Llar de Vivre Angela & Boudewijn’s place LLAR DE VIVRE 5 Rue de la Tour, 66360 Hameau de Llar/Canaveilles, France Coordinates: 42°31’46.32’’N 2°12’40.63’’E Angela & Boudewijn Vanhuysse [email protected] +33 672 497006 In a Nutshell Llar has less than ten inhabitants the year round. It forms part of a larger community called Canaveilles, which is about 6km walk away. It is a tiny village that is basically perched on the south facing side of a mountain at an altitude of 1375 metres (4500 ft). Llar has reliable electricity, water and ADSL supply, but no shop or bakery. Where is it? Llar is located in the Catalan Regional Natural Park, about half way between Perpignan and the small tax free country of Andorra. The local people around Llar talk about distance in terms of time. For example, if you ask “how far is it to Prades?” the answer would be “about 40 minutes”. Even though distances are not long, such as to Andorra or Ax-Les-Thermes, the area, in the department “Pyrénées Orientales 66”, is mountainous with winding roads. Something to consider when planning trips in the area & estimating your arrival time so you don’t get here the first time in the dark! WiFi: LlardeVivre Password: LlardeVivre Llar de Vivre Angela & Boudewijn’s place How to get here? Llar is not well serviced by public transport, so you will need a car. A regular small car is sufficient, you don’t need a 4x4. The road up to Llar leaves the N116 at Fontpédrouse... it's a 6km climb on a single lane road up to the village. There are some wider places where vehicles travelling in opposite directions can pass more easily. The etiquette is for the descending party to pull over and stop to allow the ascending vehicle to pass. (It’s easier for the descending driver to see an approaching car). We have found the locals very considerate. This road doesn't have a safety barrier, so it can be a bit scary the first few times. Having said that, there has only ever been one accident on the road, and this happened during its construction many years ago. When arriving from direction Perpignan it’s difficult to enter the road to Llar because of the turning circle of most cars. We usually u-turn at the car parking further along the N116 in Fontpédrouse (opposite the bus stop) or take a left turn towards Saint- Thomas les Bains and u-turn at the bottom of the hill. Airports in the region Perpignan 1½ hours (daily flight from Paris Orly; Ryan Air, has flights to UK and Belgium). Barcelona 3 hours – International Flights Girona 2¾ hours via Perpignan or 5hrs through the mountains Toulouse 4 hours via Perpignan or via Andorra – International Flights Carcassonne 3 hours via Perpignan or via Ax-Les-Thermes (Ryan air has daily flights to the UK and Belgium) Montpellier 3½ hours via Perpignan Narbonne 2½ hours via Perpignan WiFi: LlardeVivre Password: LlardeVivre Llar de Vivre Angela & Boudewijn’s place Public Transport If you are a larger group and are collecting your friends from public transport, then there are a few options to get them closer. From Perpignan there is a regular bus service, “le bus à 1 Euro” (Route 260) to Fontpédrouse (6km drive from Llar village). From Barcelona & Toulouse there is a train to Puigcerdà or La Tor de Querol-Enveig (1hr drive from Llar). It can be possible to catch the Yellow Tourist Train to Fontpédrouse, depending on your timing. Be aware in summer it can be crowded. Please feel free to ask us for some advice. You’ve arrived in Llar, now what? When arriving in Llar there is a grassy carpark on the right hand side of the road. Continue 400meters to a small, asphalted parking and turning area near a chapel. You can use this area to unload your car. Be aware not to park at the no parking sign, as this is for vehicles to be able to turn. We request that you use the parking area away from the village to keep your car for any extended periods, especially in the school holiday periods. The house is located up the small unsealed road called Rue de la Tour. Follow this street for about 70 metres and you walk directly into our entrance gate. The keys for the house are kept in a coded lock box attached to the wood shelter opposite the front door. For security reasons, the 4 digit code for the keylock changes periodically, so we will give you the code closer to your visit. WiFi: LlardeVivre Password: LlardeVivre Llar de Vivre Angela & Boudewijn’s place The layout of the house... who sleeps where? The ground floor and mezzanine form the ‘living’ areas of the