Charming Stone House with Sunny Terrace and Delightful Shady Courtyard
Peaceful Rural Village Location, 5 Mins Drive to Beautiful Swimming Lake
Sleeps 4/5 (2 Bedrooms)
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Situated in a pretty village nestled amidst the rolling hills of the historic Cathar region of France, this characterful stone house, with its colombage interior walls on the upper floor, is comfortably furnished, well-equipped and tastefully decorated. An eat-in kitchen with French doors leads to a delightful shady courtyard and large, sunny, south-facing terrace. 2 BBQs and stylish outdoor furniture provide for comfortable outdoor living. There is a cosy lounge with a soft Habitat feather sofa and a firmer handmade daybed/sofa. The lounge and kitchen have tiled floors. A wooden staircase leads to a landing and small reading area with parquet floor and colombage walls; tiled bathroom with bath and shower over, 2 double bedrooms (1 with double bed and small cot, 1 with twin beds) with sea-grass flooring and built-in storage. This property can be booked with an extra bedroom with king size bed if required. Please enquire. A very stylish, French country house: very 'shabby chic'.
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| Rental periods | 2 Bed House (2/5) | Extra 3rd bedroom (+2) |
| January - March 2009 | 300 euros | 100 euros |
| April - June 2009 | 300 euros | 100 euros |
| July - September 2009 | 400 euros | 100 euros |
| October - December 2009 | 300 euros | 100 euros |
Notes on prices
Prices are for the property per week in euros.
Special rates are available for long winter lets between October and March. A heating supplement is charged for short lets from 1st November to 31st March @ 5 to 8 euros per day depending on usage. Separate arrangements are available for long winter lets.
Changeover day
Changeover day may be flexible subject to the time of year and availability. During high season changeover is Saturday to Saturday. Arrival after 3.30 pm, departure before 11 am to allow time for thorough cleaning and bed changing.
Accommodation
| Bedrooms: | Bedroom 1: cast-iron double bed a matching small cot, built-in cupboard, drawers, radiator. Bedroom: 2 twin beds, built-in cupboard, valet, radiator. Extra 3rd Bedroom availability with king size bed, wardrobe, drawers, 2 radiators. Extra cot on request |
| Bathrooms: | Bathroom with bath/shower over, wc, sink, shelves, radiator. |
| Kitchen: | Gas cooker with oven and 4 ring burner, separate electric 2 ring hob, fridge, microwave, washing machine, toaster, sandwich maker, electric hand whisk, kettle and coffee machine, ample cutlery, pots, pans, crockery and glasses, iron and ironing board. |
| Living Rooms: | Lounge: soft, squashy habitat feather sofa, good quality (organic) handmade (single) daybed/sofa, marble top table, sideboard, lamps, Sky TV, DVD, CD player, various board/ball games, DVDs & internet access. All rooms have electric wall-mounted radiators. |
| Other: | Cosy reading space with occasional table, table lamp, bookshelves with good stock of books and armchair. CD's available to borrow on request at no charge. |
| Cleaning/towels/ linen/maid service: |
Freshly laundered towels and linen are provided weekly at no extra cost. Towels for lake swimming are available on request. The property will be cleaned at the end of your stay and cleaning charged at 10 euros per hr. (2 ppl 30 euros to 5 ppl 50 euros). |
Notes on accommodation
Hot water is provided, gas (for cooking, BBQ and mobile radiator) is included. Fans are provided. The house is equipped with wall mounted electric radiators throughout and moderate use is included. A welcome pack is provided together with some spices and condiments.
Children require supervision on the terrace as it enjoys an elevated position. This safety issue makes the terrace an inappropriate playground for children and toddlers. It is more suited for older children with an awareness of danger but supervised youngsters and of course infants are very welcome.
- hob/stove,
- oven,
- fridge,
- microwave,
- washing machine,
- iron/ironing board,
- satellite tv,
- tv,
- internet access,
- room fans,
- cot,
- barbecue,
- pets accepted
Accessibility
Mobility is important for users of this house, the property is situated on a hill - albeit not very steep. The front entrance provides little difficulty but the stairs to the first floor are quite steep and there are stone steps outside which provide access to the courtyard and terrace.
Outside
From the kitchen you enter a lovely shady courtyard (shared with the gite opposite), with a barbecue and picnic table which comfortably seats 4. The courtyard leads to sunny, south facing 50 sq.m terrace, with a second gas barbecue and seating for 6 under a shady pergola. The terrace is exclusively for guests of La Petite Maison (but expect the odd feline visitor and canine greetings from the owner's garden below). Furniture includes good quality tile-top wrought iron table with 6 chairs, various occasional tables and chairs, a bamboo day bed and 2 bamboo loungers with brightly striped comfy cushions and an array of deck chairs.
Coast/Beach
Coastal resorts on the Mediterranean are within a leisurely drive through the breathtaking scenery of about 1-1/2 hr. Like for example, the stunning Catalan harbour town of Collioure - an inspiration for artists, writers, poets, singers and painters with its 13 galleries, fabulous shops, museums and restaurants. Well worth a visit if you're looking for a bit of culture and bags of charm.
Golf
Carcassonne has a wonderful golf course only 40 mins drive from Rivel.
Skiing
Les Mont d'Olmes Ski Resort is only about 40 minutes drive away.
