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Description of holiday gite near Castera Verduzan, Midi-Pyrenees

Prada is the perfect setting for a holiday, a haven of beauty and tranquillity awaits you in one of the most magnificent areas of France. At the crossroads between the Mediterranean and Atlantic, The Gers region offers early Springs, hot Summers and mild Winters. Bathed in sunshine for up to eight months of the year, what more could you ask for.
The Gite is situated on the outskirts of the tiny village Larroque-Saint-Sernin which boasts a population of only 178, so if you require peace and quiet, you will most certainly find it here.

Larroque-Saint-Sernin is however, perfectly placed to explore Gascony and benefits from a wide range of local amenities and things to do if you fancy something more active.

The accommodation is situated in an advantageous position on it’s very own hill, offering 360 degree views around the property of seemingly endless rolling hills and farm land. Local wildlife is abundant, with a family of little partridges living in the garden and many Kites and Buzzards in residence in the surrounding trees that love to show off their impressive flying skills as you pass them in your car.

The property also benefits from use of the large pool (10mX5m)and a pretty sheltered eating out area, a must in the summer months. The accommodation itself is thoughtfully decorated to a high standard and offers comfort and character.

The Gite sleeps up to six people, comprising of three bedrooms, an open plan kitchen, dining and living area, a shower room and a separate WC. The property is designed in such a way that all rooms benefit from floor to ceiling windows that open out onto little balconies.

All the bedrooms have a private sink and comfortable bed linen and bath towels are provided free of charge. Guests would need to bring their own towels for the outside pool area.

Bedroom 1 – Double Bed
Bedroom 2 – Twin Beds
Bedroom 3 – Double Bed

The kitchen/diner has a fridge, cooker and a microwave and is fully stocked with cutlery and cooking equipment. There is a dining table that seats six, perfect for eating round or playing games in the evenings. There is a small seating area and the Gite is equipped with UK Freeview television.
The Gite itself is part of an old, impressive farmhouse which is the owners home. The Gite has it’s own independent entrance and is entirely separate and private to the owners living accommodation (although the two resident cats may pay you a visit!).

Accommodation, Facilities and Services

Suitability:	Not suitable for infirm, No Smoking, No Pets
General:	Central heating, Electric Fan/s, Internet Access, Bicycles
Bedrooms:	3 Bedrooms, Sleeps 6 2 Double/s, 1 Twin/s Cot available on request
Bathrooms:	1 Bathroom/s 1 Shower/s, 4 Wash basin/s, 1 Toilets/s
Lounge:	TV, Satellite/Cable TV, Board Games i-pod dock/player
Dining Area:	Seating for 6 people High chair available on request
Kitchen/Utility:	Oven, Hob, Grill, Fridge, Freezer, Microwave, Kettle Ironing board and iron available on request
Outdoors:	Swimming Pool, BBQ, Private garden, Terrace, Sunloungers, Patio table, Patio chairs, Sunshade
Access:	Car essential, Off road parking, Private car park, Stairs
Services:	Linen provided, Towels provided, Cleaning extra, Laundry extra

Price quoted in £ Sterling

Price quoted in £ Sterling change currency £ € $

Rates

Period	Weekly	Minimum Stay
Nov to April 2011	£400.00	7 Days
May to June 2011	£480.00	7 Days
July to August 2011	£690.00	7 Days
September to October 2011	£480.00	7 Days

Please Note: Prices may be subject to change at the advertiser's discretion.
Currency conversions are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Deposit/Booking Notes: A deposit of 50% secures your dates when you book. The remaining balance must be paid 4 weeks prior to arrival.
A cash breakages deposit for 200 euros will be required upon arrival and will be returned by post one week after departure day as long as the Gite is left without breakages and in a reasonable condition. You are expected to leave the Gite in the same state as you found it. Failure to do so will result in a 50 Euro deduction from your deposit.
Arrival is on Saturdays between 1600 and 1900 unless by prior arrangement.
If you wish to cancel a booking the following charges will apply:
Less than 2 days before arrival = 100% charge
2 - 13 days before arrival = 75% charge
14 – 56 days before arrival = 50% charge
More than 56 days before arrival = 25% charge
If you would like to book the Gite for a long weekend, this can sometimes be accommodated if we are quiet. Please call us directly to discuss this.

Location of holiday rental near Castera Verduzan, Midi-Pyrenees

Holiday Type:	Rural
Local Activities:	Swimming/Watersports, Walking, Golf, Fishing, Horse Riding, Tennis, Cycling/Mountain Biking, Local Market, Amusement/Water Park

Location description

Prada is perfectly placed for the golf enthusiasts who want to combine a relaxing gite holiday with a few mornings of golf. There are four golf courses in the surrounding areas, all are good in their own way, but we cannot recommend Pallanne enough.

Golf De Fleurance – (14.5Km) – 9 holes, reasonably undemanding but fun. Club bar offers food.

