This charming traditionally styled holiday house is composed of two old townhouses like a pyramid upside down. It's situated in the calm carless authentic medieval part of Old Antibes on historical Greek and Roman ground. The Picasso Museum in the Chateau Grimaldi and the impressing Roman Cathedral are neighbours.
Just around two corners you can buy fresh food at the everydays market as you'll be in no time at the sandy beach, the yacht-harbour, in lovely restaurants, interesting shops or famous museums. When you're coming back you'll profit from the amazing atmosphere of this exceptional house in quietness. The main part of it includes just like a flat a large living area with a passage to an open kitchen with a small open fireplace. The living opens to a wide loft which is often used as third bedroom with a double bed and a sofabed and gives access to the cosy terrace with sea view. 1st floor: bedroom, separate toilet and bathroom. Ground: studio with double bed, shower and WC ++
Les Volets Bleus is a house with character, the former owner a very well known Antibes furniture restaurator kept the century old wooden windows as he looked for handmade traditional material as the unique terracotta floor tiles or as he builded the handmade wooden kitchen or loft about 30 years ago. We see no need to replace these unique interior items by maybe more perfect functioning modern ones.
That also makes that Les Volets Bleus as a whole unit are not a perfect modern flat, as we try to show also with our fotos.
We are owners since 15 years now already and try to keep the house in this spirit, of course we renew despite of that permanently the necessary just to mention as a few example out of the recent past
- the heating-/boiler (in 2013, as all radators have thermostat valves now) we use all usual kitchen technique water boiler, replaced the dishwasher in 2011 etc. We don't use microwaves!
- in 2013 the sleepingroom on the first got a new parquet and a pure white painting instead of the beige former one, that makes the room brighter as before.
- few years ago we replaced the sofas in the living by a big leather sofa that is compatible for bigger parties.
- end of 2012 we built a second terrace level a bit higher than the already existing one ( 4 more steps to go) that permits panoramic sea view above the houses in the first row dierctly at the waterfront but who are also much more touched by traffic noise
- by that occasion we also built a U-formed sitting place opposite the entrance of the former existing terrace that allows diner for up to eight at a big table in the outside
Above all: The house is in a extreme central but despite that unique quiet position: The world-famous Picasso Museum is up this alley in less then 100 m. Here in the 'rue St. Esprit', the important French novelist Jacques Audiberti grew up, and the famous French song writer Claude Nougaro composed a song about him and this lane.
There is a beautiful sandy 'house beach' at the feet of the property without direct access, but the way to it is one of the most alive ones in Antibes and maybe whole the côte. You can buy fresh fish from the fisher-men's harbour sales point on it, can get your newspapers and baguettes on the way back from your morning swim as one out of hundred suggestions. Naturally there are sailing facilities and motorboat rentals in the harbour or nearby beaches.
Nice airport is less then 20 km away. The train station of Antibes is a TGV stop in about 10 minutes walking distance. The Bus station for public transport is about 5 minutes away. Free Parkings are rather nearby or very close on the remparts at the seaside, the house is in the quiet 2nd row
SPECIAL OFFER:: Please contact the owner to discuss rental conditions for eventual long term (winter) periods - for more than two weeks - and in case different periods are desired.
Parking situation: Usually - with very few exceptions - there are no parking's directly at the houses in the old town.
Les Volets Bleus are in the privileged situation to have two of the very last toll free parkings for residents of the old town in only 30/60 meters distance on the Ramparts, but as there are too few, evidently there is no guarantee to get one at every time. As everything is so near, we use ourselves a car seldom.
On request we can offer a parking card for a reserved area in the harbour for inhabitants of the old town reachable in a very nice walking distance by wonderful sightseeing ways.
For renters who come by aeroplane: Our house management provides a pick-up and bring service from and to the airport. Besides the possibility to rent a car at the airport, it is also possible to get one easily occasionally in Antibes, there are several car rentals close to Les Volets Bleus.
Public transport especially busses are cheap since some years and excellent related.