Self-Catering Holidays in Atlantic Aquitaine, South West France - Villas, Cottages & Apartments

Location : Map Ref B5

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le Luc is situated in quiet wooded grounds in the village of Ste Marie-de-Gosse. Peyrehorade is the nearest main town, 10 kms or so to the east. Heading towards the coast, Bayonne, the Pays Basque 'capital' is 25 kms.

This region is ever popular as it lies at the junction of the Landes forest and Pyrénéan foothills. This is an enviable land of beautiful and varied landscapes, pretty market towns amongst the tranquil countryside contrasting with vibrant and cultured seaside resorts.

The 'foodies' will be happy here; this is a land of foie gras and confits de canard, fine Jurançon and Madiran wines and Armagnac brandy.

There's a choice of airports with Biarritz and Pau being the closest; both are served daily by Ryanair from Stansted and it's now possible to fly from Dublin to Biarritz too. There's a TGV-served train station at Bayonne-Biarritz and also at Dax.

Accommodation :

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Le Luc provides traditional and spacious accommodation for those who really want to experience French country living on their holiday. High ceilings, imposing fireplaces, exposed stonework and heavy oak beams are complemented by a fine choice of antiques and furnishings.

The manoir is set back some 100 yards from the road and lies in 12 acres of wonderful wooded grounds. The interior living space is in excess of 400m2 and is spread over three floors.

Ground Floor :

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The manoir is entered via the 34m2 stone floored sitting room. To the left is a huge stone fireplace (logs provided in the adjacent bucher). Fine antiques add to the feeling of warmth and refinement. Three sofas provide ample seating and there is TV (with BBC satellite), DVD and CD hi-fi facilties. The telephone is for incoming and local calls only.

Adjoining the sitting room is the manoir's dining room. A wonderful place to enjoy long dinners, the room is dominated by a country oak dining table and impressive marble fireplace. The atmosphere is enhanced by candle-only lighting.

From the sitting room and at the foot of the staircase, a vestibule has a wall of hand-carved chestnut cupboards, the last of which is a concealed entrance to the dining room.

Adjacent to the vestibule is the petit salon, a lockable room which the owners ask only adults to use. In our experience, the grown-ups of the party are often relieved to find a child-free zone! The room houses beautiful Louis XVI furniture, a family armoire, large canape and the walls reveal exposed stonework. The petit salon is used for quiet reading - let's hope you get the chance!

The manoir also has a grand salon, however, this is currently not in use for guests.

Next to the stairwell is a handy downstairs w.c. In the adjacent kitchen corridor there is a vast sideboard containing a large collection of cooking dishes.

Located off the corridor is the scullery containing wine and vegetable racks, chest freezer, fridge, small sink plus garde manger for storing cheese.

Beyond the scullery is a large (23m2) and beautifully French, country kitchen. There are two full-length cupboards containing a wealth of dishes and crockery, a long granite work surface with double sink, cooking range, microwave/grill plus a further fridge. A kettle and toaster are also provided. The kitchen has two tables - a breakfast table which seats 12 plus a large baker's table for preparing delicious meals (don't forget - catering services can be arranged here!). A wood-burning stove adds to the authentic, country ambience. An exciting development for 2008 is the addition of French doors in the kitchen to access the pool and terrace.

From the kitchen, you enter the lingerie for washing and drying clothes (washing machine provided, of course). The Assistant de Vacances - Stephanie - uses this washing machine on Saturdays to change the linen. The room also has a butler's sink, pool shower, very handy WC (it saves having to go right into the house with wet feet when you've been out by the pool) and a wardrobe containing pool towels and cushions for the garden chairs, plus ironing board & iron. A garden table and chairs for children's meals is also stored here.

First Floor :

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5 of the manoir's 7 bedrooms are located on the first floor, accessed via the 17th century staircase that was purchased from a previous manoir. The stairway is wide and imposing and the walls retain the original timber and narrow brickette.

On the first floor there are 3 bathrooms with toilets, a shower room plus a further separate toilet. All bedrooms have period furniture, armchairs or sofas, and a selection of ornaments, rugs, etc.

• Master Bedroom - "Gingko". 36m2. King-size bed with en-suite bathroom plus    dressing area. Superb marble fireplace plus antique furniture including a colonial desk.
• Double Bedroom - "Oak". 36m2. King-size bed and single bed plus en-suite bathroom.
• Double Bedroom - double bed, private shower and wash-hand basin.
• Double Bedroom - "Magnolia". 31m2. Twin beds plus extra single. The owners kindly request that due to the antique furniture in this room, extra care is taken if the room is used by children.
• Double Bedroom - "Grey". 21m2. Double bed plus walk-in cupboard. The Magnolia and Grey bedrooms share a bathroom.

Also on the first floor there is a small study room stocked with a few books.

Attic :

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The attic offers excellent accommodation for children - there are two children's bedrooms each with twin beds and bunk beds. A selection of children's toys and games is also available and there's a small TV salon too. There is a handy WC and wash-hand basin for the kids' rooms.

The remaining attic space (it's a big attic!) is private for the owners' use.

Le Luc for smaller groups:

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When Le Luc is rented for smaller parties, the attic area is normally sealed off. This leaves up to 5 bedrooms to choose from. All other facilities are available as normal.

Outside

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le Luc offers 5 ha (12.5 acres) of grounds to enjoy. The grounds to the rear of the house are dominated by a magnificent 400-year-old oak. The floodlit swimming pool is a good size - 10x5m - and is protected in accordance with new regulations. The pool has a wide paved surround with numerous sun-loungers.

Adjacent to the pool is a gravelled terrace with two oak teak tables each with 8 chairs, 8x loungers, and easy chairs plus additional tables. This is a wonderfully secluded retreat for lunches and dinners. A BBQ is provided. For the younger children there are many smaller chairs and a covered sandpit near the pool.

At the other side of the house is a sun-trap courtyard, beyond which is a games room (45m2) which provides pool table, hi-fi, table tennis, boules, games plus armchairs and a sofa. This is a popular place for the teens to 'hang out'! If you really want to relax outside, two hammocks are provided for your comfort!

Assistant de Vacances Services :

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Caretaker. The guardian's cottage is in the same grounds; the house requires a lot of up-keep and guests will appreciate how essential it is for the pool and gardens to be maintained on a regular basis. There is no intrusion of guests' privacy. In fact, the caretakers - Stephanie & Jeff - are the Assistants de Vacances at Le Luc.

You can view a menu of Assistant de Vacances services available at Le Luc, including some delicious catering options. If there's something else you'd like but you can't see it on the menu then simply ask us - the Assistant de Vacances service is very flexible.

Don't forget that some cleaning is already included in the rental price - the house is cleaned (not kitchen dishes) three times a week. Also included in the rental price is a change of bed linen and bathroom towels each Saturday.

A comprehensive Information Pack is provided for arriving guests (emergency telephone numbers, chemists, banks, supermarkets, festivals, markets, day-trips and excursions, etc).

A Welcome Basket is also provided (6 fresh eggs; butter; 2x bottles mineral water; 2x bottles wine; 1x bottle fruit juice; 1x packet pasta; ham; 3x baguettes). Guests can request an arrivals shopping list to be purchased via the Assistant de Vacances.