St Antonin Noble Val holiday home accommodation, Caylus with walking, log fire, balcony/terrace, internet access, telephone, rural

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Django (house)

Home description

Our house is on the edge of a rural hamlet and surrounded by unspoilt woodland. Away from it all, yet within a few minutes' drive of Caylus, with its cafes, art galleries, mediaeval buildings and beautiful village square.

It's the perfect setting for a holiday for a large family group or party of friends. The large garden and secluded pool area provide plenty of space for both energy and relaxation. Enjoy a glass of local wine with a leisurely meal on the glorious covered terrace by the house after a walk or cycle ride along one of the extensive local trails.

View of the house from the garden	Eat al fresco on the covered terrace
The secluded pool area

To see more photos please visit http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/28087

The Midi-Pyrenees / Tarn-et-Garonne region

The Midi-Pyrenees is a vast south-western region of France with a great climate, beautuful and varied countryside, historic architecture and a relatively small population. Caylus is in the département of Tarn-et-Garonne, and more specifically the historic area of Quercy, with its incredible diversity of landscape and rich cultural history. Think of lush green hillsides, dramatic limestone gorges, picturesque fortified mediaeval villages and chateaux. Spot the many different designs of the 'pigeonniers' characteristic of the area.

Close by is St Antonin Noble Val, so-named due to its situation in a valley deep in a spectacular gorge carved by the river Aveyron. The mairie in St Antonin is reputed to be the oldest in France, and another claim to fame is that the film of 'Charlotte Gray' was filmed in its ancient narrow streets.

Many other picturesque villages and towns such as Penne, Montpezat-de-Quercy, Najac, Cordes-sur-Ciel, Bruniquel, Lauzerte, St Cirq Lapopie and Albi are a short drive away. For a longer outing, the incredible Millau Bridge over the Gorges du Tarn is a two-hour drive away.

The people of the region are renowned for generosity of spirit and hospitality to visitors. The pace of life is leisurely with everything stopping for the traditional two-hour lunch. Local specialities include goose and duck dishes, tasty breads, cheeses and mouth-watering fruit, not to mention the produce of the many vineyards.

The domains and chateaux of the Cahors and Gaillac wine regions are within easy striking distance. Gaillac perlé, a dry white wine with a slight tang, is a favourite of ours. Do sample the local Coteaux de Quercy wines too, red, white and rosé, all delicious.

St Antonin Noble Val / Caylus area

Caylus, a few kilometres from our house, is a mediaeval village nestling in the valley of the river Bonnette, a tributary of the Aveyron. There is a beautiful square and church with a renowned wooden sculpture of Christ by Ossip Zadkine, a contemporary of Picasso's. You'll find a select choice of restaurants and bars, perfect for sitting and watching the world go by. If you're feeling more energetic there are tennis courts, and plenty of walking and cycling trails through the gorgeous countryside.

The twice-weekly Caylus market offers local seasonal produce, and there are supermarkets and other shops for all your holiday needs. Nearby St Antonin is renowned for its bustling Sunday morning market, a treat for all visitors. St Antonin is also a centre for canoeing, kayaking, rock-climbing, pot-holing and hang-gliding. And there are plenty of opportunities nearby for other activities such as fishing, mountain-biking and horse-riding.

If you love art, it is well worth visiting the Toulouse-Lautrec museum in Albi and the Musée Ingres in Montauban. `There are also regular modern art exhibitions in the nearby Abbaye de Rouergue, as well as smaller local artists' galleries in nearby villages.

While in Albi, don't miss the impressive red-brick cathedral. Toulouse, an hour's drive away, is France's fourth largest city and also a centre of aeronautical and space technology. A visit to La Cité de l'Espace is a must for all ages.

Summer festivals are held in many villages and towns in the summer months. Of particular note are the Cahors Blues Festival and the Montauban Jazz Festival, both held every July. The ancient village of Bruniquel hosts several festivals, including a sausage festival! Nearby Penne stages 'son et lumiere' focused on its dramatic ruined chateau. Caussade, famed for hat manufacture, holds a hat show in July.

As well as the activities mentioned above, children will enjoy outings to the acrobatics centre in St Antonin, the caves of the Grotte de Bosc and the Grotte de Pech Merle, full of stalagmites and stalactites, the 'ferme animalière' near Molières, the water-park at Albi and the steam train at Monclar de Quercy.

For teenagers wanting to socialise in the evening, there is a disco in the nearby village of Septfonds.

How to get there

Our holiday home is easy to reach, by plane, road or train.

Plane: Cheap flights to Rodez from Stansted via Ryanair, and to Toulouse from Gatwick and other UK airports via Easyjet, BA and others. Both airports are just over an hour's drive away.

Car hire: A good choice of cars as well as reasonable rates can be found at www.holidayautos.co.uk

Road: Only twenty minutes' drive from junction 59 - Caussade - of the A20 motorway. Driveable from Calais in less than a day.

Train: Caussade has a fast train link to/from Paris and Toulouse

Motorail: Nearest terminus is Brive, less than two hours' drive away.

Activities near St Antonin Noble Val

Facilities

Further details indoors:
The spacious living/dining room has a fully fitted kitchen area at one end and an attractive wood-burning fire with comfortable sofas at the other. The large utility room houses washing machine, tumble drier, ironing equipment, a fridge-freezer and plenty of storage space.

