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La Bastide Garance” is one of the most picture-perfect hideaways you’ll find in Provence. Resting quietly amidst the old stone houses, flourishing gardens, open fields and wonderful views which make up the small hamlet of Les Bassacs, La Bastide Garance offers the ideal location for those who love to walk, cycle, paint, photograph, explore the markets and galleries, create culinary delights, absorb the history and culture or simply relax by the pool, read a little, take a siesta and commune with nature!

The hamlet or hameau, of Les Bassacs is situated in the heart of the Luberon valley, 4kms from St. Saturnin-les-Apt, a wonderful medieval hillside village with a plethora of cafes and restaurants, shops and galleries, narrow winding streets and beautiful fountains. Crowned by the ruins of an old Chateau where the views must be seen to be believed....a fabulous walk there and a great picnic spot! La Bastide Garance is also a ten minute drive to the renowned market town of Apt – a must to visit for the Saturday morning market. Amongst the many villages close at hand are Gordes, Roussillon, Bonnieux, Menerbes, St. Remy de Provence, Avignon, Chateauneuf du Pape and Aix-en-Provence, all a must to explore. For an easy days outing you can discover the Camargue, the Gorge du Verdon, Cassis and Marseille...to name just a few!

Airports are now many....as the number low cost airlines increase, so do the flights to and from nearby airports. Marseille is the closest LARGE international airport, but Avignon, Nimes and again Marseille are all hosting low cost airline flights both within France and internationally. If your flight should arrive into Paris, the option of taking the TGV fast train down to Avignon in just 2 ½ hours is well worth considering. At the airports and the train station, many of the large car rental companies are represented.

“La Bastide Garance” is a centuries old three storey house with a single storey ‘garden wing’. Entering the property through two large wooden gates, you find yourself in a fully enclosed courtyard, old sandstone paving under foot and shaded by a huge old fig tree. A delightful sun-trap for enjoying your early morning coffee and steaming croissants!

Entering the house itself through the “main” front door...there are several entrances..., you’ll find yourself in a cozy sitting room with an old stone fireplace surrounded by comfortable armchairs. Through a large arch into an open plan and well equipped kitchen with a 5 burner gas cook-top, two ovens, fridge, freezer, three sinks, dishwasher, oodles of preparation space and .... a table and chairs for those who’d rather watch the preparations! To the left of the entrance you will find a ‘back kitchen’ housing an additional fridge, freezer, dishwasher, sink and storage for groceries; a small television room which then leads into an office .... for those who’ve not understood the true meaning of “vacation”!

On the first floor above, you’ll find one bedroom with twin beds (90cm) and its en-suite bathroom with bath, shower over the bath, w.c. and hand basin. A second bedroom on this level with a king sized bed (180cm) or twin beds (2 x 90cm), its sitting room and an en-suite bathroom with hand basin, w.c. and shower. Each of the bedrooms has bedside tables, good reading lights, oodles of hanging space and an armchair or two for relaxing.

Under the sloping roof of the second floor, you’ll find another bedroom with a queen sized bed (160cm) and a huge en-suite bathroom with hand basins, bath with hand held shower and w.c. This unique bathroom has a door leading to a private roof terrace, great for hiding away to read, to contemplate, to escape and enjoy!

Throughout the house you’ll find the structure ‘old Provencal and a mix of contemporary’ with plaster and wood ceilings, old wooden beams, delightful old terracotta and stone floor tiles, a mélange of natural stone and plastered walls and some fabulous huge glass and iron doors and picture windows.

Downstairs, at the far end of the kitchen there is a door leading to an intimate dining room, fabulous for oodles of candles and delicious red wine dinners! There is a w.c. between the dining room and an additional large sitting room. This sitting room houses a wonderful large open fireplace and two stunning, huge, arched, iron and glass doors. One leading onto the enclosed courtyard and the other to the bedrooms and bathrooms of the garden wing, and a wonderful open expanse of back garden with its swimming pool beyond.

Outside and to the left of these huge glass doors, there is a stairway leading up to a bedroom with an old iron 4-poster queen sized (160cm) bed with side tables, reading lights and a wonderfully romantic atmosphere. The en-suite bathroom houses w.c. bath with shower over, hand basins and wardrobe space.

The “garden wing” is a single storey wing attached to the house and running down one side of the garden. With climbing roses and prolific laurel bushes, a gnarled old fig tree opposite and a mélange of creeping greenery, the garden has that well established and delightfully private feel. Fabulous for al fresco dining around the outdoor table and chairs.

The garden wing houses a laundry with washing machines, dryer, sink, drying racks for use in the garden and more storage. There are another two bedrooms, each with en-suite bathrooms, in this wing. One bedroom houses a king sized bed (180cm), the other a queen sized bed (160cm). Both bathrooms have baths, showers over, w.c. and hand basin.

The pool has a delightful stone and old iron fence with gorgeous white roses, between the house and main garden, and the pool beyond. There is a shower by the pool for rinsing off and plenty of poolside furniture to relax on.

The house offers approximately 280m2 of living space inside.......another 2200m2 of garden. The pool is 12m x 6m, with a shallow and deep end and steps to enter the pool rather than a ladder.

For 2008 the house will be available from July 26th on wards, renting on a Saturday to Saturday basis. The rates include household and pool linens, electricity, gas, water, pool and garden maintenance and a 3 hour mid week house clean. If you are staying longer than one week, the house will be extensively cleaned each Saturday and the household and pool linens changed. If you feel you would like additional cleaning or personal laundry, then arrangements can be made. Similarly with catering. Telephone expenses are additional.

Please ensure you have fully comprehensive/all risk travel insurance. The owners of the property and their representatives accept no responsibility for accidents of any nature occurring within the bounds of the property, its pool or use of any facilities and equipment. Use of the property and its facilities is entirely at your own risk.

House Photos