house. The kitchen is well equipped with a steam oven, regular oven, cook top, bread machine, robot mixer (no microwave oven). The dining table comfortably seats 8, and there is plenty of space on the sofa at the mezzanine to spread out. All the bedrooms are located on the second floor, which is separated by a door at the stairwell. Earlybirds & nightowls will not disturb each other. We named the bedrooms for what we could best see from the window. The Fossa del Gegant, named after a peak just over the border in Spain, is our main bedroom & ensuite. This bedroom is very open so you really feel the dimensions of the barn in addition to the spectacular views. We have a family of rock swallows nesting at our window for the last four years. Please be aware that this room has no door - we’ve debated putting one, but ultimately we decided not to as it would diminish the flow of the house... The Carança, named after the spectacular gorge directly opposite the house on the other side of the valley, is an ideal bedroom for children. There is a bunk bed and a sleeping platform accessible using a ladder, as well as a small ensuite bathroom. It’s a comfortable space for up to 4-5 kids, but a more adventurous couple could also use the sleeping platform, as the beds are 160cm wide. Finally, the Canigou, named after the sacred Catalan mountain is a comfortable, private room for a couple with a king bed and private ensuite. Garden We will try to have the grass cut before you arrive. If you are visiting for an extended period, we’ll need to arrange for garden maintenance, so let’s talk about this to find the best solution for you and Florean. Where to shop – food? Prades – French food selection - ooh! cheeses! WiFi: LlardeVivre Password: LlardeVivre Llar de Vivre Angela & Boudewijn’s place Super U is on the main road (N18). A regular supermarket with good cheeses, vegetables, meat & fish (high rotation with regular fresh deliveries). Good wine selection. There is a pharmacy in the shopping centre adjacent to Super U Lidl between Ria and Prades has a high turnover and has a good selection at very reasonable prices. There is a market on Tuesday and Saturday morning in the centre of Prades for fresh produce, including vegetables, locally produced cheeses, honey, oil… Puidcerdà – Spanish food selection - good for hams Carrefour is on the main road from Puigcerdà to Andorra. A regular supermarket with a nice selection of fish, cheese, vegetables. There is a separate building for wines at reasonable prices. If you’re interested in more exclusive Spanish wines, then it’s absolutely worth a visit to Refilat Vinoteca Carrer Pont de Sant Martí, 3, 17520 Puigcerdà, - they have spanish opening hours, so close for lunch at 13:30 and reopen at 16:00. Give them a call to make sure they’ll be open +34 972 88 31 56 There is an extensive market on Sunday morning in the centre of Puigcerda. We regularly buy our vegetable seedlings there. There are other supermarkets towards the mountains. They cater to tourists and the ski crowd, so the selection is limited & more expensive than Prades & Puigcerda. There is a very good quality traiteur Charcuterie Bonzom on the main road at Saillagouse. Bakeries – Bread dries out quickly in Llar, so we prefer to make our own. WiFi: LlardeVivre Password: LlardeVivre Llar de Vivre Angela & Boudewijn’s place Where to shop – other things? Andorra is the place to find a Prada handbag or Chanel coat. Tax free alcohol, low fuel prices, lots of tourists & shoppers. Puigcerdà is largest regional town, a limited selection of shops, but it’s possible to find almost everything you could need. Most shops close at 13:00 and re-open at 16:00. In Font Romeu you can find hiking things like boots, backpacks, socks, etc, and everything for skiing. What to bring? Our home is located in the most sunny region in France (which is why the solar research centres are located nearby), but it is a mountain environment, which means it is subject to sudden changes in weather. We are on average 14°C cooler than sea-level, so the average temperature during summer is about 24°C-28°C, with cooler evenings. Make sure you pack something warmer for when the sun goes down. Swimming costume (for Bains St Thomas you need fitted bathers, shorts are not allowed); sun hat; sunglasses; rain coat (it can, rarely, rain each day in summer – sometimes only for ½ hour) We’d advise you to stop off at one of the pharmacies on the way up to buy some personal insect repellent.