Downstairs are two well-appointed double bedrooms, one with a king-size bed. Upstairs is a large double bedroom and a twin-bedded/king-size room with an additional twin-bedded room leading off it. All bedrooms have spacious wardrobes and chests of drawers. There are fans in the bedrooms and the living-room to relieve the heat of summer nights. There are two large bathrooms, one downstairs with bath, separate shower, wash-basin and toilet, and one upstairs, with over-bath shower, wash-basin, toilet and bidet.

The lounge area opens on to a glorious covered terrace with table and chairs for al fresco eating. For an evening in, there's satellite TV, a selection of DVDs, videos, CDs and music tapes, and various card and board games. There's an iPod docking station for your own music too. We also have a library of classics, modern novels and books about the region.

Further details outdoors:
The private 10 by 5 metre swimming pool has a large patio with sunbeds, table, chairs and sunshades and there is plenty of natural shade too. The pool is fitted with a special cover for the safety of small children.

The garden also has a table-tennis table, boules piste and plenty of space for other garden games. There is substantial parking space.

Abundant flora and fauna are on display in the garden, including spectacular butterflies like the scarce swallowtail and birds such as the unusual-looking hoopoe with its crested head. The bird-table provides a focal point for observing the local varieties. You'll find binoculars in the house.

Beyond the large garden is the 'pâtis' (common land) where horses occasionally graze and lovely wild flowers are to be found, including many varieties of wild orchid.

Within a hundred metres from Django, you can see the Roque Corbieres and our beautiful local gorge. A narrow path winds its way over rocky terrain and through delicate undergrowth down to the stream where you'll find a recently-restored 'lavoir' where the locals used to do their washing.

Further details

Free dial-up internet access is included as is local use of the phone.

Conditions

Sorry, no smoking is allowed in the house.

Rental changeovers are usually Saturday to Saturday. Please enquire for special arrangements or if you are interested in spending Christmas, New Year at Django. Discounts are available for short off-season breaks.

Rental rates

Prices for group size 10
Period	From	To	Weekly	Nightly rate		Minimum  stay
				Weekday	Weekend
Low season	26 Sep 09	19 Dec 09	650£ 650	0-	0-	3 Nights
Christmas/New Year	19 Dec 09	9 Jan 10	975£ 975	0-	0-	1 Week
Low season	9 Jan 10	27 Mar 10	650£ 650	0-	0-	1 Week
Easter	27 Mar 10	10 Apr 10	975£ 975	0-	0-	1 Week
Mid season	10 Apr 10	26 Jun 10	875£ 875	0-	0-	1 Week
High season	26 Jun 10	31 Jul 10	1275£ 1,275	0-	0-	1 Week
Peak season	31 Jul 10	28 Aug 10	1475£ 1,475	0-	0-	1 Week
Mid season	28 Aug 10	25 Sep 10	875£ 875	0-	0-	1 Week
Low season	25 Sep 10	22 Dec 10	650£ 650	0-	0-	3 Nights
Christmas/New Year	22 Dec 10	8 Jan 11	975£ 975	0-	0-	1 Week

Prices for group size 6
Period	From	To	Weekly	Nightly rate		Minimum  stay
				Weekday	Weekend
Low season	26 Sep 09	19 Dec 09	575£ 575	0-	0-	3 Nights
Christmas/New Year	19 Dec 09	9 Jan 10	875£ 875	0-	0-	1 Week
Low season	9 Jan 10	27 Mar 10	575£ 575	0-	0-	1 Week
Easter	27 Mar 10	10 Apr 10	875£ 875	0-	0-	1 Week
Mid season	10 Apr 10	26 Jun 10	725£ 725	0-	0-	1 Week
High season	26 Jun 10	31 Jul 10	1075£ 1,075	0-	0-	1 Week
Peak season	31 Jul 10	28 Aug 10	1275£ 1,275	0-	0-	1 Week
Mid season	28 Aug 10	25 Sep 10	725£ 725	0-	0-	1 Week
Low season	25 Sep 10	22 Dec 10	575£ 575	0-	0-	3 Nights
Christmas/New Year	22 Dec 10	8 Jan 11	875£ 875	0-	0-	1 Week

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

Guestbook for Django

"We liked the setting of the house as it was so peaceful and relaxing and the children could run around without the worry of passing cars" - VN and family, Norwich

"Wonderful variety of wild flowers and wildlife" - RC and JC, Felsted

"It's a joy to be back in this peaceful hamlet" - JM and friends, Sheffield

"The gite is great and all of the children have made full use of the pool. Local towns are very photogenic. Kayaking on the Aveyron and walking in the Pyrenees kept the energetic busy." - VR, MF and families, Watlington

"There was something for all of us - a party of ten aged 15 months to 65" - RP and family, Edinburgh

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/28087

Contact details for the advertiser of home 28087
Name:	Janna Offen
Mobile:	+44 (0)7710 125384
Be aware of time-zones Please mention Holiday Lettings when contacting this advertiser
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Contact Notes: By email or phone at any time of day
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Advertiser joined: May 2007