Eauze – (49Km) – 18 holes, challenging. Swimming pool on site and a restaurant.

Auch – Golf Des Embats (30Km) – Nice hilly course with a good restaurant.

Pallanne – (70Km) – 18 holes, millionaires golf at the fraction of the price! World class course in stunning surroundings. Bar and restaurant and Chateau on site. A must for the Golf enthusiast.

Markets
There are markets everyday of the week in Gascony, each in a different village. Some are better than others but all are charming and offer you the chance to buy the freshest local ingredients straight from the farmers stalls which you can bring back to the well equipped Gite to cook yourself a truly scrumptious Gascon meal. Below are the ones that we recommend, but a longer list of markets over the whole of the Gers can be requested from the owners.

Monday – Mirande – Fantastic bustling market, quite large and well worth the extra travel.

Tuesday – Fleurance has a lovely market.

Wednesday – A very good day for markets with lots to choose from all a short drive away. Condom or another at Fleurance, or Marciac, a beautiful village very close to the Pallanne golf course. Or Valence Sur Baise.

Thursday – Auch has a market in the square by the cathedral. Or there is also Eauze.

Friday – Lectoure, the market spans almost the whole length of the town. Or Vic Fezensac.

Saturday – Another market in Auch.

Sunday – Castera Verduzan has a small but well stocked market.

Night Markets
Vic-Fezensac – fortnightly throughout July & August

Lavardens – 2nd Wednesday every fortnight in July & August. Stalls, music and entertainment in the narrow streets below the impressive Chateau.

Fources – 3rd Wednesday in August set in this unique circular bastide village.

Montreal - mediaeval night markets 3rd Tuesday in July and 1st Tuesday in August. You can join in and dress up in mediaeval costume! All sorts of stalls, confit and chips in the village square, mediaeval music, jugglers, tightrope walker and other entertainments.

Other activities

Activity Lakes – Castera Verduzan & Lectoure
Swimming Pool Complex indoor & outdoor – Condom & Gondrin
River Cruises – Valence Sur Baise & Condom
Canoeing – Beacaire & Condom
Fishing – River Baise
Horse Riding – Valence Sur Baise
Golf – Fleurance, Auch, Pallane
Thermal Spas – Castera Verduzan & Lectoure
Horse Racing – Castera Verduzan & Condom
Bullfighting – (not all year) Vic-Fezensac & Eauze
Motor Racing – Nogaro Motor Circuit

Local events

Music Festivals/Flower Festivals/Special Festivals
The Gers is lucky enough to be home to some of the most amazing festivals on offer in the whole of France. If you are lucky enough to book Prada when some of the larger festivals are taking place, you have a real treat in store for you.

Marciac (40 mins) – This is a very special Jazz Festival held throughout August. People travel from all over the world to see any one of the many performances. The main square in Marciac has free music all day and you can buy a beer and a crepe and soak up the atmosphere or sit down for a full 3 course meal at any of the restaurants all round the square. Fully seated concerts are held in marquees. Over the years, Marciac has played host to many of the Jazz greats including Joe Cocker, Jamie Cullum, Bill Coleman, Guy Laffite, Dizzy Gillespie, Herbie Hancock and Sonny Rollins to name but a few.

Condom ( km) - International festival of Bandas y Penas - second weekend in May. This is a festival of bands and has the largest gathering of brass in the whole of France. The whole town becomes a party place and people happily dance in the streets!

La Romieu (21 km) - Night of the Bandas 13 July. Local bands play and create an upbeat party night!

Auch (35 km) - 2005, June 3-12. Festival Eclats du Voix - dedicated to vocal art in all its diversity - baroque and contemporary music, lyric works, variety and world music

Mirande (45 km) - Country Music July. This is a lot of fun and the area is suddenly over run with people in cowboys boots! 160,000 people turned up in 2007! Lots of special guests have been part of the festival over the years including Larry Hagman, Linda Gray and Sheree J Wilson, with performances from the likes of Jerry Lee Lewis and Freddie Fingers Lee.

Vic-Fezensac (20 km) - Tempo Latina American July 28-31. Yet another amazing festival with non-stop party atmosphere.

Fourcés Marché aux Fleurs - last weekends in April and August
La Romieu Rose Market - Second to last Sunday in May
Laplume Iris Festival - May
Ordan-Larroque Exotic Plants Market - 2nd Sunday in October
Les Jardins de Coursiana La Romieu Arboretum 700 species of trees and shrubs - open April 1-November 30
Moncrabeau Festival Of Liars, First Sunday of August every year. This really is a strange but wonderful festival! All fibbers, wind up merchants, bare faced liars, jokers and fabulous tale tellers be aware! This is the Festival for you! Here, entrants from all over the world, congregate to spin wild yarns and outrageously lie in the hope of ultimately being crowned King Of The Liars! A great day out that certainly beggars belief!!

