This is a very prettily restored cottage in a peaceful setting in the heart of rural Provence - the country of lavender fields and fruit trees. There are lovely views of hills and open countryside from the house and from the pool terrace. The property is situated in a group consisting of the French owners’ farmhouse and another cottage which is also available to let. This one of our favourite properties and it is excellent value for money!

Entrance into open plan living area. Large Provençal farmhouse kitchen with dining area. Dishwasher, mixed gas and electric hob, built in electric oven, microwave, kettle, toaster and fridge-freezer. Washing machine. From the kitchen there are a few steps up to the living room with armchairs, sofa bed, TV with satellite channels, DVD, log burning stove. Double bedroom (140cm), triple bedroom (2x90cm, 1x 70cm). Shower room with twin basins. Separate W.C.

Outdoors: Enclosed garden with a wide terrace by the pool with plenty of garden furniture, BBQ, table tennis, boules pitch and swings. Pool 10x5m.

The house is situated about 3km from the hilltop village of Dauphin which has a restaurant, a café, grocer and boulangerie. The village of St Michel l'Observatoire is about 5km. The sky here is said to be the clearest in Europe, thanks to a very pure atmosphere. As its name implies, this village has an important observatory and there are interesting astronomical events organised in the summer such as star-gazing walks and night time picnics. The owners's son has a very successful restaurant on this village square called L'Auberge des Coupoles - definitely worth a visit! Another nearby village is Mane, about 6km, which has small shops and restaurants. Just outside Mane is a Benedictine priory called Salagon; it has beautiful gardens which are open for visits most days. Forcalquier,8km, is a lively little town which has an extensive street market on Mondays (see photos), a supermarket and a good choice of restaurants and small shops. During the summer many of the villages in the Forcalquier area have concerts and local fêtes. Aix-en-Provence is only about 40 minutes drive. This is a fascinating town with many lovely boutiques and cafés and little squares - our favourite town in France! There is much to explore in this area such as the Lubéron Hills, the big lake at Saint Croix, and the spectacular Verdon Gorges. There is a golf course at Manosque about 20 minutes drive and tennis courts at Forcalquier. This is a relatively ‘undiscovered’ part of Provence and there are many picturesque ancient villages to explore.

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