Les Bricas

Monday, November 9, 2009

NEWLY RESTORED MASTER FARM HOUSE IN THE DORDOGNE - WITH HEATED POOL

The 500 year old stone house sits on 2.5 acres, surrounded by fields and forests, just outside the small village of Saint Mayme de Péreyrol (Saint Maime de Péreyrol on Google), half way between the historic towns of Bergerac and Périgueux, and smack in the center of the Dordogne, France. It is a 5 minute drive to the small town of Vergt that has 2 weekly outdoors market, 2 super markets, 3 pharmacies, 4-5 bakeries, doctors’ offices, etc….

The 3 storey house sleeps up to 8 with 4 bedrooms, two full bathrooms (one with bath and one with shower), a separate WC, a fully equipped kitchen open to the dining room, a living room, a laundry room with a washer and a dryer, a furnished terrace and a heated pool. The pool will be heated, when needed, in the high and mid seasons, and the house will be heated in the low season. The house has many beautiful details, such as stone carved chimneys, stone archways and a stone sink.

The House

Pool

Living Room

Kitchen

Living Room 2

Dining Room

Porch

Bedroom 1

Bedroom 2

Bathroom

Bathroom 2

Second Floor

Bedroom 1

Bathroom

Bedroom 2

HOUSE DETAILS

We have tried to build the house so that it is environmentally friendly. We used traditional and natural construction materials. We installed geothermal heat that pumps air from underground and compresses it into warm air. On the ground floor, the heat is provided under the tiled floor. In the upstairs rooms there are radiators, and the bathrooms have towel warmers. We installed a water filter to minimize the use of bottled water. We use a salt filtration system for the pool to minimize the use of chlorine.

The two twin beds in every room can be made into double beds, depending on your needs. Bed linens, bathroom towels and pool towels are provided at no cost. Rentals longer than one week include free house cleaning and clean sheets and towels on Saturday.

If you desire, you can arrange for the housekeeper to come to clean and cook during your stay, at your own expense (12 € an hour). She has worked for my mother for years and is an amazing cook!

Ground Floor:
• Living Room: with sofas, arm chair, game table, cable TV, DVD Player, CD player and internet access. Door to breakfast patio on east side and terrace and pool on west side.
• Dining Room: with table and chairs for 8; open to kitchen with a bar in between.
• Kitchen: fully equipped with oven, stove, oven, dishwasher, water filter, coffee maker, toaster, large refrigerator; door to terrace and pool.
• Laundry room: with washer, dryer, iron, and ironing board.
• WC

1st Floor:
• Bedroom 1: sleeps two in either 2 separate or 1 queen size beds. Stone carved decorative fireplace.
• Bedroom 2: sleeps two in either 2 separate or 1 queen size beds. Stone carved decorative fireplace.
• Bathroom with shower.

2nd Floor:
• Bedroom 3: sleeps two in either 2 separate or 1 queen size beds.

Bedroom 4: sleeps two in either 2 separate or 1 queen size beds.
Bathroom with bath

Outdoors:
• One small breakfast patio facing east with a small table and chairs.
• One large terrace with outdoor table and chairs for 8, a parasol, a barbecue, outdoor lighting, steps to pool.
• Heated pool with childproofing (alarm and rigid cover), roman steps, night lightning, and pool chairs.
• 1 hectar/2.5 acres of garden, fields and forest. About 1/3 of the property – surrounding the house - is fenced in.
• Automatic outdoor lighting

Rates

Rates and Reservation Information

If you are interested in renting the house or just want more information, please email us at lesbricas@live.com

2010 Rates
Low (Jan 2 - June 5 and Sep. 29 – Dec. 19)*
1 Week 980 €
Mid (June 5 - July 3 and Aug. 28 – Sep. 25) **
1 Week 1,200 €
High (July 3 - July 24)
1 week 1,470
Very High (July 3- Aug. 28)
1 Week 1,750 €

* the house has central heating
**Pool will be heated if necessary during the mid high and very high seasons

Rentals are Saturday to Saturday. Arrivals start at 4pm on Saturday and you must vacate by 10am on Saturday.

