Floure, near Trebes. Two lovely adjacent houses near the river Aude in the Minervois sleep 16 sharing large pool, terrace and gardens. Approached along a lane past vineyards and the bamboo lining the river, the houses are 20 yards apart, are let together and share all facilities including a large private swimming & paddling pool. Sleeps 16. 3 double bedrooms (2 en suite), 5 twin bedrooms.
La Florette and Chez Magali are two parts of a long building facing onto extensive grounds. They are normally let separately but can be let together for 16 people in 8 bedrooms. The houses look towards the river Aude on one side and towards the Corbieres hills on the other. There are two outside dining areas and barbecues, one within a pergola with overhead lighting and climbing solanum and passion flower. The lawn with its swing and the field beyond offer plenty of space for children's play. The pool is 11x5ms and has a paddling-pool from which water cascades into the main pool. The pool is private, exclusive to you. It is surrounded by walls or bushes and is not overlooked. It is fenced for security. The patio is broad with loungers etc. The house is in the country, not in the village, but only 2 miles from supermarkets etc in Trebes. There are no shops in Floure, only a magnificent chateau restaurant for that special evening out. You can take cruises on the Canal du Midi from Trebes and elsewhere; or you can hire your own boat for the day. The standards of decor, furnishing, equipment and overall comfort are very high throughout.
A car is essential. Trains stop at Carcassonne station to/from Toulouse and Narbonne. The nearest channel port is probably St. Malo 540 miles away via Toulouse. Carcassonne airport is 12 miles away.
Accommodation
Property Type
:
House, Self Catering, 4+ bedroom, Maximum Sleeping Capacity 16
Restrictions on smoking
:
No smoking
Bedrooms
:
La Florette: Bedroom 1: double with en suite shower and washbasin. Bedroom 2: double on the ground floor opposite wc & washbasin. Bedrooms 3, 4 and 5: twin bedrooms looking over the lawn towards the Corbieres hills. Chez Magali: Bedroom 1: double bedroom with four-poster bed and ensuite shower & washbasin. Looks over the lawn towards the Corbieres hills, as does bedroom 2, a twin bedroom. Bedroom 3: a twin bedroom with balcony looking towards the river Aude. Two travel cots are provided. Pushchairs and a high chair are available on request at no charge. Ample wardrobe and storage space in all bedrooms.
Bathrooms
:
La Florette: On the first floor, a bathroom with bath, shower, bidet & washbasin; also a second bathroom with shower and wc. the double bedroom on this floor has en suite shower and washbasin. There is one separate WC on the first floor and another on the ground floor.
La Florette: a large living-room whose windows look south over the terrace and lawn. A huge stone fireplace. Doors lead into the dining-room and the hall. Comfortable leather settees and excellent decor. Chez Magali: a spacious living area, again looking over the terrace and lawn. Leather settees and high standards of decor and overall comfort. Both houses have satellite television, a DVD player, some DVDs, many cassetes and even more books in English.
Utility Room
:
An outhouse contains an extra washing-machine. Also the central heating boiler.
External facilities
:
Large, long south-facing terrace leading on to the lawn with its children's swing. Beyond the lawn a large field for ball games. The private swimming pool (11x5ms) and paddling pool are set in a wide patio surrounded by walls and bushes and not overlooked. The pool is fenced for security. The driveway brings you into the property from the lane. To the rear there is one grassed garden and two gardens largely planted with busshes and shrubs. Two whirligigs, and two barbecues and two dining tables are also in the back gardens. Outdoor furniture includes loungers, sit-up chairs, wooden benches, parasols, tables etc. Outside lighting for the evenings.
Additional information
:
There is a lovely outside dining area under a pergola lined with climbing plants. With overhead lighting this provides a wonderful spot for dining and spinning out the long evenings. Its barbecue is nearby. The back gardens have dining tables and chairs also, and whirligigs.
Facilities
Parking Facilities
:
Chez Magali has its own lockable private parking area. La Florette has huge lockable parking space in the driveway or in the field.
Singles Facilities
:
Yes. We are able to offer facilities for singles.
Honeymoon Facilities
:
Yes. We are able to offer honeymoon facilities.
General Amenities/Facilities
Satellite TV, DVD, CD Player, Hairdryer, Clothes Airer, Telephone, Central Heating, Room Fans, Cot, High Chair, Barbeque, Patio Furniture, Pool - (Not Heated) - Private, Childrens Pool, Outside Shower for Pool area
Special Notes
Child Friendly
:
Yes. Our facilities are child friendly. We must assume that children will receive reasonable levels of supervision, especially on the swing and around the swimming-pool. Apart from its fencing, the pool patio has a child-proof gateway. The external gates for both houses are lockable. Both houses have proved very popular over the years. Remember that it only takes the letting of one of the houses to preclude the possibility of a joint let. Early booking for a joint let is therefore essential.
Pets Allowed
:
No. We are sorry, pets cannot be accommodated.
Noteworthy Features
:
The internal stairs may create difficulities for disabled people. However, in La Florette there is a double bedroom on the ground floor with a wc and washbasin on the other side of the hall. This may be helpful.
Management
Cleaning
:
Cleaning is done on changeover days, normally Saturday. Cleaning or washing during your stay may be provided by prior request and at your own expense. We ask that you do not muddle up the bedding, crockery, utensils etc. between the two houses. We expect visitors to keep the houses clean and tidy and leave them in this condition. Do not leave piles of dirty washing at the end of your stay. Please tell Roger, our handyman, of anything broken, not working or otherwise amiss so that he can put it right immediately.
Is bed Linen provided
:
Yes, bed linen is provided. Please bring your own cot sheets.
