5ベッドルーム3バスルームメゾンドマイトルインミネルヴォアビレッジインプール＆ガーデン

My wife and I live in Wiltshire; we've had a holiday home in France for over thirty years,. In 2010 we decided to move to the Languedoc region, as we love the 300 days of sunshine per year and the proximity to the sea. As we're keen on the Mediterranean climate and vegetation, we've stocked the garden with olives, cypresses, umbrella pines and mulberries (for shade). The village is extremely friendly and our neighbours have quickly made us feel at home. The village has an international feel as quite a few Brits, Belgians, Americans, Canadians and Aussies live there full-time. One of favourite past-times is to visit the covered market in Narbonne where the local produce is incredibly fresh!

Having travelled through this region many times on our way to Spain, we have decided it offers everything we could want: a warm climate where the wind helps to keep the summer heat at bay, a wide blue sky and those wonderful Mediterranean aromatic herbs underfoot. We've fallen in love with the rolling hills of vineyards with vistas stretching towards the Pyrenees. We particularly wanted to be part of a French village life, and there is just the right blend of friendly locals and well-integrated foreign residents. Unlike some of the villages on the nearby Canal du Midi, this one is not overrun with tourists in the summer months. A short drive takes you to the picturesque resorts of Collioure and Banyuls, and Spain is only an hour away.

The local "epicerie" - just 100 metres down the road in the village square - sells fresh bread and croissants/pains au chocolate from 08.00 (closed Mondays) and also stocks other basics. Other supplies are within a few minutes drive. We like the privacy afforded by the large garden behind the house, as well as the vineyard beyond. For those who like water sports, there are ample oportunities to canoe/kayak in the local rivers or to wind-surf or kite-surf in the lagoons beyond Narbonne. Cycling or barge-renting along the nearby Canal du Midi is also popular.