Location: St. Remy de Provence, Provence, France, Europe (Avignon TGV: 25mn, Marseilles Airport: 75mn, Nice: 3hrs) View Map
Accommodations: House, 4 Bedrooms, 3.25 Baths (Sleeps 10)
Mas Capon is a year-round vacation home located just west of St. Rémy de Provence, "The Heart of Provence". The area has many places to stay. Mas Capon is a wonderful place to live. It sleeps 6-10 in 4 bedrooms. A ground floor bedroom facilitates a multi-generational family vacation. Indoor and outdoor spaces - including the gardens, pool and pool house - are designed for casual, comfortable living for 3-4 couples or two families with kids.
The mas is in a protected agricultural zone 2.6 miles west of the village of St. Rémy. All around are orchards, vineyards (3 wineries in walking distance!) and field upon field of lettuce, cucumbers, eggplant and more. It's quiet and peaceful, although you'll surely hear our neighbor's donkeys, chickens and rooster with no sense of time.
Life at Mas Capon was best summed up by one of our first renters, who said: "I've Never Been So Relaxed in My Life"
Choose your own level of activity. Some will want to stay mostly at home. But other options are endless, no matter the time of the year. All guests receive our "Guide Mas Capon" (who needs Michelin?) highlighting local sites, shops, markets and restaurants.
St. Rémy is a traditional Provencal village which has resisted the charms of McDonald's, Body Shop, Benetton and other multi-national chains. (The only "chain" store in town is a hairdresser!) Van Gogh lived, painted and treated his lost ear in St Rémy: the village church is the one in "La Nuit Étoilée" ("The Starry Night"). St. Rémy and environs have 15,000 residents - and over 70 places to eat - with fun shopping and a spectacular Wednesday morning market.
Nearby are incredible outdoor markets (one or more one for each day of the week), Roman ruins, castles and walled towns, walks in the Alpilles, traditional festivals and dozens of unique villages. Visit Avignon, Arles or Aix-en Provence. Shop hundreds of antique dealers at Isle-sur-la-Sourgue after the Sunday morning market. Wonder at the Pont du Gard. Experience the incredible wildlife of the Camargue, its miles of sandy beaches and the old-fashioned beach town of Les Saintes Maries de la Mer, just 45 minutes away.
Mas Capon is the ancestral farm of the family Bouterin. (An amazing number of our guests comment on how wonderful and helpful neighbors Jean and Mireille Bouterin are, something that's particularly useful for those doing this sort of rental for the first time.) The mas (farmhouse) dates from the 1500's. The "new" wing, built in 1750, once housed the farm's stables, hayloft, bakery and winery. Uninhabited and nearly derelict in 1996, it was purchased from the family in 1996, with renovation completed three years later (at least as much as renovation of a 250 year old building can ever be considered "completed"!) The heated pool and its pool house were added in 2000.
With massive stone walls and wood beams, Mas Capon has been decorated using country furnishings and the traditional colors of Provence - of the earth, sun and sky. The restoration has been complemented with conveniences including dishwasher, microwave, washer and dryer, and a side-by-side refrigerator with ice-maker. For those who must, there's a big screen TV and fax/answering machine. Central heating warms the winter months. All this makes Mas Capon an exceptionally comfortable place to live. (See the linked website for nearly 100 photos.)
The ground floor contains the séjour, the living and dining room with its massive stone fireplace, and the atelier, long ago the bakery and winery, now another sitting area with an excellent travel library (and that TV.) Upstairs are three bedrooms, 2 baths.
With over 100 restaurants within a 15 minute drive, you don't need to use the superbly equipped Provençal country kitchen. The cuisine, though, has been set up to take full advantage of the wonderful offerings of the local markets. The recipes of Provence are simple, healthy and flavorful. (Start with olive oil, garlic and the herbs growing by the barbeque outside the kitchen door.) A library of cookbooks shows the way. The best-seller among them is Cooking Provence, Four Generations of Recipes and Traditions by next door neighbor Antoine Bouterin, now a Manhattan restauranteur, its recipes based on those of his mother and grandmothers.
Vacation Rental Features
- Amenities
- Washer
- Dryer: Tumble dry
- Linens Provided: Extra towels for pool included
- Off Street Parking
- Parking for RV/Boat/Trailer
- Wood Fireplace
- Beds
- King Bed: In Master bedroom (with ensuite bathroom)
- Queen Bed: One in each of two bedrooms. Downstairs bedroom has designer ensuite bathroom. Bed in upstirs room is below a large skylight for stargazers.
- Twin/Single Bed: One bedroom with twin beds, one with trundle, and the 4th bed in a loft. Great room for kids.