Tourist attractions

Larroque-Saint-Sernin may itself be very small, but it is perfectly positioned to offer guests the best of local activities and a central position ideal for exploring Gascony.

Castera Verduzan is the closest village, just 6.7Km away. It is a gem, boasting a thermal spa, a casino, a range of restaurants, a beach & lake complex, a horse racing track and a handful of local shops, all in a town with a population of only 900 people!

The Thermal Spa is a real treat, founded during the reign of Louis the Fifteenth. Its hot springs are abundant with minerals making it a recognised therapeutic spa, specialising in the treatment of digestive and metabolic disorders and nose and throat disorders. You can take advantage of individual passes or the afternoon special which gives you access to the spa & the relaxation room plus three treatments all for 41 Euros.

The beach complex is also great for a day out away from the pool. The lake is large and offers a water slide, pedalos, playground and skate park.
At the Casino you can indulge in roulette, black jack and numerous slot machines.

Valence Sur Baise is just 9.9Km away. It is a bastide village which dates back to the 12th Century set up on a ridge above the River Baise. Valence offers a little market on a Wednesday in the village centre where you will find a bar and a restaurant offering traditional dishes and menu options staring from 10 Euros. There is a seasonal restaurant on the banks of the river which is open May – September and also a very pretty A La Carte restaurant on the village outskirts.

Just on the outskirts of Valence Sur Baise is the Abbaye De Flaran, built in 1151, it is one of the best preserved ancient abbye’s in France and well worth a visit.

Horse riding with English speaking instruction can be arranged in Valence Sur Baise. River cruises also run to Condom every Sunday in July & August, dishing can be arranged and there is also canoeing on the Rive Baise from the village of Beaucaire. Plenty to keep you busy!
Condom is 17Km away and is the commercial heart of the Armagnac region. The stunning Cathedral of St. Pierre is at it’s centre, boasting beautiful 16th century cloisters. Condom offers a range of boutiques and delicatessens as well as a bustling market on a Wednesday. Boat hire is available from the river with regular cruises offered and a lunchtime dining trip in the summer season. There is a good choice of restaurants in Condom, ranging from the charming Plat Du Jour type eateries all the way up to La Table De Cordeliers, widely considered to be one of the best restaurants in the Gers. It offers a truly gastronomic dining experience and is justifiably, on the expensive side.

St. Puy is 7.5Km and is a charming village, set up high with windy narrow streets with plenty of character. St. Puy is home to Chateau Monluc, a 10th Century castle which is a producer of wines and armagnac. You can visit the chateau and taste their produce for free and if you so wish, purchase some for yourselves direct. Chateau Monluc is the home of Pousse-Rapier, a local liquor best served as a cocktail with champagne. It is Armagnac based with delicious flavours of orange and is truly a treat!

Lectoure is a little further away at 20Km but well worth a visit. The village, an ancient Roman Oppidum, is breathtakingly beautiful as you drive up to it and is home to a Chateau, a Cathederal, a Thermal spa, a lake complex, lovely restaurants and an Archeological Museum. More than enough to keep you busy for a day out.

Auch – is the capital of the Gers and Prada is lucky enough to have it on the doorstep at only 30Km away. It has lots to offer in the way of boutiques, shops and restaurants and a fabulous market as well as a stunning Cathedral which is absolutely unmissable. It dates from the 15th Century and houses 113 choir stalls with over 1,500 sculptures in oak, 18 stain glass windows and an organ which dates from the 17th Century and was the largest in France in it’s time.

Also in Auch is the famous monumental staircase built in 1863, comprising 370 steps. At the centre of these steps stands the statue of D’Artagnan, the most famous Gascon and Captain of the Kings Musketeers.

Also, the Tower of Armagnac which stands 40 meters high, built in the 14th Century originally for use as a prison. The seven upper floors are all cells, the highest one being open to all four points of the horizon.

Other points of interest are the Jacobins Museum, the Prefecture (old 18th Century archiepiscopal palace), the Town Hall and the House of Gascony which houses numerous events throughout the year, namely the traditional exhibition of hand crafted and gastronomic products in July & August.

Obviously, there are many many more beautiful and historic villages in the surrounding areas and further a field and the owners are on hand to advise you if you so wish.

Nearest Airport:	Toulouse Pau	100km 120km
Nearest Railway Station:	Auch	20km

Directions

There are lots of options as Prada is well placed to access three airports in France:
Toulouse – (1 hour 15 mins drive) The following UK Airlines:
Easyjet from Gatwick
British Airways from Gatwick
Pau – (1 hour 30 mins) The following UK Airlines:
RyanAir from Stanstead
RyanAir from Bristol
Bordeaux – (1 hour 40 mins) The following UK Airlines:
British Airways from Gatwick
BMIBaby from Birmingham & Manchester
We feel it is absolutely essential to hire a car when staying in France. There are a lot less people in a much larger area in France so you will find that everything is much more spaced out!

Contact the Owner of this gite near Castera Verduzan

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