 La Porche | ||
 The main bedroom | ||
 The terrace | ||
 The swimming pool | ||
| Bedroom(s) | 2 Bedroom(s) Sleeps 7 | |
| Summary |
La Porche is a rustic farm building which has been converted into a well-equipped modern house, while retaining the character of its stone walls and rough timber beams. Our 1.7 hectare property borders a river with oak wood, an equestrian centre and an organic 'cevenol sweet onion' farm. La Porche is next to the house we live in, but is completely private with its own swimming pool, terrace and entrance. The house accommodates up to seven people. Upstairs are 2 large bedrooms, one with a double bed, the other with 3 singles. Downstairs is a kitchen / dining room and a sitting room with a double sofa-bed, TV, DVD player and music system. There are two modern bathrooms, one upstairs and one downstairs. Outside is a delightful terrace, with barbecue and table and chairs, which catches the early sun but is shaded by trees from mid-day onwards. A few steps down is your private swimming pool, with sun all day. La Porche has central heating, making it a good choice for a winter break. Its thick stone walls keep it pleasantly cool in summer and warm in winter. We can provide evening meals by arrangement. We are both excellent and enthusiastic cooks, happy to cater for vegetarians, vegans, carnivores and carbo-loaders. We also do home-cooked soups, stews and pasta sauces if you fancy self-catering with a minimum of effort. Please note, no smoking inside the house. |
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| Nearest Town | Le Vigan, Languedoc-Roussillon, France | |
| Pool | Yes | |
| Detail |
Ground Floor: * Eat-in kitchen with modern appliances (dishwasher, microwave etc.); * Modern bathroom with shower, toilet and basin; * Utility area with washing machine; * Living room with double sofa-bed, plenty of seating, tv with DVD, radio & CD. First Floor: * One large double bedroom; * One large twin bedroom with extra divan bed; * Modern bathroom with small rolltop bath, two basins, bidet and toilet. Outside: * Terrace with table and seating, barbecue. * The swimming pool (8 x 3.5 metres) lies a short flight of steps below the terrace. All linen and towels (including pool towels) are provided. |
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| Location |
La Porche is situated near the village of Breau in the Cevennes. Nearest major towns are Montpellier, Nimes, Uzes. *Local markets Nearest small town is Le Vigan with an excellent lively market every Saturday, and a small producers' market (mainly organic) every Tuesday morning from June until the end September. Ganges, a 30 min drive, has one of the best local markets every Friday morning. *Food and wine Local produce is excellent, and much of it is farmed organically (see section on markets in our region). The four products for which the Cevennes are famous are sweet onions, apples, chestnuts and pelardon, a small goat cheese available at many different stages of maturity. When you don't fancy cooking there are several good restaurants in the area, and we can provide evening meals by arrangement. Languedoc (the wider region) is the largest wine-producing area in France, and home to many excellent wines, both red and white, many of them organic. The region has suffered a certain stigma as the land of quantity rather than quality, but this is no longer the case. You will find Languedoc wines are often very good value compared to those from the more famous regions of France, and we can recommend a wine shop in Le Vigan run by a friendly and enthusiastic expert. *Natural history The biodiversity of this area is unusually high, due to its location spanning both geological and climatic frontiers, and a low human population density. The Cevennes National Park is designated by UNESCO as a world heritage biosphere reserve. *Walking The Cevennes has the highest concentration of GR (Grande Randonnée, long distance walks) in the whole of France, and these routes are clearly marked and sign-posted. In addition there are countless other paths, some marked, others not, which can be followed using 1:25,000 scale maps of the area. With so many paths to choose from, it is easy to find walking routes of any distance or difficulty. While you can do long, challenging walks, this is also ideal country for families with children to enjoy this most basic of outdoor pursuits. Most of these paths were used until recently by local people and their animals, and are full of human as well as natural and scenic interest. *Cycling We are both keen cyclists, and first discovered this area on our bikes. Look at a detailed road map, and it is apparent that the Cevennes have an extraordinary number of very tiny roads. Most of these were originally cart tracks and so have gentle gradients. Many of them are single track and link very tiny villages, and so carry almost no traffic. You could stay at our place for 2 weeks and do a different circular route every day. Combine this with the extraordinary diversity of the area, and it makes for a fantastic place for a cycling holiday. *Horse riding We are right next to a friendly and well-run riding centre, which offers classes and rides for all levels. Children can ride from 3 years of age. The owners, Sandra and Patrice, specialise in endurance riding and Appaloosa horses. Children and horses notwithstanding, the centre bustles with sheep, dogs, goats, chickens and Pig Peggy. *Swimming Apart from your own private 8x3m pool, there are many superb spots to swim in rivers. Choose from the Arre, Herault, Dourbie, Jonte and Tarn - it's usually possible to incorporate a river swim into a day out by car, bike or on foot. The lower Herault (about an hour's drive) is the largest and warmest. Please take care of current, rocks and rapids! The sea is about an hour and a half away by car. Most of the Languedoc coast is bordered by lagoons, separated from the sea by sand spits which form long beaches, many of which are unsuitable for development and hence remain in their natural state. *Rock climbing Daniel is a lapsed climber, so the following is not based on first hand experience, only experienced eyes. You won't find any famous climbs or venues nearby, but for adventure climbers in search of new ground the area offers considerable potential, both on limestone and granite. Much of the rock is south-facing and looks great. Further south is the Pic de l'Hortus, Montpellier's crag, which is well developed. The granite is closer to hand, and for the climber looking to do new routes on nice-looking rock in splendid surroundings and no other climbers in sight, it also looks good. Mostly single pitch sized crags, again much of it south-facing. Forget about guidebooks, bring trad rack, walking boots and a sense of adventure and this could be a great off the beaten track cragging holiday. |
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| Map | Click here to see a map of the property's location | |
| How to get here | Nearest airports are Montpellier (EasyJet & RyanAir)or Nimes (RyanAir). | |
| Payment Options |
 Click here if the owners have said that you can pay them online |
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| Prices |
Our bookings run Saturday to Saturday: October until May 2009 : GBP 440 per week / EUR 550 per week 23 May 2009 - 26 June 2009 : GBP 620 per week / EUR 775 per week 27 June 2009 - 28 Aug 2009 : GBP 920 per week / EUR 1150 per week 29 Aug 2009 - 02 Oct 2009 : GBP 620 per week / EUR 775 per week Long-term winter lets - prices on request We require a 25% deposit with booking ; balance due 8 weeks before arrival Please contact us for further information, our website details and a booking form. |
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| Prop. Ref. | 977 | |
| Availability |
 Click here to view this property's availability |
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