- Entertainment
- Cable/Satellite TV: CanalSat w. CNN, BBC, Skynews, Eurosport
- CD Player
- Stereo System
- Jetted Tub in Bath
- Private Pool
- Kitchen
- Full Kitchen: Gourmet's Kitchen, Calphalon cookwear, Library of Provencal Recipe Books
- Cooking Utensils Provided
- Refrigerator: Side-by-side Westinghouse with ice maker. Additional refrigerator/freezer in the garage.
- Dishwasher
- Microwave
- Ice Maker
- Catering Available: Our "Guide Mas Capon" lists a wonderful chef who will come in and cook a meal at a great price.
- Outdoor Features
- Charcoal BBQ Grill: 2 - one on patio outside kitchen, the other by the poolhouse
- Deck/Patio (3) : Outside the house - sunny and sheltered from Le Mistral. Under the cedars - a shaded breezy spot on a sunny day. By the pool. Gardens filled with flowers (as late as December), rosemary, lavender.
- Communications
- Telephone
- Broadband Internet: Coming in September 2009, BYO laptop
- WiFi (Wireless Internet): Coming in September 2009
- Suitability
- No Pets Allowed
- Handicapped Accessible (may have limitations)
- Kid Friendly: Neighbor Jean Bouterin loves to show off his menagerie of donkeys, goals, chickens roosters and (seasonally, if you get our drift) sheep and geese.
- Smoking Not Allowed
- Activities (on site and nearby)
- Golf
- Tennis
- Shopping
- Sightseeing
- Restaurants
- Kayaking
- Sailing
- Boating
- Waterskiing
- Shelling
- Swimming
- Snorkeling/Diving
- Windsurfing
- Biking
- Mountain Biking
- Hiking
- Fishing
- Rock Climbing
- Fitness Center/Gym
- Health/Beauty Spa
- Basketball Court
- Antiquing
- Cinemas/Movie Theaters
- Live Theatre
- Museums
- Horseshoes
- Horseback Riding
Rate Details (In US Dollars)
Jan-Mar, Nov-Dec $1325/week .. $2325/(2 wks) .. $3700/(4 wks)
Apr-May, Sep-Oct $2250/week .. $4100/(2 wks) .. $6400/(4 wks)
Jun-Aug (2 wk min*) $5250/(2 wks) .. $8400 (4 wks)
Holiday (2 wks) $4100/(2 wks)
Rental period is Fri-Fri * single weeks sometimes available: please inquire
Note: Until confirmed, rates are subject to change without notice.
Map & Owner's Profile
Year Purchased: 1998
Why the Owner Chose St. Remy de Provence
Mas Capon was a 2nd choice, after the first choice near Tarascon fell through. What a fortunate development!!! A much better location, a much more charming property, and wonderful neighbors (as our guests soon discover).
The Unique Benefits at this House
The comfort of the Mas - both indoors and outdoors, the serenity of the neighborhood, an easy 3 minute drive to the village of St. Remy, and a central location in "The Heart of Provence".
Just east of the intersection with the Chemin de Pepin, turn in (south) from the road at the telephone pole with the red and yellow stripes. After about 60 yards, turn right at the mail boxes and tak
Owner's Map of St. Remy de Provence
Restoring an old country farmhouse was a far more adventuresome approach to midlife crisis than a Corvette. We wanted, and have achieved, not just a place to stay but a wonderful place to live.
Property Photos
- Mas Capon - with the Lavender in bloom - Travel House - St Remy, Provence
- Maison d'Ete - heated pool, barbecue, dining under cover or under the olive tree - Travel House - St Remy, Provence
- Le Sejour - the fireplace is wonderful in late fall, winter and early spring - Travel House - St Remy, Provence
- Sejour (deux)
- La Cuisine - a gourmet's kitchen, well equipped, with a fine supply of cookbooks
- L'Atelier - stereo, big screen TV, travel library
- Chambre des Herbes - Ground floor, Queen Bed, Ensuite bathroom
- Chambre du Maitre - King Bed, Ensuite bathroom with hydromassage tub/shower
- Chambre des Fleurs - Queen Bed, Sleep under Van Gogh's stars
- Chambre des Olives - sleeps four - 2 twins, trundle, loft bed
- Sous L'Olivier La Vie Est Belle
- Les Jardins - Early summer
Guest Comments (1)
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Vacation Rentals by Owner Listing #155542
There have been 6018 visitors to this page since the counter was last reset in 2007.
This listing was first published here in 2007.
Date last modified - November 16, 2009
Positive Rating
Edward ODonnell , Tallahassee, FL
Homeowner Response:
Honest to God, this is not a relative! - WTD