|
Summary :
Evêque is a small apartment converted from a former stable
and hayloft of this historic, lovingly-renovated château
standing on top of a hill overlooking the Garonne valley. (The
château comprises 9 rentals - 6 cottages plus 3 apartments
- altogether.)
Evêque
is a small apartment situated on the first floor of the central
tower of the chateau. The apartment is furnished to a high standard
very much in standard with the spirit of the building. With so
much to do around the château or further afield if you wish,
this is a wonderful way for one or two people (perhaps with a
small child) to experience the history and landscape of the Gironde.
|
| Like
this? Try These Too... |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
Key
Facts :
| Nearest
Town : |
Bordeaux
(20 km) |
| Type
of Location : |
Quiet,
picturesque country location |
| No.
of bedrooms : |
1:
1 four poster bed, plus small lit-bateau |
| Sleeping
capacity : |
2-3 |
| No.
of bathrooms : |
1
bathroom |
| Style
of property : |
Apartment
in landmark château |
| Quality
guide : |
SIMPLE
QUALITY - what
does this mean? |
| Prices : |
|
| » Check availability & prices for this property GO |
The price includes linen and towels
Extra charges are applied for babysitting - pay locally
Heating is charged extra from October to
May if required.
Security deposit
€150
or £100 payable by credit card on arrival and returned
on or shortly after departure (as long as property is left
clean and there is no damage/breakages)
» Read important information about security deposits & insurance |
| Linen
arrangements : |
Bed
linen and house towels are included in the rental price |
| Cleaning
arrangements : |
The
villa is cleaned and prepared for arrival. No cleaning is
included in the rental
» Read important information about
cleaning
|
| Arrivals
& departure : |
Saturday
changeover - arrival 4-6pm; departure 10am.
Flexible arrival & departure in
off season.
» Read important information about
arrivals & departures |
| Nearest
beach : |
Arcachon,
or Grand Crohot nr Cap Ferret (75 km) |
| Nearest
boulangerie : |
Tabanac
(1 km) |
| Nearest
airport : |
Bordeaux
Mérignac (25 km) |
| Nearest
ferry port : |
St
Malo 7 hours drive, Santander 3 hours drive |
| Swimming
pool : |
Yes,
heated, 12m x 7m, usually open mid-May-mid-October,
shared with other guests |
| Facilities
& equipment : |
Microwave,
washing machine, dryer, dishwasher; BBQ. Bikes, table-tennis,
boules (all shared with other guests). Shared CD player
in chapel |
| Suitability
for children : |
Excellent
for active children who will enjoy the facilities and space |
| Suitability
for infants : |
Safely
enclosed, off quiet country road.Cot & cot linen available. |
| Things
to see & do : |
Swimming,
cycling, badminton, table-tennis, food and wine. Lots to
visit: country villages, St Emilion, Bordeaux, châteaux. |
| House
rules : |
Pets
are not allowed. Smoking outside only |
|
Location
: Map
Ref C2
Tousens
Evêque is situated just outside a small hamlet about 20
km south east of Bordeaux close to the river and overlooking the
valley of the Garonne in the appelation of Premières Côtes
de Bordeaux. This is where the restful, rolling countryside of
the Entre-Deux-Mers region begins - in the middle of this peaceful
landscape and immersed in the chateau's history you feel in a
completely different time and place from the modern world.
Yet, it is just a 30 minute drive to Bordeaux or its Merignac
airport. The TGV serves the Gare St Jean in Bordeaux, also about
30 minutes drive away. The channel port of St Malo can be reached
in a good seven hour run; the other way, Santander is about three
hours' drive.
|
Accommodation
:
It
is no exaggeration to say that the château that provides
the setting for Evêque apartment has a certain undefinable
magic that only reveals itself as you unwind, discover and explore.
An old bakehouse, a tower where the Bishop of Bordeaux once stayed,
an original wine press, the arched walls of the old wine store
and a restored chapel, the sense of hundreds of lives and years
passed here is magical - it really is living history.
After passing under the château's main gates, you come into
the gravelled courtyard: the sandy-yellow coloured stone the chateau
is made of casts a warm, relaxing glow throughout - you immediately
begin to feel at peace.
Half-way down the courtyard on the left you cannot miss the château's
impressive tower and characteristic turret; the first floor of
this part of the château is home to Evêque. Coming
into the entrance hall is going back to a calmer, more civilised
time as you are transported by the furnishings and decor, so in
keeping with the overall atmosphere of the château
Stairs
lead up to the main room of Evêque, equipped with four-poster
bed, a sofa, wardrobe, desk, two chairs and armchairs. A cot is
available for babies. There is an en-suite bathroom with wc.