Travel
Rivel is 40 minutes from Carcassonne and hour and half from Toulouse and Perpignan airports. A car is recommended to get the most out of your visit and car hire is available at the airport (it is recommended that you book in advance in high season). There are various taxi services available on request for non-drivers and cycles can be hired locally (please ask if you'd like me to reserve them for you).
Distances
The medieval village of Chalabre is 5 mins drive. The lovely Market town of Mirepoix is 15 mins drive and Limoux 20 mins. For swimming and sailing, 15 mins by car takes you to the beautiful lake at Montbel and in only 5 mins you reach Puivert Lake with its man-made beach and lake-side snack bar - nestling beneath the stunning Puivert Castle. Rivel provides easy access to The Pyrenees and many famous Cathar castles such as Montsegur which is only a leisurely 1/2 hr drive away.
Further details
The baker delivers fresh bread and croissants every day except Monday. There are also weekly meat, fish and vegetable deliveries. The nearest shops are in Chalabre (4 km), an easy bike ride along the cycle track or 5 min drive. Bikes can be hired locally. Chalabre has 2 bakers, butcher, grocers, 2 small mini-markets, a weekly outdoor market, 2 cafe bars, a bank and a shop selling organic produce. Nearby (between the village of Rivel and Chalabre) is an organic trout farm producing prime quality lake trout which you can buy direct from the farm. There's an excellent restaurant (Le Moulin de l'eveque) serving good quality 3 course meals with a pitcher of wine for 18 euros about 1km away on the road between Rivel and Chalabre; this is walking distance for most along leafy country roads, an easy (flat) cycle ride or a very short drive. There's another excellent and very reasonably priced restaurant at Ste Colombe (La Bonne Table), a little further away but some guests have cycled there along the old railway line that joins several villages in this region and is now used solely for cycling or walking. Chalabre has a good restaurant in the Hotel de France and there's a choice of eateries in Mirepoix (15 mins by car) and of course Limoux.
Booking notes
Deposit of 150 euros payable upon booking. Balance payable 6 weeks in advance of arrival. Late bookings payable in full at time of booking. Refundable deposit of 250 euros payable on arrival (this is to cover loss, damage, cleaning calculated at 10 euros per hour and electricity surcharges for heavy use only, moderate summer time use of radiators is included in the price).
Guest comments
Our stay has been truly wonderful and we hope to return in the future. We can't thank you enough for your generosity. Andrew, Rose and Ellie
Thanks for being such kind, accommodating and generous hosts. You have truly mastered the art of being helpful yet unobtrusive! We sense the love and care that radiates from every part of La Petite Maison, much of that comes from you and reflects your emotional attachment to this place...p.s. the bed is wonderful! Rod and Helen
This is a Brilliant place and May is a great time to be here. Everything is green, the hay meadows are full of flowers & butterflies & there are even orchids! The hiking trails are beautiful, white water rafting absolutely thrilling, cathar castles amazing...all in all much to recommend this area...not least thanks to our lovely host Cathy who made us so welcome. Tracey
A wonderfully pleasant week, thanks for your hospitality. La Petite Maison is spacious and comfortable and well equipped. Stephen and Ann
Owner profile
About the owner
I swapped the call of the London Criminal Bar for the call of the gently rolling hills and shimmering lakes of France in 2005. My husband Shaun hopes to join me this year; so we'll be expanding the business to 2 gites, 2 apartments, including optional breakfasts and evening meals. We are early retirees, (young!) grandparents of 5 boys, owners of 2 Saluki Lurchers, 2 Maine Coons and 2 adopted moggies. We love music, cooking and entertaining and of course, all things French (except perhaps the bureaucracy)! I'm on the Heritage Committee responsible for restoring Rivel's architectural gems. We're easy going so our guests can see as much or as little of us as they choose! On hand for (rare) emergencies or to offer advice when its asked for, otherwise we respect our guests peace and quiet.
Year purchased: 2005
Why the owner chose a home in this location
I was seduced by the sheer beauty of this area: Having first approached the village of Rivel along an avenue of stately plane trees, I sensed that I was entering a very special place: I was. Not just a typical French village, yes its quaint, quiet, pretty, crumbly, unspoilt, welcoming - but also magical! Nestling in a lush green valley near the foothills of the Pyrenees, Rivel is close enough to amenities not to feel cut off but far enough away from it all to feel a world apart. Close to stunning swimming lakes, a breathtaking drive to magical cathar chateaux, white water rivers, hidden caves, natural gorges, a stone labyrinth and soaring mountains. I fell in love and so will you I hope, as have all our guests so far some have even decided to buy in the area.
Unique benefits of the property
We maintain our property to a very high standard, when we changeover, furniture and beds are pulled out and cleaned behind and under; bed and sofa top covers are replaced with freshly laundered ones; white goods are scrutinised and chrome wear is polished the whole house should shine like a new pin for your arrival and smell sweet and welcoming. The cupboards are stocked with a few essentials like spices, salt, pepper, milk etc and to make you feel 'at home' there will be a bottle of wine, beer and soft drinks in the fridge plus enough to make a snack before you unpack or go shopping. You'll find quality bed linen and towels freshly laundered and the whole ambiance is one aimed to make you feel relaxed so that you can quickly unwind and start to feel the benefits of your holiday.
For booking and further information
Property Ref FR3788
Cathy Halloran
Tel: (France) + 33 468 311 664
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Property Ref FR3788
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