This huge and lovely old rustic chateau has a beautiful terrace for drinks, meals, boule, painting, reading or doing nothing! The view over the valley is gorgeous and the pool lovely. The rooms are huge, the kitchen well provided and the hosts, Anthony, a renowned artist and his novelist partner, Sophie, provide unobtrusive help when needed from their adjoining property. A car is essential to drive to the nearby towns but supermarkets and restaurants are close by and it is only a short drive, on quiet roads to Carcassonne, a town split between an elegant new section with its buzzy central square, and the almost Disneyfied old town with twisting lanes teeming with tourists; but with hidden paths and restaurants to find. The internet provision in this part of the world is currently rather slow, but this only helped keep the addicted away from their screens and into the party. Our large group, including many children, had a wonderful time and a return visit one year for us all will be essential!

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