Welcome to Le Coteau Miradoux, South-West France
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Welcome to Le Coteau Miradoux, South-west France Section Page 1. Welcome to Le Coteau … Welcome to Miradoux … Welcome to Gascony 2 2. The village of Miradoux 3 3. Le Coteau 4 4. Touring the region 6 5. Dining out 14 6. Shopping – markets and retail centres 15 7. Leisure activities 16 8. Flora & fauna 17 9. Bookings – rates, terms and conditions 18 Welcome to Le Coteau ………. Welcome to Miradoux ..…….. Welcome to Gascony Le Coteau is our beautiful home in Miradoux, a picturesque medieval village 100km west of Toulouse in the heart of the French region known as Gascony (Gascogne) or the Gers. Gascony is essentially rural, with magnificent rolling hills, lush fields, wooded copses and pristine streams. As Frederic Coustols wrote in Une Terre Lointaine – La Gascogne, to live in Gascony is ‘…to experience a way of life whose harmony can be learnt only be a deep understanding of the earth …’. Wherever your interests lie, Gascony should captivate you. There is much to discover and make your experience memorable – sleepy mediaeval villages, tiny bastides, castles, churches, museums, chateaus and bustling small market towns with large arcaded squares. You’ll certainly enjoy sampling the regional gastronomy. Gascony has some of the best food in France with prime quality local ingredients such as duck, goose, fish, fruit, vegetables, a bewildering range of cheeses and wines, and, of course foie gras, cassoulet, armagnac and sauternes. The hundreds of restaurants and markets cater for a discerning local clientele, and they invariably offer excellent quality and better value for money than more tourist-oriented areas such as the Dordogne and Provence! Gascony is stunningly beautiful in all seasons, and a holiday-maker’s delight. The long, balmy days of summer are ideal for sightseeing, with average maximum temperatures of 25 – 30o from May to September. April and October are just a little cooler, and perhaps even more pleasant. Most of all, however, to stay at Le Coteau for a time is to experience the French provincial lifestyle. Imagine … waking up in the morning, opening the shutters and wandering up to the boulangerie to collect freshly-baked bread to bring back for a leisurely breakfast on the terrace. No doubt it will be leisurely, as you linger to enjoy the panoramic views and decide which experiences to savour today. Perhaps you’ll pack a typical picnic – bread, cheese, ham and a bottle of rosé – to enjoy in a beautiful mediaeval bastide, by a quiet river, or at a lonely hilltop ruin. Alternatively, you might venture further afield to the Pyrenees, or to Bordeaux, or to Sarlat, or to Toulouse. Upon return you might stroll around the village in the early evening, observing the local Miradousains playing boules or out for a walk themselves. You might stop at the bar for a chat and a drink before returning home to barbecue on the terrace watching the sun set and the lights of the small hamlets come on. It’s a time to relax, have another glass of wine, talk about the discoveries of the day, and plan new adventures for tomorrow. Le Coteau at Miradoux in Gascony 2 The village of Miradoux Situated between Auch (the capital of Gers) and Agen, Miradoux was established as a hilltop castelnau in 1253AD. Now with a population of around 500 residents, it is surrounded by rolling hills and valleys studded with tiny villages and hamlets, old Gascon farms, vineyards, orchards and wooded copses. During the warmer months, the area becomes vibrant with sunflowers. Neat and entirely charming, Miradoux is characterised by its historic covered market, 15th century church, stone houses, quiet streets and panoramic views. It has a small supermarket (which sells petrol, diesel and gas), a tabac (newsagency/tobacconist), a pharmacy, a restaurant/café and a bank (with an ATM that accepts the usual cards). As well, all of the main trades and services are available, including a primary school, a police station, a nurse practitioner and a doctor. The local economy is based on farming and agriculture, with cattle, geese, ducks, sunflowers, corn, garlic and stone-fruit important. Vineyards are also very much in evidence – the Gers has more than 20,000 hectares under grapes for table wine, and it’s the home of armagnac. Tourism is critical to the micro-economy – visitors come from far and wide to admire the countryside, and to walk one of the major pilgrimage pathways leading to Santiago de Compostella. Most shops open early, close for a long lunch, then re-open in the afternoon and evening until around 7.00 pm. Saturday is market day. Nearby Lectoure has a full range of shops and facilities including a large supermarket, a hardware store, estate agents, banks, bookshops, a speciality wine store, estate agents, and several restaurants, bars and cafés. Miradoux is easily reached from Toulouse (100 km) and Agen (30 km), both of which are, in turn, easily reached by plane, train and auto-route from Paris and other major centres. Hire cars can be collected and returned at Toulouse, Agen, Auch and all other major centres. Le Coteau at Miradoux in Gascony 3 Le Coteau Le coteau means ‘the hillside’ in French. The name was chosen to reflect Miradoux’s origins as a fortified hilltop castelnau, and the elevated location certainly explains the spectacular views from the main bedroom, kitchen and terrace. The street address is 22 Grand Rue, Miradoux, and the house is no more than a few minutes walk from any part of the village. Constructed in the 16th century, Le Coteau epitomises the architecture of the region and the style of construction – multi-storey with external walls constructed from local stone, lots of exposed beams, timber staircases, large rooms with internal columbage (plaster and timber) walls and high ceilings, shuttered windows and beautiful fireplaces. The house stays cool in summer, but electric heating in every room ensures that it is cosy and inviting during the cooler months. Sensitively renovated to retain many of the original features, the living areas have been furnished using pieces collected from throughout Gascony. At the same time, the kitchen and bathrooms have modern accoutrements. With four large bedrooms and two modern bathrooms, Le Coteau accommodates 4 – 6 adults very comfortably. Ground floor The front door (off Grand Rue) leads straight into the entrance hall, which still retains the original tiles and wood-panelled dado. Leading off the entrance hall through wooden French doors is the main living area which has stone walls, exposed beams, timbered ceilings, a decorative fireplace and polished wooden flooring. The room is fully furnished with a comfortable two-and-a-half seater couch, lounge chairs, and other pieces of provincial furniture. A small selection of books and games is stored in a bookcase, with a CD player and a selection CDs in an antique bureau. Further along, the entrance hall opens into a spacious, light-filled dining area separated from the kitchen by an island benchtop. The kitchen is well-appointed: self-defrosting fridge, gas/electric stove, microwave oven and all usual the appliances, china, glassware, cutlery and utensils. A separate laundry opens off the kitchen, equipped with a new front-loading washing machine, iron and ironing board, and a clothes drying rack. The kitchen/dining area opens out through double doors to a terrace with an outdoor dining setting for six and a gas barbeque. This area really does have picture-postcard views, and it’s a great place to relax at any time of the day. Le Coteau at Miradoux in Gascony 4 First floor A beautiful wooden staircase in a columbage stairwell leads from the ground floor up to the first and second floors. The first floor has two spacious bedrooms. The master bedroom features a dramatic columbage wall, exposed beams, timber ceilings, a decorative fireplace and a new (and very comfortable) double bed. Filled with natural sunlight through the shuttered windows, this bedroom has magnificent view of the local landscape. A modern en-suite bathroom leads off this bedroom, with a shower, WC and vanity basin. The second bedroom is similarly spacious, and it also features stone walls, exposed wooden beams, timbered ceilings, and a terrific Toulousian brick fireplace with a wooden mantelpiece. Shuttered windows overlook the quiet street. This room has its own modern bathroom – also very spacious – with a shower, vanity basin and WC. Second floor From the landing on the top floor you’ll find two bedrooms. Both have steeply-angled ceilings supported by exposed oak rafters, natural light supplied through skylights and/or porthole windows, and electric heating. As a result, the rooms have something of an ‘attic’ feel, although they’re considerably roomier than the typical Parisian grenier! One of the rooms on the second floor has a large double bed. The other has two single beds. However, neither has en-suite facilities, so it’s necessary to walk downstairs to reach a bathroom. Le Coteau at Miradoux in Gascony 5 Touring the region The Gers is a great area for sightseeing – beautiful scenery, great hospitality, diverse flora and fauna, numerous art galleries, distinctive architecture, terrific speciality shops, and so forth. It’s not at all over-crowded, and most roads and walking trails are quiet and easy to navigate. Nearby villages and towns The immediate area surrounding Miradoux is studded with delightful villages, mostly established many centuries ago as castelnaus or bastides. Each has its own history, traditions, architecture, cuisine and micro-economy, but the similarities are equally obvious and reflective of the overarching culture of south-west France. The following notes for 14 villages and townships, all within 30 – 40 km of Miradoux (and many much closer), should ‘whet your appetite’.