‘Villa La Cerisaie’
CERET: Lanquedoc/Roussillon
'Villa La Cerisaie' is the recently refurbished house of retired university historian and his artist wife. Spectacularly positioned 1000ft above sea level, near the town of Ceret (4km) and immediately below the 13th cent. Conservation area of the 'Ermitage de St. Ferreol'. There are magnificent, panoramic views of Mount Canigou (9000ft), the Pyrenees, the Roussillon plains and the Mediterranean (15km). Set in 12 acres of private garden and woodland, surrounded by cherry orchards and vineyards, it has a new swimming pool with jacuzzi and solar shower, facing south and making the most of its impressive setting.
The house is surrounded by a large terrace facing the large, mosaic swimming pool and jacuzzi and consists of entrance hall with cloakroom and W.C, extensive sitting room with adjoining library, a balcony facing south and a full length conservatory facing south east towards Spain. All the villa is fully furnished to a high standard with T.V (English/French), DVD & video, antiques, paintings, and objet’s d'art. The newly fitted kitchen with granite worktops and all accessories opens on to a large dining room sitting up to 12 people with antique Catalonian furniture, terrace, garden, and swimming pool.
There is a laundry room with extra american style fridge, freezer, washing machine and sinks. There is also a shower, washroom on the ground floor. On the first floor there are four double bedrooms, two with large carved Catalonian double beds. One bedroom has a 'French' double bed. 'Children’s room' contains four bunk beds and a single bed with a visitors bed beneath usable in any room offering extra versatility if required. Cot and high chair are available. There is a further, fully equipped, bathroom with a W.C separate. This floor opens onto a large balustraded solarium /terrace with magnificent views of Mount Canigou, pool and gardens below. External Summer BBQ and kitchen area with more terracing and a summer house adjacent to the pool. The whole ambiance offers complete privacy and tranquility.
CERET
Ceret has a mild climate, hot and dry from June to September, mild from October to May with the possibility of sitting on the terrace at lunchtime in the warm sunshine on a winter’s day. The region records between 300 to 320 days of annual sunshine.
Ceret is a centre for modern art, where Picasso, Matisse, Braque, Dufy and Soutine lived and worked in the early part of the last century and home to many present day artists. Its splendid collection of works by these artists is housed in the museum of modern art and every year a prestigious art exhibition is mounted. It has a popular Saturday market and has many special events throughout the year. These include the holy week parade, the spring cherry festival, the three day popular Feria in July with aficenados from all over Catalonia and France with food, drink, music and dancing in the streets throughout the night.The annual Sardane dance festival in the arena and throughout the old streets in summer and Mediterranean Music Nights in early Autumn, with many smaller fetes throughout the year such as Lace making. Ceret is also famous for its mimosa and cherries, the first of which are traditionally sent to the President of the Republic.
Other Attractions in the region.
Outdoor.
From Villa La Cerisaie it is possible to walk along the rural pistes through vineyards and up into the hills. There is a winding footpath up through to the Ermitage de St. Ferreol which provides an extensive view of the Mediterranean coastline. The body of St. Ferreol (a Christian Martyr from the 4th Cent) was brought to the area in the 13th Century and the chapel dates from this period. With its surrounding grounds it is a place of quiet solitude and serenity. The chapel itself is open to the public most afternoons. For more serious ramblers there are ideal walks higher in the nearby foothills of the pyrenees GRC (Grande Randonnee) paths are clearly marked both on IGN maps and on the ground. Mountain bikes are available for hire. It is possible to drive within 3000ft of Canigou’s summit and then walk to the peak. There are other outdoor pursuits available in the area. Kayaking, canoeing, canyoning, pot holing, climbing, horse riding, trekking, sailing, fishing, golf, windsurfing, diving and swimming.
Cultural.
In Spain the trio of Dali museums at Figueres, Port Lligat, and Pubol are memorable and provocative whilst medieval Girona is a revelation, trendy Barcelona with its Gaudi architecture and Rambla is exciting and the northern Costa Brava a surprisingly pleasant scenic drive to those who imagine it to be full of lager louts and high rise concrete blocks. The Mediterranean resorts of Collioure(art), Port Vendre (fishing), St Cyprien (golf), Argeles-sur-Mer (windsurfing), Canet Plage (new sixties development) are all well worth a visit. Further afield the ancient cities of Perpignan, Carcassone, Narbonne, Beziers and Montpellier are within easy driving distance. Andorra is possible for a day.
History.
The area is rich in history beginning with prehistoric man (450,000 years old) whose remains lie in the Tautavel museum near Rivesaltes to the ravages of the Spanish Civil War (1936-39) and the allies escape routes to Spain during the second world war. The Phoenicians and Greeks founded colonies in the 4th Century B.C. Hannibal crossed the Pyrenees in 218 B.C. at nearby Le Perthus, where the road from Rome to Cadiz built around 10 A.D. can still be seen. Visigoths, Moors and Catalan & Spanish Kings have all at one time held sway here. Romanesque churches with frescoes from the middle ages bear witness to the rich development of new styles of church architecture. The heretical Cathars for
many years resisted the vigour of Simon de Montfort, the Royal and Papal armies before being vanquished and burnt in their Pyrennean strongholds, still impressive and visitable. The Templars were active in the region and historians still have not solved the mystery of the alleged treasure at Rennes-le-Château. Louis X1V completed the conquest of the area in 1659 and his brilliant engineer architect Vauban completed the fortifications along the new borders - nearly all open to the public.
FOOD & DRINK
There are large supermarkets, small shops, farms and markets in the area with excellent bread, cheeses, fruit, vegetables and organic produce. There are a wide variety of restaurants serving Catalonian, French and Spanish food in Ceret and the surrounding area from the humble family auberge to haute cuisine starred establishments. Roussillon wines are plentiful, a good Rivesaltes, Banyuls or Muscat make a marvellous aperitif, whereas Spanish Cava or the sparkling Blanquette and Cremant de Limoux provide an alternative. Over the border in Spain (10km) there are a whole host of wines to taste at moderate prices.
Cultural/historical tours, painting & cordon bleu cookery tuition by specialists available.
3000€ per week July/August
or
By negotiation at other times of the year.
e-mail : Jeanne-David.Turner@wanadoo.fr
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