Your contact:	David and Maria Halliday
Telephone:	+33-(0)553657329 or +44-(0)1608 682021
Email:	Click here to contact Bouchon Bas

Bouchon Bas is a charming conversion of an old stone barn which was formerly used to make wine and Armagnac. The house has the authentic old character of a 200 year-old building with all the comfort and modern conveniences of luxury living, and is decorated with rustic elegance. With three bedrooms- two double and one twin- it can accommodate six guests. For the comfort of all guests smoking is not allowed in the house.

Sunny and very spacious with lovely views over the countryside, the house stays cool in the summer but is warm and cosy in the winter. The property is at the end of a long drive, deep in the countryside with no neighbours for a couple of kilometres. Bouchon Bas has its own private driveway, courtyard, outside dining terrace and garden, giving guests total privacy without being too isolated.

Bouchon Bas is located on what was formerly a royal hunting track, said to be where the much loved King Henri IV hunted. One can follow the path for miles through the ancient oak forests and vineyards following a small river. The garden is well maintained with rose bushes, garden, and an orchard. The orchard leads to the 12 x 6 metre swimming pool beyond which is the pond, which is fed by a natural spring. The pond is a wonderful place to spend time reading, fishing or having a picnic listening to the rustle of leaves and the trickle of the spring under the dappled light from the ancient oak trees.

From the sunny entrance courtyard, large double doors lead into the airy and spacious living area with old oak beams and honey coloured stone walls. A large and comfortable seating area is cooled by ceiling fans in the summer, with a wood burning stove for winter. At one end, steps lead up to the dining area, where a large window looks over the meadow, the wood, and sunflower fields beyond.

The large fully equipped kitchen leads out to the spacious terrace, which is an ideal spot to enjoy warm sunny breakfasts, long shady lunches and starlit dinners listening to the croaks of the frogs from the stream below, the constant hum of cicadas and the sweet song of nightingales in the wood.

Off the living area, there is a bedroom with twin beds and modern shower room adjoining. A staircase leads up to a galleried walkway and two further bedrooms: one is a master double bedroom with a king size bed and an en-suite bathroom with an antique bath; the other is a queen size double bedroom with a pretty little en-suite bathroom.

All the bedrooms and bathrooms come fully prepared with freshly laundered linens, feather pillows and quilts, bath towels and mats.

The kitchen is fully equipped with a gas oven, stovetop and grill, a washing machine and a dishwasher. All the plates, glasses, silverware and kitchen linens are provided along with a full range of kitchen appliances (microwave, toaster, kettle, cafetiere and coffee machine.)

Around the house is a large selection of magazines along with playing cards and puzzles. There is a television with English satellite channels, a dvd player and a video player and a full stereo system. A large selection of dvds/videos is available. Also available to guests are a ping-pong table, bicycles and French boules.

Special features:	• Pool on the property • Maid, Cook and Driver can be arranged on request
Swimming pool:	12 x 6 meter pool

Bouchon Bas is perfectly situated within a 15 minute drive of the historic riverside market towns of Condom and Nérac, both offering excellent local farmers markets, restaurants, shops and many music festivals and concerts throughout the summer. Lectoure, a Roman hilltop garrison town is a must-see with several fascinating museums, galleries and buildings. The beautiful medieval villages of Fources, Larrasingle and La Romieu are all close by with Mézin being a 10 minute drive with excellent local bakers, butchers, grocers and a couple of lovely cafes on the square where you can sit out and watch the world go by. The sleepy pretty little village of Moncrabeau is 5 minutes away and offers a good outdoor swimming pool and tennis courts. One can rent a boat for the day and explore the villages along the river, or go canoeing, horseback riding, or searching for antiques and collectables in the local flea-markets and antique shops. There are many restaurants serving regional specialties, and there is always a village fete to make friends or dance the night away. Then there is also plain relaxing at Bouchon Bas and the quiet enjoyment of French rural life.

Gascony is as close to "La France Profonde" as it is possible to get. It is an area of unspoiled natural beauty forming a patchwork of vineyards, plum orchards and sunflowers dotted with old stone farmhouses, small châteaux and medieval villages that are much fun to explore and take you back in time. From Bouchon Bas, many easy and interesting day trips are available.

• Northwest: The cultural city of Bordeaux and the famous wine châteaux and beautiful villages like St. Émilion.
• Southeast: The lively cities of Toulouse and of Carcassonne, Europe's most famous fortified city.
• The Atlantic Coast: with the old glamorous seaside towns of Biarritz and St. Jean de Luz and the amazing sand dunes and beaches south of Bordeaux. The beautiful and undiscovered Northern coast of Spain, the city of San Sebastian, an elegant coastal city where film festivals and cultural events are held, and Bilbao, where the new Guggenheim Museum has recently been built.
• The Pyrénées, Europe's longest mountain range, offer walking, hiking, skiing, rafting and many other sports. Lourdes, situated in its foothills is one of the most visited pilgrimage towns in the world.

Since the owners live on the site on which Bouchon Bas is located, they will be available to offer help and information on the region to make your stay that much more enjoyable.

The pool, from the orchard	The pond
The rose garden	Faithful horses
Breakfast in the morning sun	The spacious dining area
Sunny kitchen window	The master bathroom