House in Pyrénées
Orientales
Location
30 minutes from
Perpignan airport in the Têt valley, at the end of a lane on the edge of a small
village in the foothills of the Pyrénées. The village has a small shop that is
open every day except Monday, selling bread, meats, cheeses, fresh vegetables,
wine, beer, local papers and most provisions. There is also a Post Office. A
good supermarket and all services are 10 minutes away by car, the Mediterranean
beaches are 30-40 minutes, Prades and lower slopes of Mt Canigou are 20-30
minutes.
Accommodation
The renovated living accommodation is on 2 levels
with cellars beneath. It will sleep 4 but is ideal for 2. You enter directly
into the South-facing living room that comprises kitchen corner with fridge,
cooker and sink, dining area and sitting area with radio/tape/CD and open
fireplace. This room enjoys open views over woodland towards the hills. Stairs
lead to the upstairs bedroom with double bed, ensuite with WC, wash basin and
storage area. This bedroom also looks out over the valley and has views up
towards the church and chateau above the village. There is a further room
downstairs off the living area that has a double convertible divan, an en-suite
shower room with wash-basin and washing machine, and separate WC. There are
electric convection heaters in each room. Please bring your own bed-linen and
towels.
Outside
There is a small garden
area where you can sit in sun or shade. A path leads off from the lane into the
cork oak forest and garrique covered hills.
Eating Out
In
the village, roughly from April to October, there are two excellent places to
dine. The restaurant "Une Table au Cortalets" specialises in salads,
grilled meat and fish dishes whilst at the Cafe Pizzeria du Chateau your
pizza will be freshly made and cooked to order in a wood-fired oven. You will
also find a variety of restaurants in nearby locations and for those who like
seafood, the pretty seaside towns of the Côte Vermeille are not very far away.
Walking
This is great walking country - there are
boundless possibilities from the gentle stroll to the heroic.
Nearby
There is a lot to explore, immediately accessible
from the footpath behind the house, including a ruined village and a tiny
Romanesque chapel hidden away the woods less than half a mile away. You can see
the Med on a clear day from above the village if you climb high enough.
Further afield
There are many footpaths and Grandes Randonées in
this area. With a car you can easily take in starting points from the Corbiére
hills to the north, the Têt valley itself or the Tech valley to the south.
Serious walkers can attempt Mt Canigou by one of several access routes.
Places
to visit
This is just a small selection,
there is so much to see and explore - check out the Rough Guide to the Pyrénées
for other information on the area.
