Aix En Provence holiday home rental with private pool, walking, beach/lake nearby, log fire, balcony/terrace, telephone, rural retreat

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The Reading Nook (house)

Home description

JUNE to AUG 2009 - SPECIAL DISCOUNT 250 EUROS OFF LISTED RATES (JUNE/JULY=now 1500/wk, AUG = 1700/wk!!!). The Reading Nook is a charming, pleasant family home in traditional provencal mas-style, tucked away in the village of Fuveau 15 minutes south of Aix-en-Provence at the foot of Cezanne’s mountain Ste. Victoire and 25 minutes from the Mediterranean beaches. Set on 1 acre, it is a comfortable 4 bedrooms, with one extra (5th) room set aside as a playroom, and sleeps 8, with a daybed in the playroom for a 9th guest if required, and a sofabed in the lounge. The home is full of rustic character - hand carved post, wooden ceiling beams, pine doors, framed picture windows, and simply but tastefully decorated, with French quilts, Sanderson/Laura Ashley soft furnishings, Villeroy and Boch baths, Horus Victorian taps, Porcelanosa tiles. The house is aptly named as it a haven from the modern world, providing a corner for rest, relaxation and reading. It is ideal for couples and retirees, a family with children looking for run-around space, two families sharing or family reunions. With woods, a terraced garden, fruit trees, and a pool to lounge by.

Whether your passions are the arts, history, physical activities, foods and wines, touring or antiquing, Provence has it all. Aix-en-Provence, home of impressionist painter Paul Cezanne and French literary author Emile Zola, hosts the premier summer arts and cultural festivals flocked to by the Parisians. Within an hour's drive is Avignon, home of the Vatican for 400 years, Baux-de-Provence - noted as 'the prettiest (medieval) village' by the French, Nimes and Arles - home to Van Gogh, and chic St. Tropez and Cannes. Nice is 90 minutes away, Italy and skiing are just 2 hours away. Too much activity? Just want to sit still and relax on your vacation? A pool, hammock, barbecue, house stocked with books and videos, large yard for children to run around in and children’s playthings, boardgames, the Provencal sun…The Reading Nook.

House Front	5m x 10m pool
Living Room	Terrace

To see more photos please visit http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/20521

The Provence Alpes Cote d'Azur / Bouches-du-Rhone region

An area coveted by the French because of its continual good weather, blue skies and temperate Mediterranean climate, Provence is an excellent place to come for a holiday. We are located 25 minutes from Mediterranean beaches, 2 1/2 hours drive to skiing, 1 hour to Nice and 1 1/2 hours to Italy. Provence is rich in Roman history, art history and literary history.

Arts: Walk down the cobbled streets of Aix to visit impressionist painter Cezanne’s actual art studio. Go west to Arles and Nimes, where Van Gogh lived and painted scenes of haystacks and starry nights. Picasso’s last home (and burial site) was in Le Tholonet, next to Aix. To the east is Matisse’s museum in his hometown of Nice, as well as artist community St. Paul-de-Vence.

History: Roman history is very close at hand. The Pont du Gard Roman aqueduct, one of the 10 wonders of the ancient world, is 1 hour north, near Avignon, the site of the Vatican for 400 years. Visit Roman ruins near St. Remy-de-Provence and the Roman amphitheatre at Nimes 1 hour west, where bullfights are still held. Medieval Baux-de-Provence, 1 hour away, is complete with a catapult, a battering ram and views to the sea. It is also the ancient home of the Grimaldis, who are now reigning in Monaco (e.g., Princess Grace’s family).

Touring: A wide stretch of southern France is within your reach within 90 minutes. In addition to the sites mentioned above, visit the salty marshes of the Camargues east, where wild white horses and pink flamingoes still roam. To the North: The beautiful Luberon mountains which hide Roussillon, home of ‘ochre’ (visit and find out why!), picturesque Gordes built high on a hilltop, and Abbey de Senaque, a functioning monastery of historical architectural significance, surrounded by lush purple lavender.

Physical Activities: Hikes up or kite flying at Cezanne’s mountain, horse-back riding, white-water rafting or canoeing under the Pont du Gard, skiing in the lower Alps, bicycling along the Tour de France routes, rock-climbing on the Calanque fjords at the sea, and of course, all water sports one could expect at the azur blue Mediterranean only 25 minutes away: swimming, snorkeling, sailing, wind-surfing, scuba-diving, deep sea fishing.

