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Joie de Vivre Holidays is a member of ABTOF,
The Association of British Travel Organisers to France
Gite Topaze
General Description
· One of 5 lovely gites available for adult couples only, situated in the garden and beside the swimming pool of a 100 year old residence with lots of history and which once belonged to a wealthy wine producer and trader, in the lively town of Olonzac, the 'capital' of the Minervois. The owners have thought about everything to make your stay more comfortable and enjoyable.
· Ideal perhaps for a romantic holiday for two, or for house-hunting or sight-seeing in the area, the gites were converted from the original staff quarters and stables of the old house. They comprise a comfortable living room and galley-style kitchenette on the ground floor, and a spacious bedroom and shower room on the first floor. They each have a gravelled terrace with a table and chairs for al fresco dining - see also Gite Topaze Dorée which has an additional private terrace . The municipal park next door was once part of the garden but now provides a pleasant place to go for a stroll.
· Gite Topaze is situated in the town of Olonzac which has shops, bars, restaurants, take-aways and a great Tuesday morning market - all just a few steps away. Despite being in the town, the garden location is both calm and enchanting and you are free to enjoy the space.
· A member of the Joie de Vivre team stayed here personally whilst house-hunting in the area, so the gites here are recommended, especially as the owners are very flexible about your arrival and departure dates (minimum stay 3 nights) - great if you want to fly on a low-cost airline. They go out of their way to make you welcome and have a good knowledge of the local area; they are also licenced to sell beer, pastis and wine to guests on their terrace.
The Local Area
· The town of Olonzac is the 'capital' of the Minervois region and is well-serviced with shops, a supermarket, bars, restaurants and has its own weekly market on a Tuesday morning. Olonzac is a thriving town with new developments taking place - it's lively in summer and has its own music festival in August (please enquire for the dates!).
· As well as using the large swimming pool at Gite Topaze (13m x 5m) you can also play tennis in the park in Olonzac. At Lac du Jouarres, a very short drive or bike ride away, you'll find a beach, further swimming, fishing, wind-surfing etc. This area is great for cycling with many interesting villages and the Canal du Midi is just a short ride away (a local cycle-hire company, English speaking, will deliver your bikes to you at Gite Topaze! - please enquire for details).
· Olonzac is a great base for exploring the Minervois wine region and wine-lovers will find numerous chateaux and 'domaines' offering wine- tastings and direct sales. Whilst here, you can also visit the ancient city of Minerve, the medieval city of Carcassonne, Narbonne with its cathedral, archbishop's palace and famous indoor market, Beziers and the staircase of 9 locks on the Canal du Midi at Fontseranes, the abbeys of Fontfroide and Lagrasse, and the beach resorts of Narbonne- and Gruissan- Plage.
· Markets - There is a Tuesday morning market in Olonzac just a few steps away - offering local produce, wine, plants, clothing, household goods, shoes - all you could wish for and more. In fact you'll lack nothing when staying in Olonzac; you'll find you don't need to venture far if you don't want to.
· Restaurants - Olonzac has a number of reasonably-priced restaurants and all are within walking distance, and just down the road in Homps there is a further good selection of bars and restaurants with different types of food on offer. Further afield our clients' favourites are: Cafe du Port, Paraza (open spring to October), the Auberge de St Martin at Beaufort and Lo Cagarole at Aigne. All worth a try!
Facilities
· Living/Dining room/Kitchenette: These areas are open plan on the ground floor. There is a two-seater settee and two armchairs, a coffee table and a table and 2 chairs for dining. The TV receives international channels including satellite UK channels. The galley-style kitchenette is well-equipped with fridge/freezer, oven, hob, microwave and all crockery and utensils. Each gite is centrally-heated making them ideal for out-of-season holidays. The owners will permit the use of their washing machine, with prior notice, which is in a communal area, together with an an ironing board and iron if required.
· Bedroom: 1 light and airy double bedroom on the first floor, with storage and hanging, overlooking the pool and the garden. Fans are provided in the summer. Please note that the photographs shown are representative of all the gites here.
· Bathroom: There is a shower room with a large power shower, basin and WC on the first floor.
· Outside: Outside each gite is a small gravelled terrace with a table and 2 chairs. (Gite Topaze Dorée has an additional private terrace.) A barbecue is available for your use. Further chairs and sun-loungers are available in the garden and around the swimming pool. Car parking is on the street by the side of the house.
· Swimming pool: The shared pool is a good size, 5m x 13m, and well maintained. A recent addition is an outdoor spa pool/jaccuzzi for relaxing after a busy day's sight-seeing.
· Internet: An internet connection via WiFi is normally available outside on the terrace of the main house for use with your own laptop. There is also an internet cafe in Homps.
· Telephone: Sorry, there is no telephone in the gite, but mobile phone signals in the area are generally good.
· Baby facilities: As the accommodation is for adults only, there are no baby facilities available.
· Winter heating: Is included in the rental cost.
· Gas, electric, & water: are all included in the rental cost.
· End-of-stay cleaning: is included in the rental cost.
· Bed & bathroom linen: is included in the rental cost.
· Taxe de Sejour: in France, it is necessary to pay a “Taxe de Séjour” at the end of your stay. From 1st April until 30th September, it is chargeable at the 'guide' rate of Euros 1.00 per person per day, payable direct to the owners.
· Damage deposit: The owner requests a damage deposit of 50 Euros on arrival and this will be refunded to you at the end of your stay, less the replacement cost of any breakages.
· Change over day: Flexible whenever possible, please enquire.
· Long weekend stays and mini breaks: We welcome your specific requests for prices and availability for long weekends or mini-breaks. Long term lettings: available in the Low Season months only subject to availability - please enquire for the price.
· Pets: small dogs may be permitted in Gite Topaze Doree which has the additional private terrace. Please note that the owners here also have friendly dogs.
How To Get There
· By Car - The town of Olonzac situated just north of the 'D' road that runs between Beziers and Carcassonne. The nearest motorway junction is No:25 (Lezignan Corbieres) on the A61 Autoroute des Deux Mers. or No:36 (Beziers West) on the A9 Languedocienne .
· By Air - Carcassonne and Beziers Airports are almost equi-distant - approximately 40-45 minutes drive away, so you can take advantage of the low-cost flights offered by Ryanair from many airports in the UK, Belgium and Ireland. Alternative airports are Perpignan, and Montpellier both just over 1 hour's drive away. Toulouse and Nimes are further options - about 1 hour 40 minutes drive. And finally Girona not far over the border into Spain - about 21/2 hours drive.
· By Train - Please visit www.raileurope.co.uk for details of the overnight Motorail service to Narbonne (summer months only). SNCF run a service from Paris to Narbonne.
Full directions etc will be sent once you make a booking.
