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This consists of one large room (approx.6m x 4m) with exposed beams, on the first floor of a stone building which is next door to, but totally separate from, our house (a two-storey old stone farmhouse) and reached by a wide wooden outside staircase. There are stunning views in all directions, across the Forest of Gresigne to the Pyrenees and across farmland to the oak-studded plateau above St Antonin, the nearest market town.
You will have exclusive use of a private wooden terrace (15m²) with deck chairs, table & chairs, also on the first floor. We have a large garden (which you are welcome to use), a vegetable garden and a 8m x 4m swimming-pool, which you share with us & our 2 children (aged 13 & 14). There is a barbecue.
The studio has a double bed (all sheets etc provided), armchairs, wood-burning stove (end September - early April), dining table with chairs, full set of crockery, cutlery, glasses, cooking pans etc. It has an en-suite kitchenette with fridge, two ring stove, microwave oven, lots of cupboards, kettle, toaster, sink etc. Kitchen towels provided.
Terracotta tiled bathroom with big shower, lavatory, basin. (Towels not provided, please bring your own or you can rent them for 5 euros per set per week.)
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The main house is next door but we have designed the studio so your windows and terrace do not overlook us and you have your privacy. We have a garden + orchard and field of 0.8 hectares and the track to our house is 1 km long, so we live in wonderful rural peace and quiet. You can walk to the village of Vaour (2km, which has a 12th-century half-ruined Commanderie des Templiers, plus hotel with bar/café, Post Office, baker/general shop & garage. There is a famous festival of humour and theatre held in Vaour for a week in early August : free street shows and open-air music, temporary big café in the square, places to eat etc.
We are on the edge of the Gaillac vineyards, within 20 minutes of 3 wonderful markets and of the historic medieval hill-top towns of Cordes and Castelnau de Montmiral. If you fly here, we are only I hour’s drive from Toulouse (international airport : Easy Jet BA & Air France + car hire), 1 1/2 hrs from Rodez and 2 hours from Carcassonne (both Ryan Air, car hire). Albi and Montauban (the main big towns of the local region) are 35 minutes away by car.
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Wonderful walks, mountain-biking or other cycling, pot-holing, caneoing, : ”Green tourism” at its best. And not just in summer - it can be really beautiful here in the autumn (Sep-Oct) and in the Spring when the wildflowers are stunning (April, May, June).
Culture vultures will find the cathedral Toulouse Lautrec museum at Albi and you can easily visit Toulouse by train or car, it’s a great city. Lots of hilltop towns, castles, markets etc to visit.
Climate: Le Rial is at an altitude of 425m so the weather can chage dramatically. We have enough rain so that it is green and lush, but it is warmer and sunnier than northern Europe and can be very dry in summer. But some years it rains more and in July and August there can be refreshing (and dramatic!) thunderstorms at night. In summer it can be very hot and very dry, average summer tempertaure is 25° to 33°C.
In spring there are beautiful and rare wild flowers, in autumn there are lots of wild mushrooms and chestnuts and the local people hunt deer and wild boar at this time.
Bring country clothes and a raincoat whatever time of year. You should not need wool sweaters in summer, but the weather is changeable!
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| Following activities possible nearby (max 30 minutes by car) |
| Swimming, golf, walking, mountain-biking, horse-riding, water sports, hang-gliding, para-gliding, tennis
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There is a wonderful choice of food and wine, you do not need to bring anything with you – in fact the local people will like you even more if you support the local economy by shopping with them! We provide information when you arrive about markets, where to shop etc. If you arrive on a Saturday certain shops will be shut on Monday, but you can get anything you need in the Sunday morning market in St Antonin (8.30 – 12.30h), where there are 2 supermarkets, a bakery/patisserie, 2 butchers, a pharmacy, dozens of fruit and vegetable stalls, a newsagents, cash dispenser machine etc.
There is a good selection of local restaurants within 20 minutes drive. Lots of opportunity to taste and buy excellent local Gaillac wine at the vineyards nearby.
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This is rural France so the locals are quite traditional and therefore also very courteous. Most shops and banks except one or two supermarkets shut for two hours at lunchtime, Mondays most shops & banks are shut, (cash dispenser machines available).
We cannot accommodate dogs or other pets, and we ask you not smoke inside the gîte.
We very much look forward to meeting you and welcoming you to this beautiful part of France. If you are not English : we speak good French + some Italian and a very little German!
In high season we rent from from Saturday to Saturday, out of season we can arrange dates to suit you and also do long weekends.
Low Season: From 5 April to 3 May 2008 & 28 September to 25th October 2008
Mid-Season : From 3 May to 21 June 2008 & from 30 August to 28 September 2008
High Season : From 21 June to 30 August 2008
The rental price includes bed linen, (not bathroom or swimming towels), use of washing machine (in owner’s house), ”Breakfast Starter pack” for first day’s breakfast. There is a small heating charge from end of September to early April.
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| Price low season |  240.00 |
| Price mid season | 345.00 |
| Price high season | 395.00 |
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| Contact for enquiries:
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| Alfabetische lijst van de huizen op Gites.nl |