Aix En Provence area

Festivals: Aix-en-Provence is a favourite town of artists and writers. The summer cultural festival is full of life, music, theatre, dance and art. Different festivals throughout the year mean great vendors' booths (artisanal soaps, jewellery, antiques, etc.) gracing the streets of Cours Mirabeau in Aix with a grand event at Christmas time. In our little village Fuveau, the Foire St. Michel is held the 2nd week-end of September, where local artisans ply their hand-made ware and foods, while villagers dress in historic costumes to dance traditional provencal dances. The Foire occurs in conjunction with Fuveau’s international book festival where reknown international authors come to speak.

How to get there

Contact the advertiser for further details on the best way to reach this property.

Activities near Aix En Provence

Facilities

Further details indoors:
The original owner built the Reading Nook, and you will see his handiwork carved on the wooden porch post as you enter the house. The sunken living room and raised dining room are floored in limestone tiles, with French doors that open to the back yard. Both rooms are decorated with rose motif Laura Ashley curtains and the living room is stocked with books, mini-stereo, small TV and DVD player. By the fireplace in the living room there is a marbled hallway which houses all the videos and leads into a separate room that has been set up as a playroom, with its own French doors exiting to the back. The playroom has boardgames and some toys, plus a black iron-framed daybed that can used for separate sleeping facilities, if required. The dining room boasts an unique oak hutch built into the wall, also accessible on the other side in the charming yellow and blue tiled kitchen, which has an exterior door that exits to the outside patio. A mirrored pine door in the kitchen leads to the laundry and storage, with washing machine and dryer. Off the dining room is a powder room decorated in lavender jouy toile wallpaper, and beside it, behind a rustic pine door, a double sized bedroom with sized yellow-cream sleigh bed, covered with a light rose French quilt.

The entry hallway, stairwell and upstairs hallway are all in bright happy Provencal yellow. Lavender sprigs from the garden hang from the ceiling beams in the upstairs landing. All bedrooms have wooden ceiling beams and both bathtubs in the bathrooms upstairs boast deep bathtubs and antique Victorian style taps. The main bathroom also has a separate shower. The master bedroom has a queen size bed and an en suite, and is decorated in a rose and blue print. The 2nd bedroom has bunkbeds and is decorated in different shades of deep sky blue and azur blue, depicting the rich dawn and dusk skies of Provence. Fluorescent stars on the walls near the ceiling beams complete the sky theme. The 3rd bedroom is in light lavender and has 2 twin beds covered in floral provencal quilts. Both the 2nd and 3rd bedrooms have bookcases holding a number of children’s books for different ages.

Further details outdoors:
The yard is rectangular in shape, with the house in the middle. To the left of the house, is a 6 foot dry stone wall overlooking an expanse of pine woods, with a basketball hoop in a clearing. The front of the house has been landscaped, with a low picturesque dry stone wall and graceful steps on the left side. The yard to the right has been terraced at 3 levels, with two 2-foot dry stone walls separating each terrace. The upper terrace has fruit trees. The lower terraces provide good play or lounging about space, as does the back yard. The back patio, set in pretty white stone, offers easy entry into the kitchen and dining area. To the right of the house is a pathway leading to the 5x10 pool and poolhouse that is separate from the house, situated in a private, quiet location surrounded by mature shrubs and accessed only by a large locked wooden gate,.

Further details

Lets are Saturday to Saturday, check in 4PM, check out 10AM. Prices include utilities, linens and towels. Cleaning and laundry surcharge of 70 euros for parties over 6 people.

Conditions

20% deposit upon booking. Remainder due 8 weeks prior to arrival.

Rental rates

Period	From	To	Weekly	Nightly rate		Minimum  stay
				Weekday	Weekend
September	1 Sep 09	1 Oct 09	1450£ 1,295	0-	0-	1 Week
Autumn	1 Oct 09	19 Dec 09	950£ 848	0-	0-	3 Nights
Holiday Season	19 Dec 09	9 Jan 10	1050£ 938	0-	0-	1 Week
Winter	9 Jan 10	1 Apr 10	950£ 848	0-	0-	3 Nights
Spring	1 Apr 10	1 Jun 10	1450£ 1,295	0-	0-	1 Week
June	1 Jun 10	1 Jul 10	1950£ 1,741	0-	0-	1 Week
July - August	1 Jul 10	1 Sep 10	2150£ 1,920	0-	0-	1 Week
September	1 Sep 10	1 Oct 10	1450£ 1,295	0-	0-	1 Week

NB: Prices may be subject to change at the advertiser's discretion.

Cleaning fee of 70 euros for parties 6-7, 90 euros for parties 8+ to be passed to cleaner. Except during summer months, short stays and discounts for long stays possible.

Availability

See below for next 9 months' availability - to see the next 24 months click here

Send Enquiry

To contact this advertiser please visit: http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/20521

Contact details for the advertiser of home 20521
Name:	Chris West
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Advertiser joined: Feb 2007