The view from the Cote d'Azur

This weeks focus is the Cote d'Azur and our area manager Muriel Haveron, who welcomes our clients each season and keeps a careful eye on the properties we feature. Our premiere offering of Cote d'Azur villas is visible on our website, with new properties being regularly added.

Muriel had the following comments to make on her region:


What there is to do:

"Personally, I love swimming especially out of season when its quieter (May, June and September time). I also really enjoy going for a walk and discovering new places to visit, going to a nice restaurant and in winter going skiing. It is wonderful to live in the Côte d'Azur because we are very close to the sea and the mountains, so very quickly you can do different activities and in a short distance be close to the countryside, and to be near larger towns like Nice, Antibes or Cannes."

Muriels favourite food:

"If I had to select one dish I would take a speciality from Nice "Les petits farcies." It is a selection of vegetables : zucchini, tomatoes, onions, pepper and eggplant which is stuffed with meat and herbs; it is delicious."


Muriels favourite villa on the Cote d'Azur :
"...they are all wonderful,but if I have to choose I would have to give you two villas. I would say L'Aube Bleue because of the situation, the garden, the furniture inside the sea view, but because I love old houses, which have soul, I will say as well Villa le Vieux Moulin.

Clients interested in renting a villa on the Cote d'Azur that wish to speak to Muriel directly for an insider knowledge of the local area as well as the villas and what they offer, can do so via our UK office.

Car Hire, Ferry travel and overnight hotels

For some time, we have been pleased to suggest Classic Breakaway, a locally based company for any client requests for car hire, overnight hotels and ferry crossings.

Ray Goodwin, the Managing Director of Classic Breakaway is always ready to offer personal and preferential treatment to Quality Villas clients that contact him for these services.

If you are looking for car hire, overnight hotels in Europe or ferry crossings at good rates, we suggest to clients to visit Rays website, http://www.classicbreakaway.com/ or to call him on 0870 220 3535 for a personal consultation on what is the best way to travel for you.

2009 is a year of enjoying necessities such as a holiday but still watching the pennies - Classic Breakaway are frequently able to offer low industry rates, particularly on car hire.

A view from our area manager Gill Woolsgrove in South West France

Early summer in the Tarn et Garonne

Spring has arrived in the Tarn et Garonne with daffodils, sunshine and warmer days. This agricultural region with lush countryside and rolling hills is so delightful, that’s why I live here! The quieter way of life, old farming communities and medieval fortified villages is always a delight to those who come here. New to this region are fabulous night markets with music and food stalls. Sample local duck washed down with a hearty bottle of local wine! We still have quite a bit availability for our houses in this region especially in June which is a beautiful month whereby its still fairly quiet before the hurly burly of July & August. Why not book Maison Touffailles a beautiful French country house with comfortable furnishings, lovely terrace for outside dining and all set in spacious and secluded grounds. This area is really my idea of heaven!

Gill Woolsgrove manages our luxury villa programme in the South West of France, including Biarritz and the Dordogne. With a wealth of experience in the rental market as well as a bubbly, friendly personality, ensures our guests a warm welcome year after year.

The Italian way

This week has been one of our busiest yet; given the economic conditions that are still being fed to us daily by a doomhungry media, is also surely going against the grain!



Our villas in Italy however have not been renting so fast. Strangely and in sharp contrast to recent years, there is more availability than usual.
The situation has to be put down on the whole to less visitors from the USA to villas in Tuscany - certainly this is the consensus emerging from our Italian owners.

There is then of course opportunity for our regular UK clients to enjoy the pick of what remains available...often at a good rate. Many owners are now starting to discount their properties and prices are frequently lower than last years.


If you are looking for a holiday in Umbria this year, our featured villa 'Vigna Sagrantino' is certainly worth a look. Near the wine producing town of Montefalco and with unique covered pool (shielding swimmers from the suns rays), is also excellent value. Click for more details.