Posted by Joanna Dobson (194.170.32.254) on March 17, 2008 at 11:07:24:
Our house, 'Solièra', is in the beautiful, XII century hillside village of Saignon in Provence, which is one of the ten oldest settlements in France and dates back almost two millennia. The three-storey house is a grade 1 listed building with one external wall forming part of the mediaeval ramparts - the arrow slits are used as windows today, giving a spectacular view 65 kilometres down the Grand Lubéron valley to Mont Ventoux and on to the heights of Avignon.
Solièra offers accommodation for 4, with 2 bedrooms and very spacious living areas. The 2 divans in the living rooms convert into sofa beds so extra people could easily be accommodated. The house is newly renovated and furnished to a very high standard with antique French furniture. There are two bedrooms, two living rooms, a bathroom, two separate WCs, a kitchen and a mezzanine. The kitchen is fully equipped with a large fridge, oven, hob, dishwasher and washing machine. There is a CD stereo system and television in the main living room. An open fireplace in the kitchen, a huge wood burning stove and central heating throughout make the winters comfortable and cozy. The double French doors open onto the large walled garden and courtyard complete with fig and poplar tree.
A boulangerie and a small general store are barely 100 metres from the front door. Excellent local restaurants are plentiful, including a 3-star hotel and restaurant in the village. Saignon is situated in the ‘Parc Naturel de Lubéron’ and nearby activities include cross-country skiing, hiking, canoeing, cycling, horse riding, rock climbing and golf. Within easy driving distance are the towns of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Avignon, Arles, Nîmes, Aix-en-Provence, Alès and Orange which have attracted artists such as Van Gogh, Gauguin, Renoir and Cezanne. St-Tropez, Cannes, Nice and Monaco are only two to three hours away.
The nearest international airport is Nice (120 kilometres from Saignon). Or fly to Paris and take the high speed TGV train from the airport terminal to Avignon which takes two and a half hours.