LE
MOULIN D’AUVILLAR
The windmill stands as the
king of the castle within the grounds of Jeremy & Gill Hiley’s
beautiful French home. The property is set in a most enviable
position on the hillside high above the village of Auvillar, which
is classed as one of France’s most beautiful. The windmill has
commanding views over the tops of the sun baked terracotta roofs of
the village houses and beyond to the green valley and the winding
River Garonne.
The circular rooms give this
holiday home a charming uniqueness and the furnishings compliment it
beautifully. The accommodation, which is strictly non-smoking,
offers light, airy and well equipped accommodation for two adults,
spread over three floors. The ground floor comprises a compact
kitchen / living room. Stairs rise from this to the second floor,
and a door into the bathroom. The bathroom has a typical small
French bath, wash hand basin, toilet and shower. The stairs
continue to rise to the top floor bedroom equipped with twin beds
which can easily be put together to form a double if desired.
All bedding and towels are
supplied, including towels for swimming. It should be noted that
there is no television in the gite.
On arrival a small welcome
pack is supplied including a bottle of local wine to help you get
your holiday off to a relaxing start.
Guests can take a leisurely
walk down into the village of Auvillar each morning for fresh bread
and croissants. The walk down takes no more than five minutes, but
the walk back up a little longer! The village also has a small
supermarket, a butcher, tobacconist and chemist. There are several
eating houses as well as a bar which also serves meals.
It is worth walking down to
the centre of the village, through the archway to the covered market
place, and on to the walled village edge to enjoy the splendid
views from this high point. In years gone by Auvillar had a
thriving small port and although all signs of boats have long gone,
the houses that front the river are charming and worth closer
inspection.
Auvillar is an excellent spot
from which to explore this beautiful area. There is the nearby town
of Valence D’Agen with a lively market and shops. At nearby St.
Nicolas de la Grave there is a leisure park with riding and tennis
etc., and the Cadillac museum. There is the ancient historic town
of Moissac with it’s fine Benedictine monastery.
The three quarters of an hour
drive to Toulouse is well worthwhile and is probably best explored
on foot once there. It has lovely cafes, a wealth of antique shops
at the Ville Rose, and a market on Wednesdays and Sundays.
If you are willing to drive
that bit further, Carcasonne is a must for those who love walled
cities. With it’s narrow cobbled streets, busy shops and cafes, it
is a good day out.
Travelling from England,
guests have a choice of three airports, Carcasonne, Toulouse or
Bordeaux. A car is a must if you wish to really explore the area.
The drive to Auvillar is very simple. Visitors take the A62 – the
auto route des deux mers - north from either Toulouse or Carcasonne,
east from Bordeaux, and exit at junction 8, at which point you are a
mere ten minutes from your holiday destination.
Fuller details are
provided at time of booking.
A warm welcome awaits you.
