La maison du murier Village House - sleeps 6
Quality private village house nestling among the vines for self catering vacation lets in sunny Languedoc, South France. Close to Narbonne, Carcassonne and the Mediterranean.
In the Region of:LanguedocAudeTown:Raissac d'Aude |
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La maison du murier Village House - (ref: 1251)
2 bed / 2 bath - sleeps 6
Price Range:
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Features:
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Availability Calendar and Prices | ||||||
Property Description:
***new for 2008***Bookings can begin and end on any day of the week!!
La maison du murier is a typical, completely renovated, French village house, which is peacefully tucked away in the heart of a delightfully friendly wine village.
The house gets its name from the murier tree which provides welcome shade to the south facing sunny terrace. The house enjoys complete privacy yet affords the intriguing sight of the locals collecting fresh produce each morning from the one village shop which is directly across from our house. It is a step back in time. Step back to a time when life was taken at a leisurely pace with time for the simple courtesies and a leisurely chat.
The spacious accommodation is on two floors and is laid out as follows:
Ground Floor
Main entrance The double glazed entrance door is secure and wide. It leads to a tiled entrance hall with hall stand. Ahead is the wooden staircase which leads to the first floor. Up a 30 cm step is the kitchen with its own door out to the terrace beyond.
Kitchen There is a stylish fully fitted kitchen with a tall fridge freezer, a microwave oven and a 4 ring ceramic hob with extractor fan and light above.
There is a strip light under the cupboards and above the sink. There is a dishwasher. (it is a holiday) There is a generous supply of crockery and kitchen utensils.
There is a round table and four chairs for the very few days when it is preferable to eat indoors. The floor is tiled.
Lounge The lounge has a spacious feel. The floor is tiled.
There is a wood burning fire and mantle piece. The style is Ikea meets Emhaus. There is a fairly large library of recent paperbacks. There is a CD / stereo unit as well as a DVD player ( some recent DVD's ) and a TV which receives French TV and free to air Sky channels including BBC. On one side of of the lounge is a bed sofa which folds easily into a comfortable full sized double bed.
Utility Through the kitchen and up two steps is the utility area which houses the washing machine, clothes dryer, iron and ironing board (you might want to look smart) There is an extra sink for hand washing and carafe filling. The floor is tiled.
Shower room Next to the utility room is the second shower room and toilet. There is a spacious shower with a thermostatic mixer for comfort and safety. The floor is tiled.
Second Floor is reached by a wide wooden staircase.
The double bedroom has a comfortably firm double bed. This room gets the late afternoon sun. There is a ceiling fan and shutters on the windows. Insects are not a problem so you can sleep with the windows open if you wish.
There is a very large wardrobe and chest of drawers as well as a bed side cabinet.
Twin bedroom This room is a twin bedded room, at the rear of the property.
This room gets the morning sun and overlooks the terrace. There are shutters on the window. The floor is tiled There is a wardrobe with shelving and hanging space, a chest of drawers and a bedside cabinet between the beds, allowing plenty of storage space. This is probably our favourite room in the house.
Bathroom The shower room has a very spacious feel to it. The sink, shower and toilet areas are separated from each other. The shower tray is 120 cm wide so there is plenty of elbow room. The walls and floor are completely tiled.
There is a vanity unit sink and a mirror with shaver unit and lights above.
There is a full length mirror for admiring your tan.
There is ample room to store your toiletries and there is a hairdryer provided for your use. There are lots of UK adaptors in the house.
Landing There is a large floor to ceiling cupboard in which is stored, sheets, pillow cases, duvet covers and bed covers and a large supply of towels. There are beach mats.
Garage
There is a large garage but in true British style it is reserved for junk. Here is where you will find four adult bicycles and a set of boules and two sets of golf clubs.
Terrace South facing terrace The terrace is completely tiled. It extends to around 40m2 It has a large table and 6 chairs are provided. The murier tree provides the necessary shade. The terrace faces south.
The terrace is generally bug free and we often sit out after dark enjoying the balmy temperature of the southern French summer. There is an outside light but we generally prefer the ambience of candlelight.
Area Description:
Off the N 113 - just a 15 kilometre drive from Narbonne - a plane tree lined country road leads to Raissac d’Aude, a tiny village tucked away amid the lush vineyards of the Aude valley.Raissac is predominantly flat which makes it ideal for walking and cycling.
There is one shop in the village, which sells everything (including bread) but nearby Canet d’Aude has a supermarket, pharmacy, bakery, butcher, tabac, and a bar / brasserie. There is a wide variety of restaurants within a short drive.
You simply must take a bike ride along the world famous Canal du Midi, e.g. from the chateau at Ventenac to Le Somail, which is a little gem. Or in Homps you can rent a canal boat to take a day trip on the Canal or go on an organised tour.
Lezignan, only a 10’ drive, is a prosperous provincial town with a number of supermarkets and a bustling open air street market on Wednesdays.
