three single beds. (we will discuss your preferences prior to your arrival: All rooms are made up ready to use: just unpack your bags, and away you go!) The most common response I get when greeting new arrivals, is that the photos don't do it all justice! The nearest flat sandy beach is just over 5 minutes' drive away, though actually there are lots of wonderful beaches nearby to discover. Even closer, it's a bike ride to the village for the boulangerie, supermarket & weekly market. (twice weekly in high season) GOUVILLE SUR MER BEACH & VILLAGE: Gouville sur Mer beach is just over a five minute drive from the house. it has lots of sand and a very relaxed vibe. There is Les Dunes a café / restaurant and bar on beach front, as well as a pop up bar the BOA in a container, and a take away pizza shack Gouville beach is huge, clean, sandy and uncrowded. In summer, activities include sand yachting and kite surfing and there are often free daily keep fit classes on the beach. Along this coast there are literally miles and miles of empty sandy beaches to explore. There's bound to be one perfect for you! The thriving village of Gouville sur Mer has a twice weekly market in summer and a small supermarket, the produce is excellent, though in high season the prices can be a bit steep. We have a good range of local commerçants, with two boulangeries to choose from for your fresh baguettes and croissants. There is also a butcher, two banks, two hairdressers, (and beauty treatments) , a pharmacy and doctors surgery, a bar tabac, a post office, an exhibition centre and a tourist office. There are 2 restaurants in the village and many more within 10 minutes drive including 'Le Mascaret', a restaurant gastronomique and 'La Cale' (much loved by our guests!) , a seafood beach bar/restaurant, right on the beach, and voted one of the top ten beach bars in Europe. Everyone who comes to this part of the world knows of the hugely significant history of the area. You could easily spend all holiday just visiting sites and museums related to the second World War, but then there's the Bayeux tapestry, and Mont Saint Michel, the Cite de la Mer at Cherbourg, Dinard, Dinan, St Malo.... The only problem is deciding how to fit it all in! FAMILY ACTIVITIES: Within 15 mins - horse riding, (including on the beach) , golf, tennis, sailing, sand yachting, kite surfing, bike hire ( there are two at the house, more can be hired cheaply from the local garage) , kayaking, farm visits, summer musical events, horse trotting-racing, yoga on the beach, petanque, golf, skim boarding(lessons), visits to the oyster/mussel beds in a horse drawn carriage (limited spaces and timing), and loads more. 20-30minutes or so - karting, (on a real track.. Great fun!) 2 forest adventure parks (walkways in trees, zip lines ), bowling, karting on ice, ice skating, paintball, laser game etc. There is also a dinosaur themed indoor playground nearby, aimed at younger children and good if the weather isnt! Further inland is the Parc Régional des Marais du Cotentin, a fascinating regional park with a rich bird life, as well as houses made of clay and straw, to explore on foot or by boat. There's also a miniature railway, you can ride on, and countless D-day museums and Historic visits to be made. Further afield - When you go to Mont Saint Michel, think about stopping at Alligator Bay for the children .. Not just alligators, but also Giant tortoises and more. La Cité de la Mer at Cherbourg, is a great day out with large Aquarium, a nuclear submarine to visit and a collection of bathyscapes. In the other direction Granville is a lovely vibrant port to visit for pottering, shopping or eating. It also has a small salt water aquarium, and a deliciously kitsch shell museum. Festyland attraction park at Carpiquet and the zoo at Champrepus, are also excellent days out, especially for young families. NORMANDY HIGHLIGHTS: We are well placed for cultural outings with sights all around us. Chateau de Pirou (15 mins), Chateau de Gratot (20 mins), Abbaye Cérisy-la-Fôret, (50 mins east), The town of Bayeux and its Tapestry (1hr north-east), spectacular Mont St Michel ( 1hr 15 south) . The top 10 D-Day Beaches : Utah Beach & Sainte-Mère-Eglise (50 mins north) , La Pointe du Hoc, Omaha Beach, American Cemetry, Batteries de Longues, Arromanches, Gold Beach, Juno Beach, Sword Beach, Pegasus Bridge. Drivers can follow themed and signposted routes. Museum info, more leaflets and booklets in our House Book. If you still have some time left, don't miss a day in Brittany. south of us and well worth a day's exploration, e.g. Dinan and the picturesque walled town of Saint Malo.