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Joie de Vivre Holidays is a member of ABTOF,
The Association of British Travel Organisers to France
Maison d Argent
General Description
- Maison d'Argent was originally a wine-makers house and built around 1850. It has been superbly renovated, decorated and furnished to provide a modern, stylish and comfortable holiday home which is in keeping with the exposed stone walls and beams.
- This 2-storey property has a large open plan living/dining room of approximately 100 sq.m. and a well-equipped kitchen. From the living area you can look out onto the garden and pool and also the interior courtyard.
- A really attractive feature is the sunny, calm, interior courtyard of 25 sq.m. which can be accessed from all the downstairs rooms via large sliding glass doors which can be left open when the weather is beautiful. See below for more details....
- Upstairs there are 4 bedrooms one of which has an en-suite bathroom. Three of the bedrooms have double beds and one has twin beds; one of the bedrooms also has a lovely balcony. There are 2 further well-appointed shower rooms with separate WCs.
- Outside is a very private, charming spacious garden and swimming pool enclosed by lovely stone walls. The garden has a 'summer kitchen' and table and chairs for dining alfresco.
- Maison d'Argent is located in the centre of this 'get away from it all', quiet, attractive village with an excellent wine 'cave' and a pizzeria.
- Within a short 10-15 minute drive, there's a choice of supermarkets, boulangeries, bars and restaurants in Olonzac, St Marcel sur Aude, or Bize Minervois.
- Having 4 bedrooms and 3 bath/shower rooms, the property lends itself to a large family, or a group of friends holidaying together.
- Please Note: during the period from 14th July to 25th August 2012, the owners are accepting a minimum of 2 weeks bookings only.
The Local Area
- The small, attractive village of Pouzols Minervois is set on a little hill in a sunny location and has views to the South towards the Pyrenees and to the North, the Montagne Noir. It is close to a couple of lovely spots on the Canal du Midi and is a good location from which to explore the cities, towns, villages, beaches and sights of the lovely Languedoc region.
- The location of the village is to the North of the main road which runs between Carcassonne and Beziers. The property is just a 25 minute drive from Narbonne, 30 minutes from Beziers, 40 minutes from the Mediterranean beaches and from Carcassonne.
- Activities: This is a fantastic area for walkers, cyclists (cycle hire available locally), horse-riding (locally), and wind-surfing, kite-boarding and all other types of watersports on the coast. At Lac du Jouarres, just 15 minutes away, you can swim from a beach, and windsurf in the summer months. For golfers, there are courses in Carcassonne and in Beziers.
- Sightseeing: There's plenty of lovely and interesting places to choose from during your stay here e.g. Carcassonne, Minerve, Lagrasse, Narbonne, Pezenas, Mirepoix to name but a few. For children, the region has many long, fine sandy beaches, the giant caves at Cabrespine, the African Nature Reserve at Sigean, and the Dinosaur Museum at Esperaza. Don't miss a trip to the Oulibo, a working olive-oil mill at Bize Minervois, or enjoy a wine tasting at many of the chateau and wineries locally. Further afield: a day trip to Spain is easy as the border is less than 90 minutes drive away.
- Markets: The markets of the region are colourful, interesting, quite a social event and full of fresh local produce. They sell everything from jewellery, to basketware, to beds! You can visit Olonzac market on a Tuesday morning, Lezignan Corbieres on a Wednesday, and Narbonne on a Thursday and Sunday. The renowned indoor food market in Les Halles in Narbonne is open every morning.
- Restaurants: Recommended locally is 'Les Oliviers' at Cabezac, 'Chantoven't in Minerve, 'En Bonne Compagni'e in Homps, 'Cafe du Port' in Paraza, 'La Distillerie' in St Marcel - and there are many others. Pouzols itself has a pizzeria.
- Supermarkets: The nearest supermarkets are in Olonzac or St Marcel sur Aude - 10-15 minutes drive away. Both places have a variety of other shops, pharmacies, banks etc.
Facilities
- Living Room: Stylishly furnished with a comfortable sofa and armchairs, a coffee table, and a TV receiving mainly French channels and a DVD player. This area looks out onto both the charming internal courtyard and the garden and swimming pool beyond.
- Dining Area: This has a charming dining table and seating for eight people.
- Kitchen: Fitted kitchen in character with the house with hob, oven, dishwasher, washing machine, coffee maker, toaster, microwave, fridge, freezer, toaster and kettle, hoover, ironing board and iron.
- Interior private courtyard: Accessible from all the downstairs rooms via sliding glass doors, there's a table and chairs, sun-loungers and a parasol. Within the courtyard is a very pleasant little water pool which can be illuminated in the evenings.
- Bedrooms: There are 4 in total all on the first floor - three have double beds and one has twin beds. All are comfortably and attractively furnished. One of the bedrooms has a balcony.
- Bathrooms:There's one en-suite bathroom with a bath tub, and two shower rooms and 2 separate WCs. All are well appointed and beautifully styled.
- Outside: Is a totally private garden surrounded by lovely old stone walls. This has a 'summer kitchen' and a table and chairs for alfresco dining.
- Swimming Pool: The private swimming pool is 3m x 9m and is secured by lockable doors from the house. The pool is normally open from May to the end of September.
- Internet: Sorry, an internet connection isn't available here. There are however internet cafes in Olonzac and Homps.
- Additional Accommodation: The owners also offer for rental MAISON D OR, also in this village offering the possibility to accommodate a total of 16 people if required and subject to availability.
- Telephone: Sorry there is no landline telephone here. However mobile phone signals in the region are generally good.
- Baby Facilities: A cot for a baby is available upon request.
- Heating and Electricity: 500KW of electricity is included in the week's rental price. This is normally sufficient. Should you consume more (with heating etc.) the owners make a charge based on your metered consumption which is payable direct to the owners at the end of your stay.
- Water: Is included in the rental price.
- End of Stay Cleaning: Is included in the rental price. The property must be left neat and tidy as found.
- Bed and Bathroom Linen: Is not included in the rental price so that you only pay for what you need. Sheets and pillowcases are 10 euros per bed per week, towels are priced at 5 euros per set of 2 per person per week. It is possible to pay us in advance in £'s, so please let us know what you need when enquiring and we can include them in the total price.
- Taxe de Sejour: In France it is necessary to pay a Taxe de Sejour at the end of your holiday. It is included here in the rental price.
- Damage Deposit: The owners request a damage deposit of 600 euros which is payable upon arrival. It will be refunded to you at the end of your stay less the replacement cost of any breakages or damage.
- Change Over Day: Saturday only through the summer months. Other days may be considered in the Low Season.
- Long weekend Stays: Short breaks of a minumum of 3 nights may be considered during the Low Season - please enquire for price and availability.
- Pets: Pets are not allowed here, sorry
- Smoking: Smoking is not permitted inside this villa.
How To Get There
- By Car: The village is located just 22kms North West of Narbonne. The nearest motorway exit is No: 25 Lezignan Corbieres on the A61 Autoroute.
- By Air: Carcassonne Airport is 45 minutes drive, Beziers 35 minutes, and Perpignan 1 hour, Montpellier approx. 1hour 15 minutes. Toulouse and Girona (N Spain) are also good alternatives.
- By Train: The nearest railway stations are Narbonne and Beziers. Please click on the link to RAIL EUROPE on our website for details of train times and tickets to this region. You are recommended to have a car at this property.
Full directions will be provided once you have made a firm booking.