The apartment also features a kitchenette with fridge, microwave
oven, kettle, breakfast set, cutlery with plates and glasses,
allowing preparation of breakfasts and meals.
Garden
furniture and a barbecue set are also available allowing meals
to be taken in the courtyard or on the lawns outside.
There are a further fifty acres of grounds shared with the château's
other guests, offering a variety of walks. Four bicycles and six
mountain bikes are available for guests' use (including one with
a baby seat) to explore the many quiet, safe roads around the
château.
There is a shared 12 x 7 heated swimming pool and terrace is surrounded
by a protective fence in the middle of a beautiful meadow with
palm trees, sun terrace, swings and badminton. The pool has a
shallow end for children.
All in all, it is a unique chance to experience the history and
landscape of the Gironde, a fantastic place to meet like-minded
people and to have a holiday that is as relaxing or as active
as you wish.
|
How
To Book :
STEP 1.
Check availability. NB Website availability is
refreshed daily but not "live" so please contact us
to confirm availability. Call 0870 6092845 or
email us
Once we have confirmed availability we can normally hold a property
for up to 48 hours if you need to confer with friends or family).
STEP 2.
Call or email us
if you want to go ahead and make a provisional booking.
STEP 3.
To confirm a provisional booking we need, within 5 working days,
your completed Booking Form and your deposit payment of 35%.
|
| Guide
:
Visitors
to l'Esprit Tousens often have little need or urge to venture
more than a mile away. Getting to know the fifty acres
of grounds surrounding the château, on foot or
even on horseback, cycling the
nearby lanes, badminton, boule, and swimming
on site, plus free tennis courts a mile down
the road in the nearest village, it is tempting not to stray!
If you do, l'Esprit Tousens is situated on the edge of the Entre-Deux-Mers
countryside, one of the loveliest parts of the Gironde - soft,
undulating hills, ancient villages (St Macaire, Sauve-Majeure
and Cadillac should be high on anyone's list for a
visit), baroque châteaux and some excellent white wines.
St Emilion, just over the Dordogne river to
the north, is another must-visit.
Talking of which, wine-lovers - beginners and more experienced
- are spoilt for choice here. For an intelligent, entertaining
and informative introduction to the wines of the Bordeaux region
Planète Bordeaux is worth a visit (it's
rather less cheesy than the name may suggest to English ears!),
about half-an-hour's drive north. Alternatively, Château
de Malle (near Langon, 30 km to the south east) organises
recommended tours and tastings in its exceptional surrondings.
Further afield, many of the highlights of Aquitaine are within
60-90 minutes drive, easily day-trippable. There's the endless
expanses of golden sand and rolling waves characteristic of
the Atlantic coast's beaches - Le Grand Crohot,
about 10 km due west of Lège-Cap Ferret is particularly
recommended, you can always find a quiet spot to yourself. Alternatively,
there's the very family-friendly resorts of Lacanau-Océan
and Arcachon, or for a change from the ocean
beach, there's bathing at Lacanau lake (Etang de Lacanau) -
with shade from the forest and no currents to worry about families
with young children often prefer it here. The oyster-farming
villages and pine-and-sand-dune landscape of La Presqu'Ile de
Cap Ferret are another world.
The other way (east) is the rich gastronomic and cultural heritage
of the Dordogne - its truffles, many caves
(eg at Sarlat, Lascaux, Font-de-Gaume) and
fortified towns are within an hour and a half's drive. Closer
to home, there are many good local restaurants, many offering
children's menus. For a special meal at the château itself,
most of them will also usually deliver for a small charge.
Other activities include 10+ excellent golf courses
within an hour by car; the château's owners will assit
with addresses and booking. Canoeing is available
on local rivers - this is a fantastically diferent way of seeing
the landscape, with over 40 miles of circuits nearby.
This is just a taster. The owners of l'Esprit Tousens know the
region intimately and will provide suggestions for all ages
and interests when you meet them.
Alternative
Aquitaine's Guide to the Pays des Vins
Tourist
information - Entre-deux-Mers
Guide
to St Emilion
Sources
Caudalie - grape-based beauty treatments
Gironde
Tourist Information
Hostens
Lac guide
Landes
National Park - information
|
|
