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Ille-sur-Têt, the peach capital of France, lies at the foot of the Canigou, with the Mediterranean and the Spanish border half an hour away. It enjoys over 300 days of sunshine a year. The Cathar castles, high Pyrenees and ski slopes are only an hour’s drive.
For those wishing to venture further afield, Barcelona, Carcassonne and Montpellier are within easy reach.
Accommodation:
El Pinyol d’Oliva is a sensitively restored holiday home which dates back to the medieval period, whilst still providing a luxurious degree of modern comfort – full central heating, for example, as well as a broadband internet connection.
High ceilings with exposed wooden beams give a feeling of airiness and luminosity. The large roof terrace affords views down narrow winding streets and over rooftops to the church and Orgues in one direction, and to the Canigou, sacred mountain of the Catalans, in the other.
Four large and highly individual bedrooms each have en suite bath or shower-room facilities. One doubles as a self-contained studio and may particularly suit early risers: there is a kitchenette for an early brew of coffee, and a side door to slip out and buy the morning’s croissants from one of the five boulangeries nearby.
Light floods into the lofty kitchen / dining room and reflects off a 4m high ceiling a la française. The kitchen, equipped with granite worktops and all mod cons, is the perfect place to cook up fresh produce from the nearby shops and colourful local market. The market is held three times a week and is two minutes walk away.
The winding wooden staircase leads to a spacious sitting room and large roof terrace. Here you can sit and sip your ice-cold local Muscat.
No pets.
Themed holidays
A number of themed holidays will be run during the year, using El Pinyol as a base. These will include walking, wine & food, music, painting & creative writing.
All holidays will be organised by Anne Guthrie, owner of El Pinyol d'Oliva. Multi-lingual, and with a varied background in the food, wine and travel industries, she has worked as a professional guide for many years.
Dates and details are available on request.
LOCAL AREA
The variety of landscapes in the Roussillon is mirrored by the range of activities. There are thermal baths, streams to canyon down and pools in which to swim. A sweep of coast, from the Cathar castle-studded Corbieres, past the etangs filled with oysters and flamingos, sandy beaches and the rocky end of the Pyrenees, takes you into Spain.
Picturesque villages dot the landscape. Romanesque churches are frequently used for concerts, including the famous Pablo Casals Festival. The area has drawn other musicians and painters to it. There are Fauvist paintings in the Museum of Modern Art in Ceret. Dali, whose museum is a hop across the border into Spain, thought that Perpignan was the centre of the world. Order a pastis at a platane covered café there and come to your own conclusion…
Interesting places to visit include elBulli restaurant in Roses, Girona, Les Toiles du Soleil fabrics at Saint-Laurent-de-Cerdans and Mas Amiel vineyard at Quéribus.
Please quote 'A Week or 2 in Languedoc' when contacting the owners:
