Live in an Unspoiled Village in Provence

Our charmingly renovated and furnished 200-year-old village house is perfect for self-catering holidays in non-peak seasons. Out the front door: the conveniences and vitality of a working French village -- including tractors down the main street(!); out the back, an unobstructed view of the countryside from the terrace, plus the sound of a waterfall. Four bedrooms sleep eight comfortably and privately, yet just two will feel cozy, as well. With its small pool and garden with lavender and grapevines, the holiday house, villa, vacation rental, ferienhaus or somerhaus--depending on your language--is an ideal gathering place for friends or family or an idyllic retreat for writers, artists, or academics on sabbatical. Three toilets and shower-rooms/bathrooms (one on each level); sinks in two bedrooms, ceiling fans, fuel-fired central heat (important for off-season holidays!). The land behind the villa and its enclosed pool includes a small cottage garden. A communal path alongside the potager leads to the river's edge and a nearby waterfall. You will pass through the bountiful gardens maintained by villagers to the edge of the river. The surrounding French countryside is filled with vineyards.... great biking, kayaking, walking, etc., are within steps. Listen to the waterfall when enjoying meals on the terrace. A local tennis club is available on a per-hour or membership basis to visitors, and horseback riding is available nearby. You will be living in working village in rural France, not a tourist-crowded monument. Within steps are boulangeries, small shops, cafes, small markets, pharmacies, butchers, banks, post office, five wineries (in town), a traditional Saturday market, and a charming village of around 2500 people who actually like having visitors in town. You can be as isolated as you wish yet still stroll to the Presse to pick up the day's paper, then across the street to the boulangerie for a croissant, then to the next door café for coffee. Daily fresh bread, of course, is right around the corner. Two small groceries and two fresh vegetable stores are steps away. On the outskirts of town is a larger supermarket if you feel the need for a stock-up. Even larger stores are in Brignoles, about 20 minutes away. Carcès and other picturesque villages nearby offer lively, engaging cultural activities on a regular basis: music concerts in medieval buildings, art openings, flea markets in village squares, market days that have occurred in the same villages on the same days for hundreds of years. Within a few minutes' drive, you will find half a dozen restaurants ranging from local specialties to the highly recommended cuisine that makes the south of France so appealing. Where in the world is Carcès? Carcès is an unspoiled village in the rosé-producing region of Provence. Located in the south of France, half-way between Nice and Marseille just north of the A8 auto route, the village is about an hour and a half from Nice, Marseille, Arles, Avignon; an hour from St. Tropez and the beaches of the Cote d'Azur, to Toulon or Hyeres to the south, an hour from the dramatic Gorges du Verdon to the north. In just 45 minutes, drive west to Aix-en-Provence to walk in the footsteps of Cezanne. Drive just two hours east for lunch in Italy. Or, stay 'home.' Fishing out the back door; horseback riding down the road; biking in vineyards and through picturesque villages nearby; the Lac de Carcès is within hiking or biking distance. A great location and an ideal accommodation. Keywords: Provençal Winemaker's House