The Mas du Vieux Charron is a gem. It is rare to find a house in the middle of a busy village that is also so private: twenty-foot cedar hedges shield the large garden and the magnificent pool from the road and from the neighbors. The house is charming and full of historical interest. Once the home of the village cartwright (charron), it was restored by the great violinist Alexander Schneider (the music room was formerly the cartwright’s workshop). The current owners have kept many souvenirs of Schneider’s life in the house while installing many upgrades, including a kitchen equipped for serious cooks, Bosch and Viking appliances, air conditioning in one bedroom, and a ceiling fan in the other. All the windows and the kitchen doors are screened to keep flies and mosquitos out, which is very unusual in France. The housekeeper speaks some English and turned the house over to us in immaculate shape. The center of the village (less than five minutes away on foot) has an excellent bakery, a butcher shop that sells high quality meats and prepared foods, and a small general store that provides most other necessities. Paradou also has a marvelous (and famous) bistrot as well as a couple of other nice restaurants. The neighboring village of Maussane-les-Alpilles has several other very good places to eat at a variety of price points. The owner of the house provided a lot of detailed information about the house, the village, and the surrounding area which we appreciated very much. We would be delighted to return for another holiday.