Fumel area holiday house

We stayed in this well-furnished and comfortable apartment for two months during a sabbatical in Spring 2008, using it as a base for our writing activities and for exploring the region. The apartment overlooks the Lot River (large windows in bedroom and dining room face S/SE) and contains a kitchen (fully-equipped), bathroom (tub and shower), large dining room (nice-sized four-person wooden table and chairs) with an adjacent cozy sitting area (conveniently contains a double futon and can be closed off with a curtain as additional sleeping space), and a spacious bedroom.

Madeleine and John (both speak English), living in the apartment above in this two-apartment house, are gracious and helpful hosts, full of information about the local area, restaurant recommendations, and so forth. They greeted us warmly. We arrived on a Sunday afternoon to find roses on our dining room table, some food in the refrigerator to tide us over until we could get to the grocery store the next day, and an apéritif with the two of them in the early evening. You can even take French (or English) language lessons from Madeleine, who—in my experience—is a wonderful teacher. If you bring your laptop computer, useful Internet access is available in the apartment as is a phone (including international; repay for outgoing calls). Such access was important to us as we maintained connections with work and family. You’ll need to do laundry in the village laundromat, but the apartment’s terrace has lines for drying. Safe, easy car parking is right in front of the house.

Between Fumel, the next-door village of Monsempron-Libos, and the larger stores across the river, you’ll find all the necessities you’ll require. The Thursday outdoor market in Monsempron-Libos gives a good feel for the area, providing mainly fine produce, as well as household goods and fabrics. Close and easy access to the small Monsempron-Libos train station connects you with the rest of France. The apartment’s location also allows easy access to special and fascinating area attractions via beautiful countryside roads (e.g., the magnificent Bonaguil chateau: bastide towns such as Monpazier; villages designated “Les Plus Beaux Villages de France” such as Lauzerte and St. Cirq Lapopie, with the spectacular Grotte Pech Merle nearby).

We recommend this apartment if you wish a convenient, comfortable, and good-value option for exploring the Lot River Valley, one that feels and functions like “home!”