To secure your reservation, you need to pay a down payment of 50% of the total cost of your stay. The full trip must be paid 10 weeks prior to your trip. If you cancel before 10 weeks prior to arrival, you will have your deposit refunded minus 300 €. We will always make the greatest effort to find new renters for the house, but if you cancel after 10 weeks prior to arrival, you will lose the full amount of the rental if we cannot find new renters. If we find new renters, you will have the full amount refunded minus 300 €.

There is a 300 € cash security deposit in case of potential breakages, cleaning or outstanding bills, refunded at the end of the trip.

The use of the accommodation and amenities, such as swimming pools etc. is entirely at the user's risk and no responsibility can be accepted for injury to a user or visitor, or loss or damage to the user or visitor's belongings.

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES may more than eight people occupy the property without written permission from the owner. If we are made aware that the number of people occupying the property exceeds that stated on our website then we reserve the right to ask the entire group to leave the property immediately with no refund of the rental sum paid. The parking of caravans or the erection of tents for accommodation is NOT permitted at any of our properties.

Mice, ants and other insects or animals are inevitably present in the countryside around the houses. We cannot be held responsible for the appearance of this type of problem during your stay although we will take appropriate action as soon as we have been advised if there is a problem. Occasionally the problem cannot be easily or completely eradicated and cannot be expected to be so.

The Area

Dordogne (also know as “Le Périgord”) is a beautiful part of France. It has 1,001 castles and myriad beautifully preserved medieval villages and historic towns. It also has many prehistoric sites, including the famous Lascaux caves. The rivers of the Dordogne and the Vézère are great for kayaking and canoeing. You are also not far from the Bergerac and Bordeaux wine regions where you can go to the chateaux for wine tastings. And finally there is the amazing food: Duck and foie gras anyone?

Leisure Activities in surrounding areas

Eating out

For eating out nearby, I recommend La Petite Auberge, a 3 minute drive or 20 minute walk through the forest. They create fantastic local dishes, using local produce. You need to reserve at least the day in advance, and possibly earlier in high season. You should discuss the menu before hand, or just wait to be surprised with the meal “du jour”. Another option is La Truffe D’Or, on the church square of the village of Saint Mayme de Péreyrol. It is owned and operated by a British couple. The food is good and the atmosphere can be fun and lively. For a basic meal of crepes (both salty and sweet), in a stunning setting, you can go to La Creperie in the picturesque medieval village of Clermont de Beauregard. L’Hotel du Parc in Vergt is also good and pleasant. In the summer you sit in a pretty garden. For a classier dining experience, you can go to Le Lion D’Or in Manzac sur Vern or to Le Manoir du Grand Vignoble in St Julien de Crempse. Both of these places specialize in the traditional cuisine of the region. For an amazing, but expensive, experience eat on the terrace at Le Moulin de L’Abbaye in Brantôme or Le Vieux Logis in Trémolat (both part of the Relais et Chateaux).

Water activities

If you want to go swimming in a lake, the Lac de Neufont is about a 5 minute drive from the house in the direction of Vergt. It has sand beaches, pedalo rentals, a long water slide and also a decent restaurant. There is an entrance fee.

Kayaking or canoeing on the Dordogne River is an amazing experience. As you paddle downstream, you pass beautiful villages hanging onto the cliffs below majestic medieval castles. A good place to start is in La Rocque Gageac, itself worth the trip.

The Vézère is also a beautiful river. There are several places in Les Eyzies de Talhac, which is the heart of the prehistoric sites of the Perigord.

Other outdoor activities

Kayaking on the Dordogne RiverThere are many hiking trails in the fields and forests in the area (some pass by the house). There are maps, and the trails are clearly indicated.

There are many places where you can go horse back riding.

There are water parks with large water slides outside of Bergerac.

Historical sites

The following will not replace a good guide book like the green Michelin guide, but will give you a flavor of the region. The most important visit is the Dordogne Valley. Take small roads and lose yourself. Climb the steep streets of the medieval villages clinging to the cliffs below the impressive castles. This is the region of France where France and England fought for centuries. Villages and castles were divided between the Catholic French and the Protestant English. That is why there are so many fortified castles, villages and churches. Sometimes I feel that the Renaissance and everything that came after bypassed the region and I am still in medieval times. I would spend some time in the pedestrian historical centers of Périgueux and Bergerac. Brantôme is also a beautiful destination.

Les Bricas

Sunday, January 31, 2010

Monday, November 9, 2009

Rates

The Area