MAYENNE, France

Mayenne is a pleasant, liveable city of 15 000 inhabitants,on a river which bears the same name as the city.
From our house it takes no more than 10 minutes 'walk to reach the center with its market-place, its castle and  garden, the basilica, the old mansions . So it's really close to downtown and not isolated at all.
Our house overlooks the valley and the river, just across the street.

It is much larger than it looks on the photo as an addition which can't be seen from the street was built at the back.It looks out on the garden and terrace. It almost doubles the size of the house .Once you have climbed the entrance steps , it's all on the same level .We have a large basement a part of which is used as a garage.
The addition includes two bedrooms and a bathroom with bath and shower , which makes it pracically .independent. In fact " we have four bedrooms, all with double beds.".There are two independent toilets upstairs and one in the basement..
We will find all modern appliances in our house.

Mayenne has its own museum opened up only a few years ago  in its old Merovingian  castle .
You can also visit a Roman city, Jublains, at 10km from Mayenne and its beautiful modern museum .
Bagnoles de l'Orne, at 35 km from us, a spa with thermal springs is a must as it's so picturesque and so lively in summer, even on sundays . It boasts of a casino.
Laval, where the fast train from Paris( called TGV )stops, is only 30 km distant from our city.
Paris isn't really far ( 3h 15 by car, 1h20 by TGV) .
Close to us, in Brittany, you can visit medieval cities like Fougères and Vitré ( 45 minutes'drive). It takes 1h 10 to Rennes , the capital of Brittany.
In another direction, you caan reach Le Mans ( 1h10),or Normandy . You can make a day-trip to some of the closest  Loire châteaux . Famous St Malo, on the north coast of Brittany. can be reached by freeway in 1h 50, & ANGERS  in (1h40) .We are within two hours at most from Caen and the Normandy  beaches.Well-known  St Michael's Mount is a 1h20 drive.
 
But you needn't drive long distances every day, there are many places worth seeing at short distances.
Mayenne,known for its printing-works ,  is also  a modern city which offers many cultural and sporting activities,  .We have a camping- ground at 300 m from our house, and a brand new swimming-pool called " the Wave" that was opened up in February 2018. a large, new library, a theater., a movie-house with three rooms.
If you like hiking there are many possibilities .
Mayenne and its area are  places where it's good to live.

As to exchanges, we definitely prefer cities, middle-sized or even large ones, but are open to every offer, from any country, this summer
We are open to all offers , especially in Europe this year. We have exchanged many times with the USA.and also in Canada.
Non simultaneous exchange could be arranged for our partners as our house is large enough for hosts to have independence.It has worked twice.when we went to Australia.