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/CD/mp3 input 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. Broadband
internet access is available on request. 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.
