Kitty, I know you've heard this so many times already, but your house is just amazing. It was probably more than we were expecting and your photos just can't convey the feeling of spaciousness and charm that is felt throughout. What a joy it was to awake in the morning and catch the balloons rising over the river just as the sun was starting to blanket the village and the river. I began to anticipate the balloons each morning and would jump from bed as soon as I heard the whoosh of the fire as the pilot would steer them close to the river and on some days close to the house. I waved to the passengers and they waved back - it was thrilling just to be at the bedroom window at that time.

Breakfast and dinner on the patio were often the highlights of the day. It is such a warm and comfortable spot and the views are really lovely. The grapes were pretty tasty too. Our two evenings with Dimitri were absolutely wonderful. What a talented chef and on the first date he brought his son Alexi with him. A beautiful 10 year old boy celebrating his birthday by helping his dad create our first wonderful dinner. We enjoyed it so much that we booked him for another evening.

I'm sure Sara and Pierre at the wine shop were sorry to see us go. We are avid lovers of wine and shopped there everyday of our stay. They have a lovely shop and were very helpful and friendly presenting us with little gifts each time we stopped into the shop. Every evening we enjoyed a little pate (thanks to their generosity) along with our wine. It was a revalation to me that French wine not only is more consistently good and less expensive than the wines made here in the U.S., but I never got a headache from drinking them. I almost always get a headache when drinking wines made here. I'm a French wine convert. California will have to go a long way to catch up as far as I'm concerned.

Many evenings we were content to hang out down at the petanque courts practicing with the game sets you provided, and about a week into the vacation Barry and Jorge were playing with some of the French vacationers. It was great to see that the language barrier was non-existent as they seemed to communicate just fine regardless. A good time was had by all and we felt like we belonged.

We confirm that two of the restaurants you and some of your previous guests recommended were excellent. We had dinner at both Belle Etoille in town and at Petite Paris in Daglan (which sounds like it belongs in Ireland) and enjoyed them very much. Most lunches and dinners were out, but we did manage to cook a couple of times and loved working in the spacious kitchen. There's nothing better than a well-equipped kitchen and you have certainly provided that. The markets were amazing, but after the Sarlat market I think we had seen it all and tried to steer clear on market days of the towns to avoid the heavy traffic. It's quite unbelievable the steady stream of traffic along that two lane roadway along the river from town to town. And just as unbelievable how it disappears right around dinner time.

Kitty, I could go on and on about how wonderful a time we had. Le Borge was our anchor and from there we traveled out to the many wonderful towns and villages of the Dordogne. None of us had ever been to that part of France before and we fell in love. It's so heartening to see that somewhere in the modern world there is still a great value placed on the past. We were surprised that we never saw a highrise building or tract development anywhere in the region. The charm of the area is enhanced by the warmth of the people. Nowhere did we ever encounter the type of disdain that once greeted American tourists in France.

Several of our friends have asked for your website after hearing about our vacation, so I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't hear from them sometime in the coming year. There are so many places in the world to explore, and one big vacation a year hardly provides enough time to get to them all so I never think about going back to anywhere I've already been. However, in this case it feels different. I feel like I've found one of the places I'll always hold in a special part of my heart and would like to think that I'll be back someday. You'll be the first to know.

The terrace with an arbor of grape vines was divine. Watching and hearing the tourists was exciting. Once again the view of the river was terrific.

The kitchen was exceptional with plenty of space with a long French country table. It was appointed with all of the implements necessary for cooking plus plenty of wine glasses.

Au contraire, the area exceeded our expectations, and the house was delightful. We were astounded and charmed as we wandered from place to place, just amazed at the beauty that we encountered everywhere. We loved the villages, the markets, the castles, and the rivers; and the people were kind and helpful

We especially enjoyed the terrace of the house, and I would stare out of the window in the “lounge” and feel so lucky to spend two weeks in such a spectacular setting.

Our group consisted of five people—all over 55—three siblings and two spouses. We had more than enough elbow room and could have easily accommodated one or two more vacationers.