Charming Home in Southern France - Peaceful Retreat. *Available for Fall-Winter 2012!*

Need some calm and peace? Want to take a break? Hide out and write? Need a sabbatical home for 2012-2013? How about some cycling? Wine-tasting? Relaxing on the beach? This house will soothe your nerves and stimulate your creativity. There is a terrace with beautiful views of the Vaunage Valley, stone floors, chimney. Relax.

Reserve now! Home available November 2012 - May 2013! June through August 2013 also possible. Contact us!

Check out this charming mid-18th C. maison de village in southern France! It is available during the academic year (September through May, dates negotiable, summer dates possible). The 2+ BR house is located in the village of Calvisson (4500 inhabitants), about halfway between Nîmes & Montpellier, 30 minutes to the Mediterranean; 45 minutes to Arles; 1 hour to Avignon; 3 hours from Paris via TGV. Even the Costa Brava is only 3.5 hours away! It is well-located and one can easily reach all the touristy spots without actually living in them (with all the other tourists). It's a calm, peaceful, yet vibrant village that has everything you need. The house is simple yet comfortable. We love it and know that you will too!

This 18th C. house was entirely renovated within the last ten years, including the tile roof, and features 2 ample bedrooms; living room with wood burning fireplace; eat in "American" kitchen; toilet/shower room; and mixed-use room (could be a home office or "mud room"). There is also a small terrace with extraordinary views, and a laundry room and second toilet/shower and playroom in the well-lighted lower level. Heated by electric panels and a wood burning stove (poele à bois) to take off the morning chill in late fall and winter (it never really gets that cold). Enjoy sunrises on the terrace, and sunsets on the hilltop!

The house is furnished comfortably with some nice antique pieces. It is our summer and vacation home and hence also has a decent library; plenty of pots and pans; an espresso machine; CD player; TV and DVD player; WiFi and internet phone (free calls around the world to other land lines). The house is family friendly and would comfortably sleep a couple and two children, or a couple and two adults or grown children. The playroom/storage room in the basement has lots of natural light, and a day bed could be set in the front rez-de-chausée room to work as a third bedroom.

Coming from the NYC I am always startled by the quiet and calm.... for a single person or couple with small child(ren) the house would be an ideal retreat.

The region is off the tourist path so in many ways more typical than other areas in southern France. Nîmes, with its famous Roman architecture, is 25 minutes away; Montpellier, for theater and night life, is about 35 minutes away. An agricultural area, it is also rich with cultural activities: music and cinema festivals, photographic exhibitions, and access to nearby cultural centers (Nîmes, Montpellier, Arles, Lodève, Aix, etc.). The village of Calvisson, founded in the 11th C, has numerous shops and restaurants, two cafés, post office, tabac/newsstand, medical center, hotel, and a vibrant Sunday market. It is the principle village of the region.

Served by Montpellier Airport or Nîmes TGV station (30 minutes). Taxis and buses serve the village. Car rental and leasing is also available. Ask for details.

A quiet oasis, this house would make an ideal writer's retreat (the village library is across the street), as well as a base for cycling adventures, both road and mountain biking (the Cévennes are 40 minutes away, and the Ventoux about 1:15. As an avid cyclist, I can provide information on anything having to do with cycling in the area). Rolling hills, hiking trails, and vineyard after vineyard await you once you walk out the door. The house is 100 m from a major hiking path, hills, and trails, and interesting Roman and pre-Roman sites.

I can send additional photos on request.

Rates: Weekly at 600€, plus initial cleaning fee (50€). One week minimum stays, please. Monthly and long term rates negotiable and reasonable (less than the going rates for the region). Security deposit required (negotiable).

Nota Bene: Long-term rental rates negotiable. Email me! Duly tested by families on sabbatical! A great home for academics with children. Local schools welcome new kids, and it's quiet enough to write, and close enough to everything you want to satisfy your needs.

Review September, 2012:
"We stayed in the house in September this year. We were very happy indeed. We found everything we needed to hand and the house was clean and the kitchen was well equipped. We enjoyed eating al fresco each night and the terrace has lovely views. Calvisson itself is lovely and exactly how one would picture a southern French village. There are plenty of local amenities and the Sunday market was an excellent place to get the weekly shopping. Our son enjoyed walking down each morning for fresh bread and visiting the butcher who's selection and quality of meats were superb.

There is plenty to do locally and in the village itself, the people of the village were very friendly. The beaches are a half hour drive away and were exceptional, the local towns are splendid and the cities of Nimes and Avignon are well worth a visit, there is a train station near by and we visited Avignon by train to see the countryside and to arrive just outside the city walls just added to a great day trip.
We loved the property and Calvisson so much we have already asked to book for next year and can't wait to go back.
Bit of advice: when hiring a car, do not hire too big a car the streets are very narrow and some maneuvering around the streets can be quite hairy."

Basics:

Number of Bedrooms 2	Number of Bathrooms 2	Number of Offices 1
Surface Size 100 Sq. Meters	Suited for 4 people	Property Type House

Availability:

Available from Saturday, September 01, 2012 until Friday, May 31, 2013
Minimum Stay 1 week(s)	Flexibles With Dates Yes	Comments on Dates flexible; prefer longer rather than shorter stays