Narbonne, a vibrant town with a beautiful old centre around the Cathedral and the Old Palace, boasts the picturesque Art Deco Les Halles where one finds delicious seafood, bread, pastry, fresh meat and vegetables, wines, cheeses. All the good things of French life!
La Clape, a mountainous protected natural resort between Narbonne and the Med, beckons the visitor to its footpaths with splendid views across the sea, beyond the Pyrenees towards the rocky capes of Spain’s Costa Brava.
The Spanish border is just a 1 hour drive, unless one stops in the Catalan capital of Perpignan.
In the other direction, much closer, there is poetic Beziers to be seen and trendy Montpellier. Of course the endless sandy beaches and the yachting marinas between Sete and Gruissan deserve a lengthy visit too. There is almost too much to see
Medieval Carcassonne, object of much desire during the Albigensian crusades, and now one of France's most popular tourist destinations, is just forty minutes from our house..Carcassonne
Restored to storybook perfection in the 1800s, Carcassonne erupts every Bastille Day in an awesome display of fireworks.
Beyond the Cite of Carcassonne itself, vast horizons open up to you. Perched on their "Pogs" (peaks) of dizzying heights, the Cathar Country chateaux await you, their indomitable silhouettes punctuating the Midi sky. On windy evenings you just might perhaps hear the echo of the crusade against the Albigensians. the breath of History.
Area Activities
Raissac itself is a lovely calm place to be. While away the afternoons reading books under the tree. Join the locals in a jeu de boules in the lovely village park which is just around the corner. Walk down to the river through the vineyards (it doesn't matter which direction you go for the village is surrounded by the Aude and the Orbieu.When you are ready for some sight seeing then you are spoiled for choice.
** l'Abbaye de Fontfroide - a restored Cistercian abbey founded in the 11th Century. Just outside Narbonne but tucked out of sight deep in a valley in the corbieres surrounded by cypress trees.
*Sigean African Wildlife Reserve - 15km south of Narbonne. This safari park owes much of its unique character, to the 300 hectares of wild coastal Languedoc land, which houses more than 3,800 animals, which have large areas, which resemble their native environment, set aside.
**Basilique St-Nazaire Carcassonne- the first church would have been built in the 6th century under the Visigoths and King Theordoric. Documentation dates back to 925. The stained glass windows are considered to be the finest in the south of France
***La Cite in Carcassonne is a sight you simply must see. It is the largest fortress in Europe. It has been a World Heritage site since 1997.To visit is to be transported back seemingly to the Middle Ages (although it was restored in the 19th century.) The fireworks display on Bastille Day is breathtaking.
**The Cathar Trail - an 117 km trail which includes numerous castles and castle ruins including the "Five sons of Carcassonne" These precariously perched fortresses were places of refuge for Cathars fleeing the Inquisition. Don't miss the ***Chateau de Peyrepertuse.
Canal du Midi - this incredible feat of engineering which linked the Atlantic to the Mediterranean in the 17th Century is now a leisure paradise. The canal is just 5km from the house - a pleasant walk through the vines, an easy cycle ride or a short drive away. Between Carcassonne and Beziers the canal winds its way through the coutryside following the course of the river Aude.The banks are lined with plane trees offering welcome shade as you walk or cycle along the tow path.
***Toulouse - Bathed in Mediterrannean light Toulouse can take on a variety of hues depending on the time of day, ranging from scorching red to dusky pink. Toulouse was once the capital of those who spoke the langues d' oc. Now it is better known as the capital of the European space programme.
Cassoulet Trail - if you like French regional food (a la recent Rick Stein programme ) then a trip to Castelnaudary to try their famous cassoulet is a must do.
La Clape massif - once an island now la Clape towers above the sea offering some fabulous walks and wildlife, not to mention stunning sea views.
The lagoons - the Aude coastline has many salt water lagoons where traditional fishing methods are still practised. Watch the fishermen collecting oysters then try some with a glasss of white wine on the quayside at Gruissan.
Visit the beach! The mediterranean beaches are long and sandy and not too crowded Narbonne Plage is the nearest although Gruissan is prettier and Valras Plage can be reached just as quickly along the autoroute.
Location informationBeach : 35 kmLake : 15 km River : 1 km Golf: 50 km Garage: 2 km Restaurant: 4 km Cafe: 2 km Airport: 50 km - Carcassonne Ferry Port: 1150 km - Calais nearest major town: 16 km - Narbonne |
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FacilitiesBarbeque, Garden furniture, Car parking, Patio terrace, Dishwasher, Freezer, Fridge, Iron, Oven, Cooker, Washing machine, Stereo, TV, DVD, Telephone ( incoming, outgoing local, outgoing long, ) |
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Special interestsBeach : 20kmsLake : 15kms River : 2kms Golf : Courses available at Beziers and Carcassonne. 2 sets of clubs in the house |
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