French village apartment

About Our Home

Our apartment is right in the middle of a beautiful and lively village in the South of France. We look down on the church square, and out across roofs and trees. The apartment has been totally renovated and has new furniture, fixtures and fittings, a modern kitchen, the full range of appliances (fridge, freezer, washer, dryer, dishwasher) and a modern bathroom. It has a modern but French style, and is in a lovely 1900s ex-general's home, built on much older foundations. The main bed is queen size, and the sofa folds out to become a very comfortable queen-size slat-bed. It is a very easy apartment to live in. We provide a full house manual for the apartment, with English and French instructions for the appliances. The manual also describes places you might like to visit, our favourite restaurants and so on. The apartment is in the mediaeval town of Céret in the south of France, in Languedoc-Roussillon. Close airports are Perpignan (35 mins), Girona (50 mins) and Barcelona (90 mins). Perpignan is also on the TGV train route between Paris and Barcelona, and motorways and the fast autoroute are close by. All regional buses (e.g. Perpignan to Céret) and some regional trains are just one Euro! Céret is just 6km north of the Spanish border, on the foothills of the Pyrenees, at 107m. It is in the Tech valley, known as the Vallespir. The landscape is rolling, very green, and many of the roads are within avenues of plane trees. It enjoys a Mediterranean climate of mild winters and warm summers, with over 300 days of sunshine a year. It is an old area, very Catalan in influence, and full of history. By road we are 30km from Perpignan, 30km to the Mediterranean and 20km from Spain. The region has lovely little villages, walled towns, Cathar castles, mediaeval monasteries, a scenic narrow-gauge train, spa towns, walking and cycling trails. The Canal du Midi runs through the north of it. Skiing is close (1h:30 away) and open early December to mid-April. There are at least 8 resorts, 174 runs, 107 lifts and 360km of cross-country ski-trails. The town of Céret has some 8000 citizens, and surrounds a mediaeval centre. Our apartment is right in the middle, overlooking the church square. The main street runs in a curve around the centre, and is under the trees in the overhead photo. There are dozens of shops in Céret - bakers, butchers, patisseries, cafes, restaurants and even two supermarkets. It remains very French. Every Saturday there is a huge regional market along 500m of street, with local produce. Goods on offer include cheeses, bread, meat, salami, wine, olives, precooked chickens, fresh paella (the Spanish influence) and much more. During July and August there is also a night artisans market on Tuesdays. Once a month there is a huge second-hand goods market. There's a lively café and restaurant scene, with a dozen café-bars along the main street including our local, Bar le Pablo. There are 2 dozen restaurants, mainly French cuisine of course, but including Asian, Catalan, tapas, pasta, pizza and kebabs. Year-round there are various displays, exhibitions, dances and performances. Céret has a famous museum of modern art, as Picasso, Chagall, Soutine and other artists have all lived and worked here. This keeps Céret lively year-round.

Special Considerations

No smoking or pets thanks.

Nearby

Member since:	Nov 2011
Availability:	Depends on the offer
Prior exchanges:	12

1. We are a couple in our 50s, with children away overseas now.
2. We work part-time so we can do more of the things we want to do, especially travel.
3. We are a professional couple with architecture and town planning backgrounds.