The House:
This old 'maison de maitre' was bought by Arabella Churchill (grand-daughter of Sir Winston) & her juggling maestro husband Haggis in 2004 & has been renovated & beautifully decorated by them. Accommodation includes an airy salon/kitchen/dining room (with single sofa bed) with beautiful views, double bedroom & double sofabed room, with spa bathroom on all the top floor, 4 bedrooms on the 1st floor (2 ensuite doubles, 1 double and 1 twin) with another bathroom and a separate loo, a large attractive salon & very large, delightful kitchen/dining room on the ground floor. Outside there's a 12m x 7m courtyard filled with plants, raised sundeck & 8-seater jacuzzi & a 12m x 5m 'shade room' with sofas, tables, chairs, table-tennis, darts, board games, Sky TV, etc. There are 6 bikes available for guests. The spacious & flexible accommodation makes it the perfect house for large families or groups of friends who like to holiday together but not be right on top of each other.
The Area:
We like this area of France very much. The village of Marseillette is surrounded by vineyards (we are in the Minervois wine area, but just 5 minutes away, over the Aude river you are in the Corbieres) & there are excellent 'caves' everywhere, with lots of opportunities for wine-tasting & buying. Carcassonne and La Cite are only 15 km away and the area is part of the 'Cathar Trail' - there are ruins of old Cathar defences on almost every peak! Lots of good restaurants in Carcassonne and area. The only rice grown in France is grown on the 'etaing' adjacent to Marseillette, & its quiet, flat roads are perfect for cycling and walking. The Canal du Midi is only a one minute walk from our front door and is a wonderful place to meander. To the south we view Alaric's Mountain and behind us, to the north, are the Black Mountains. We feel very lucky to be so ideally placed near canal, river, lakes and mountains, with beaches and even Spain and the Pyrenees within easy visiting distance.
Activities in the village & in the area:
At 'Churchill's' you can sunbathe on the deck, pamper yourself in the jacuzzi, relax in the plant-filled courtyard & cool off in the 'shade room', lazing on a sofa or playing table-tennis, darts & board games. Borrow our 6 bikes & ride along the Canal du Midi or through the 'Etaing'. You can walk down to the River Aude & paddle. 2 lakes (15 mins) offer swimming & other water activities, fishing is possible, tennis in Trebes, horse-riding just down the road. You can explore Alaric's Mountain (10 mins) or the Black Mountains (20 mins). 40 minutes away you will find the Narbonne Beaches & masses of attractions for families. Toulouse is only 70 minutes away with 'Space City', and Albi and the Lautrec Museum are 2.5 hours away. The Spanish border is 90 mins and Figueres and the Dali Museum under 2 hrs. Barcelona & the Pyrenees are less than 3 hours. Carcassonne & the Cathar Trail are fascinating & not to be missed. And my husband Haggis is a brilliant juggling performer & teacher!
Other Activities:
Wonderful walks by the Canal du Midi, historic sightseeing in the beautiful Cite of Carcassonne and on the Cathar Trail, wine-tasting & great cuisine.
