Rêve de Provence is an 11th century 3-story Village House recently renovated to provide modern comforts and the ideal layout and privacy for families, or for two couples. The main entrance opens into a foyer which has a large armoire. Opposite the front entrance is an area that holds the cleaning supplies and a washing machine, iron and ironing board. To the right off the foyer is a bedroom with a queen-size bed fitted with fine linens and a comfortable topper. A large armoire will accommodate hanging clothes and has 2 draws for folded clothes. There is a fold up baby crib available. Opposite the bedroom across the foyer is a large luxurious bathroom with a large soaking tub, toilet, and sink. Up wide wooden spiral stairs with ornate, decorative iron work to the main salon and kitchen....Rêve de Provence is an 11th century 3-story Village House recently renovated to provide modern comforts and the ideal layout and privacy for families, or for two couples. The main entrance opens into a foyer which has a large armoire. Opposite the front entrance is an area that holds the cleaning supplies and a washing machine, iron and ironing board. To the right off the foyer is a bedroom with a queen-size bed fitted with fine linens and a comfortable topper. A large armoire will accommodate hanging clothes and has 2 draws for folded clothes. There is a fold up baby crib available. Opposite the bedroom across the foyer is a large luxurious bathroom with a large soaking tub, toilet, and sink. Up wide wooden spiral stairs with ornate, decorative iron work to the main salon and kitchen. The kitchen is new in 2006 with a glass top stove, oven, microwave, and refigerator/freezer. A large window looks out south and lets lots of light in. The kitchen is completely supplied with all cooking utensils, china, wine glasses, and market baskets. There is a dinning table with seating for 6. The main salon has a comfortable sofa bed, that opens to 2 single beds, there are comfortable 2 leather chairs, and a small table ideal for laptop computer use. There is a flat screen TV with a good selection of channels, a Blue Ray DVD with an extensive DVD library and free internet wi-fi access (bring your laptop). Up another set of stairs to the other bedroom that features a queen-size bed and ensuite bathroom, new in 2006. The bed has a very comfortable mattress and topper with high quality linens. There is a large vanity, a closet to hang clothes, a dresser, and 2 night stands with lamps. The ensuite bathroom has a shower, sink and toilet. Across from the bedroom is the doorway to the south-facing terrace. The terrace is enclosed with large sliding windows to let the Provencal sun in. There is a dining table and chairs for 6, a side board with dishes and eating utensils. There are 2 lounge chairs, and the room is air conditioned. We spend 2 to 3 months a year in the house so we have done everything necessary to make the home very livable and comfortable. The house is located in Pierrelatte, a lively market village, located in the Drome Provençal with 12,000 inhabitants. In the Village there are restaurants, shops with regional products, butchers, bakers, grocery stores, general stores, bars, cafes, everything you need to help enjoy your stay. There is swimming at a lovely beach that is less than 3 km from the house. The beach has a playground for children and a nice café. You can watch the windsurfers on the opposite side of the beach. Guests can also use the village swimming pool and tennis court. Market day is every Friday and occurs just steps from the front door. Local produce, cheeses, meats, and flowers can be purchased, as well as fresh seafood and herbs. Since everything is within walking distance, you can explore the village at your own pace. This village even has a cinema, a short walk from the house, which occasionally shows English language movies. Southern France offers endless sightseeing opportunities. Unless you’re intending to stay for months, the main problem with the south of France is choosing where to go. Within 30 to 60 minutes’ drive, there is a choice of the Papal city of Avignon, with its fantastic summer festival and chic shops, the Roman towns of Vaison-la-Romaine (which has the best Provençal market in the region on Tuesday mornings), and Orange, all of which have historic sites, Roman ruins and ancient theatres where a plethora of music festivals are staged throughout the summer months. The pretty town of Isle-sur-la-Sorgue is a haven of antique dealers and brocante shops. Close to Isle-sur-la-Sorgue is the small village of Fontaine du Vaucluse that hosts an impressive spring which flows out of a 230 m high cliff. Along the seacoast is the French Riviera and the ports of Marseille,Toulon and the pretty little seaside village of Cassis. Cassis is a good place to relax, have a provençal meal, people watch and take in the amazing scenery, or do something more seaworthy and take sailing lessons, go windsurfing or catch a tour ferry to the nearby famous Calanques. The Calanques are deep narrow inlets, sort of Provençal fiords, in the rocky cliffs along the coast between Cassis and Marseilles. The long narrow inlets in the high white rocks are truly impressive, some with tiny harbors or beaches at the ends, and rock climbers scaling the walls along the sides. They’ve provided safe haven for sailors during storms for millennia, and today the clear blue-green waters are even more popular in good weather. Heading south to the sea, are the lesser known, but quite lovely, seaside fortress town of Aigues-Mortes and Stes Maries de la Mer, known for its black Madonna. Some of the world’s most famous wine labels come from this region, including Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Tavel, and Gigondas. The area around Pierrelatte contains some of the oldest vineyards in France—indeed the heyday of some of the Rhône Valley wines was 2,000 years ago, around the time of the Roman conquest of France. Next to Provence is the region named, the Gard; also rich in history and beauty and a reasonable drive from Pierrelatte. On the border between Provence and Languedoc, the name of NÎMES is inescapably linked to two things—denim and Rome. The latter’s influence is highly visible in some of the most extensive Roman remains in Europe, while the former (de Nîmes), equally visible on the backsides of the populace, was first manufactured in the city’s textile mills, and exported to the southern USA in the nineteenth century to clothe slaves. Some twenty kilometers from Nimes, is the magnificent Pont du Gard. It is the greatest surviving stretch of a fifty-kilometer-long aqueduct built by the Romans in the middle of the first century to supply fresh water to the city. Is is a supreme piece of engineering, a brilliant combination of function and aesthetics. Near Nimes and Avignon is the medieval, elegant city of Uzes. Under the arcades of the Place aux Herbes and along the neighboring streets a market takes places every Saturday whose reputation has for a long time stretched beyond the region. For nature lovers, the flamingo-filled lagoons of the Camargue must be experienced. The spectacular canyons of the Ardèche and Verdon rivers are a geological perfection, ideal for canoeing, and hiking. The wild countryside of the Drome with its lavender fields is magnificent. The entire area abounds with flower fields, vineyards, orchards, and olive and mulberry groves and lavender fields. In short, it is not possible to describe the endless array of things to do and places to go. One must simply go and experience, if only for a short time, the beautiful scenery, magnificent ruins, and fabulous food and wine of southern France. More