Bonnes Vacances - Part 2

Fantastic French Flowers

The Market

Villeneuve sur Lot

Out and About
As well as spending time relaxing at the villa, we also visited some of the beautiful medieval towns and villages in the area.

Villeneuve sur Lot
This was our nearest town, about ten minutes' drive away, and incredibly picturesque and we went there several times, not least to shop at the local hypermarket, Auchan!

We got up early one Saturday (with much moaning from the children) to attend the popular market which was an amazing experience.

The market was a riot of colour and there was an awe-inspiring array of local produce on sale, all beautfully displayed.

We bought fresh fruit and vegetables and local honey, nothing costing more than a few Euros - much better value than Sainsbury's!

Needless to say, it all tasted wonderful!

Bonnes Vacances - Part 1

Villa Chartreuse
We recently spent a wonderful two week holiday at the Villa Chartreuse (www.villachartreuse.com)
near Villeneuve-sur-Lot in the South West of France. The villa belongs to the mum of my friend, Yvonne, and it was Yvonne's idea that we should go there. It was brilliant idea.

The villa was spacious (the size of a small hotel) and very luxurious. Even the setting was perfect, high on a hill surrounded by beautiful countryside.

Space and Light
We all felt like film stars and loved the sense of space and light. Every morning the sun streamed through the shutters (apart from on a couple of days when it rained), bathing everything in a golden light.

There's something really special about the light in France. It makes everything seem softer.

The large size and number of the rooms meant we could all be together without being on top of each other. Calum settled himself very happily in what we nicknamed the 'West Wing' as he had a whole corridor to himself, complete with two bathrooms.

Much to Calum's delight, there was also a PSP in one of the two living rooms.

Cool Water
Best of all, as far as the children were concerned, was the swimming pool. It was a really good size and, although I found the water a little chilly (I like it bath temperature), it was fabulous having it all to ourselves. I spent more time lounging by it than swimming in it but the children were hardly ever out of it.

The villa had everything you needed for a perfect holiday and that's exactly what we had!