Holiday 3 independant gites in Provence, Camargue, Bouches du Rhone, South of France
The ‘Mas de l’Hermitage’ is a place of luxurious calm, surrounded by the grass fields of the Crau. It is situated in Provence, close to the Alpilles Hills, near to the medieval village of Les Baux and only eight kilometres east of Arles. The Mas, or farmhouse, is divided into several independent apartments dating between the 18th and 19th centuries. The building is south facing and overlooks a garden, shaded by century old Plane trees.
Each apartment has its own private terrace with teak furniture.
The large garden is a quiet retreat. There is a large communal pool of 15m x 7m, as well as small paddling pool under a light cascade for the recreation of toddlers. The pool is surrounded by teak tanning beds and recliners. The pool house, with its terrace and barbecue, provides a pleasant location for socialising, sundowners and playing petanque (French bowls).
The Apartments:
All three rental apartments have been renovated to a high standard using authentic materials. Each apartment is independent and has its own private entrance. They are double storey with the bedrooms and bathrooms above, the kitchens, and open plan lounges downstairs.
The bedrooms are all double volume spaces of 4 – 5m in height. They all have the original round wooden roof beams exposed and restored. The ceilings downstairs all feature the original wooden slats, typical of the area. The stone walls have been exposed. The upstairs rooms and bathrooms have breath-taking views of the landscape: grass lands, rows of Cyprus and Plane trees and in the distance, the Alpilles.
The kitchens are all newly renovated to a high standard. There are ample cupboards for food storage and rental includes all crockery, cutlery, pots, pans and utensils required to cook a normal family meal. The kitchens are each equipped with a stove, a ceramic hob, extractor fan, microwave oven, dishwasher, kettle and Italian espresso percolators.
All bathrooms have been fully renovated and stone has been searched out that matches those of the original construction. ‘Fontvieille’ stone and Travertine marble tiles have been used extensively in combination with modern fittings, basins and large open showers (each shower includes an overhead and hand-held showerheads).
The largest apartment, the ‘PROVENCE’, consists of a kitchen, a large living room with fireplace, two double bedrooms and a bathroom (bath, shower and toilet) over an area of 100 m2. The beds are all king-size although two single beds can be requested in the larger of the two rooms. The general décor is a blend of traditional and modern, combined to create a comfortable atmosphere. The lounge features a large stone fireplace and with the stone walls, creates a homely atmosphere. Lounge furnishings include a modern ‘Club’ leather lounge suite and a large heavy oak six-seater dinning table.
The further two apartments, the ‘CAMARGUE’ and the ‘ALPILLES’, consist each of an open planned kitchen/lounge, a double bedroom and bathroom. The living areas are 65 and 70 m2. Although they are very similar in layout, they differ in décor styles. One being more in the traditional Camargue`s style, with the original ‘mosaic’ cement tiled floor. The other has a slightly more modern touch, featuring a ‘Le Corbusier’ leather lounge suite, African artefacts and contemporary art works.
During the rental period, the following is also included:
Linen and towels are provided, including swimming towels.
Linen is changed once a week.
A ‘welcome’ basket of bread, butter, cheese, fruits, wine, tea, coffee etc.