Our French House: Holiday Lets in South West France


	The house is in a quiet side road at the edge of the village of Léran, in beautiful rolling farmland with spectacular views of the Pyrenees, 10Km south of the 13th century town of Mirepoix. Toulouse is about an hour away and Carcassonne only 45 mins. We bought the house as a family holiday home in 2001. Since then it has been rewired, remodelled, re-plumbed and redecorated. The house is actually two houses, integrated on the ground floor, with a substantial, safe garden. We have kept much of the original French furniture. Because of a large extension built 30 years ago, the home is light, airy and spacious. It is a "no smoking" house.
The sitting room, kitchen and dining room form an L-shaped space with beamed ceilings. In the sitting room there is a grand piano, TV, DVD-player and a Hi-Fi system. The kitchen is fully equipped (including dishwasher and microwave). There are five double bedrooms, one twin bedroom with adult size bunk beds, and two moveable rolling beds. There are three bathrooms, two with showers. We have a games room with a mahogany and slate snooker / pool table. There is a utility room fitted with a washing-machine and tumble-drier. Although the house can accommodate more than 12 people, it is not too large to feel intimate with half that number.


	French windows lead directly from the kitchen and the living-room on to a large south-facing patio - a great suntrap. We have an awning and a shaded swing-seat for very hot days. Next to the patio is our main outside dining area, shaded by a pergola covered by a vine growing Muscat grapes. From the living-room you can also reach the west-facing verandah and sun terrace, ideal in the evening. The garden is about three quarters of an acre of lawn with fruit and walnut as well as several large trees. There is just the right amount of shade for sitting out for lunch. In addition to the movable swing-seat there is also a comfortable hammock and a swing.
The grass is mowed frequently by our robotic mower, programmed to cut the lawn on most days. At one end of the parking area (gravel) we have a large trampoline. We also have table tennis, a badminton set and a set of boules. There is a tennis court in the village. The house has four bicycles for guests. For serious cyclists, our neighbours rent out high class racing/mountain bikes. www.velomondo.com Local roads are ideal for cyclists of all levels. There are secure gates (electronic), and parking for several cars, where you can also play boules.

Tel: +44 (0)20 8374 5139 Mobile: +44 (0)7710 251 201
Email: pennychalmers@blueyonder.co.uk