Are towels provided
:
Yes, towels are provided. Please bring your own towels for the beach and for sunbathing. Otherwise towels are provided free of charge.
Fishing may be possible without a licence, but check beforehand in the sports shop in Trebes. Within a few yards of the house there are several small spaces for fishing, cut into the banks of the Aude and scarcely visible. The Aude is classed as a second-class river. The first-class rivers tend to be in the Montagne Noire or the Corbieres, not far away. It is a quick drive to the sea, to Gruissan and Narbonne Plage, from the autoroute access at Trebes 3 miles away - perhaps 45 minutes. Visitors may wish to acquaint themselves with the history of the area before their stay, because you see Cathar castles in many places. 'The perfect heresy' by O'Shea is a good introduction. Boat trips on the Canal du Midi are an absolute delight. Short cruises go from Trebes, but you can hire a boat for yourselves, take your picnic and relax between the plane trees. Our handyman may take you for a trip in his boat - cheaper than commercial hire - by request and entirely at your own risk. There are fascinating caves in the Montagne Noire.
Golf
Carcassonne has an excellent golf course, looking towards the Pyrenees. There is a good restaurant attached. We can arrange an introduction. There are many other golf courses in the area.
Further Details
Supermarkets, other shops, internet cafe, banks, post office, cruise boats etc. are all at Trebes 2 miles away. Half-day cruises are delightful. Otherwise you can hire a boat of your own for the day from various places along the Canal. The Corbieres to the south and the Montagne Noire to the north are scarcely populated areas well worth exploring. Very good walking country. Ruins of Cathar castles scattered throughout the Corbieres. Carcassonne is Europe's largest fortified medieval city and a 'must' for visitors. The old City looks over the Aude and has wonderful old buildings, a basilica, battlements, turrets, a moat etc. Narrow streets have interesting, varied shops and small museums. Carcassonne 'new town' offers a wide range of shops and sporting and recreational facilities. Water-sports are available further up the Aude at Quillan or Axat. There are horse-riding facilities in the area. Fishing may be possible without a permit, but check first. There are lovely markets in the area as well as many vide-greniers. Carcassonne golf course is excellent, looking towards the Pyrenees. we can provide an introduction. The restaurant attached to the gold course is very good. Please get in touch if you are even vaguely interested in house-hunting locally. A very good English friend in the business will meet you to offer advice and information, without commitment on either side.
Access and Availability
Changeover Day
:
Change-over is normally on a Saturday. Off-season there is greater flexibility about this. You check in after 4.00 p.m. and leave by 10.00 a.m. If you arrive early it may be possible for you to ask the cleaner if you may leave your luggage and return later. We charge a supplement of £35 for a single-week booking of both houses, to cover the extra cleaning costs. We charge £50 per week for the use of the swimming-pool in May or October. Use of the pool is free in June, July, August and September. It is not available between November and April.
Open all year round
:
Yes
Open Christmas
:
Yes
Open New Year
:
Yes
Booking Notes
Contact us by post, telephone or e-mail, stating your intentions. Send the deposit, usually by cheque in Euros or pounds sterling. We acknowledge the cheque and confirm the booking. The balance is payable at least six weeks before your holiday. At that point, we send you more information including directions, together with keys to allow you to arrive at your convenience. You return the keys to us when you get back home. We ask you to complete an assessment questionnaire so that we can correct shortcomings and maintain standards. You check in after 4.00 p.m. and leave by 10.00 a.m. If you arrive early it may be possible for you to ask the cleaner if you may leave your luggage and return later. We ask for no security deposit, trusting that visitors will respect the efforts we have made to create a comfortable, convenient ansd relaxing holiday location. We do not expect visitors to use the telephone line for internet access. If you do want to do this, please ask us beforehand so that we can work out a method of charging. There is an internet cafe in Trebes. Please do not let cats into the house lest they cause damage or lest your successors are allergic to them. Please do not muddle up the crockery, utensils, bedding, books etc. between the two houses. The charge for any week derives from the charge for the month in which its first Saturday falls - i.e. if you start your holiday on, say, Saturday May 30th. you will be charged May rates. Electricity and heating costs are covered in the rental during the summer months. Off-season special arrangements may apply for the partial coverage of these costs.
Rental Periods
August 1st. - August 31st. 2008
£1900 per week.
September 1st. - September 30th. 2008
£1150 per week.
October 1st. - October 31st. 2008
£750 per week.
November 1st. 2008 - April 30th. 2009.
£575 per week.
May 1st. - May 31st. 2009
£750 per week.
June 1st. - June 30th. 2009
£1150 per week.
July 1st. - August 31st. 2009
£1900 per week.
Septyember 1st. - September 30th. 2009
£1150 per week.
October 1st. - October 31st. 2009.
£750 per week.
November 1st. 2009 - 30th. April 2010.
£575 per week.
Additional notes on pricing
Discounts may be arranged for lets over two weeks. Long lets may also be considered. Prices are for the property, not per person. We charge a supplement of £35 for a single-week booking of both houses, to cover the extra cleaning costs. We charge £50 per week for the use of the swimming-pool in May or October. Use of the pool is free in June, July, August and September. It is not available between November and April.The charge for any week derives from the charge for the month in which its first Saturday falls - i.e. if you start your holiday on, say, Saturday May 30th. you will be charged May rates. Electricity and heating costs are covered in the rental during the summer months. Off-season special arrangements may apply for the partial coverage of these costs.
Payment methods
Cheque
Currencies Accepted
GBP, Euro
Contact Details for Booking Enquiries or Further Information
Please let the Advertiser know that your enquiry is through Your Holiday Directory This Advertiser has been registered with us since 5 August 2008 This Advertising Campaign has been running since 11 August 2008
