“BOLDLY GOING” IN BIARRITZ!

As the new Star Trek movie hits the big screens so that this ultra modern villa near Biarritz.  This is so ultra modern it’s almost “space age” hence my reference to Star Trek.  Beam me up Scotty!

Situated in a small village yet close to the beaches and stylish Biarritz this exceptional villa with its predominately monochrome colour scheme but with splashes of colour is reminiscent of a very smart gallery yet it still retains an atmosphere of comfort as well as unashamed luxury.

This fully air conditioned villa totally a massive 650 sq. metres is perfect for those who want space, privacy as well as the top quality amenities that this villa offers.  Boasting seven bedrooms and 4 bathrooms and all are equipped with top quality linens and towels that you would expect from a luxury villa such as this.  The master bedroom suite has been designed to incorporate the bedroom area overlooking the grounds and Basque countryside with its own private deck that is almost the same size of the bedroom.  There is a very large bathroom and shower room with Italian style fittings, a walk-in dressing room and to complete the suite is a separate office.

There is a formal lounge and dining room with views over the grounds and swimming pool.  Large enough to accommodate all guests and furnished with leather settees and ultra modern furniture.  The open design kitchen has all the top quality equipment you would expect in a villa of this standard but there is also an additional kitchen and preparation area that is perfect for your own personal chef, which can be arranged, which boasts three ovens, two professional-size refrigerators, and everything else you need to throw a first-class dinner party.

The villa also has a games room, home cinema, and a separate TV lounge that is separate from the formal living room.

Outside, you’ll find two terraces, a Pelota court, and an expansive lawn with views of the surrounding countryside.  A built in sound system with external speakers ensures that dining or sun bathing is not only a pleasure but musical too!  The massive two-tiered pool with a waterfall is flanked by two wooden decks with plenty of places to sunbathe, eat al fresco and to enjoy the panoramic views of the Pyrenees.

At one side of the villa is the guardian’s apartments (they have their own driveway and entrance) that are on hand to assist with any requests or help required.  

Stylish Biarritz and cosmopolitan St Jean de Luz are but a short drive as well as the long sandy beaches that this region is famous for.

A Florentine Escape...enjoy the Renaissance!

Having spent many a happy time in Florence, I think I can safely say it is my favourite place in the world. This is a city you can explore on foot, with all the major landmarks easily accessible from either a city based hotel or even the train station, if you were located further afield (e.g. Pistoia or Pisa) you still arent far away. Parking can be an issue but isnt the end of the world, whereas in somewhere like Rome, I would say don't even try it!

However the Florentine countryside that surrounds Florence is also well worth a visit - to the north amongst the hills, this is known as the Mugello. However my favourite is below Florence where there are a multitude of Tuscan villages to explore, many are medieval in origin and each have their own story from well known ones like 'Vinci' to Greve-in-Chianti, where delicatessans and wine shops sit side by side for many a welcome afternoons exploring!

A good way to experience Italy (in particular Tuscany is well known for it) is in a villa. These palatial residences have been hosting its guests in styles for centuries, you merely have to go online these days and a multitude of options are available. Near Lucca in the hills - such places were typical in times gone by, but elsewhere in Italy such properties tend to be restored or refurbished farmhouses or hamlets. In essence, owners of such estates have seen that it is easier to rent and make a living than farming used to be, or to use the wine estate accommodation during the summer months when it might otherwise lay empty.

Here at Quality Villas, we have a number of villas in Italy with a strong showing in Tuscany. On offer this month is villa Il Giardino http://www.qualityvillasitaly.co.uk/tuscany/reggello/il-giardino which sleeps 8 and the offer is : June offer: was £2255, now just £1750 per week. The villa is located to the south east of Florence, within easy day trip range.

More Italian Villas here.
More from the Florence tourist office

Happy Easter or Bonne Pacques!

Easter is celebrated in France with religious ceremonies commemorating the rebirth of Jesus, and cultural customs with rabbits, chocolates and eggs. Spring flowers, lambs, birds' eggs and Easter eggs are symbols of Easter Sunday in France. They are symbolic of nature's rebirth or resurrection after the dark and cold winter period. Why not take a holiday there some time and see it for yourself?

Everyone gets an automatic three-day weekend holiday which they usually use to spend time with their family. Public life is generally very quiet on Easter Sunday, as on other Sundays, in France. Post offices, banks, stores and other businesses are closed. Outside of tourist areas, restaurants and cafes may be closed.

Cloche volant or Flying Bells is an important part of the Easter traditions of France. French Catholics believe that on Good Friday, all the church bells in France fly to the Vatican in Rome, carrying with them the misery and grief of those who mourn Jesus' crucifixion on that day. These flying bells return on Easter Sunday morning and bring with them lots of chocolate and eggs. In keeping with the tradition, French church bells do not ring from Good Friday to Easter morning.

Easter morning, the bells ring out once again in celebration of the Resurrection, declaring that Jesus is alive again. These are known as the Easter bells.
Easter morning is a happy time for children who wake up to look for colorfully decorated Easter eggs (les oeufs de Pâques) hidden in their gardens, homes and playgrounds.  Parents tell their children the eggs were brought from Rome (where the chimes had gone), and that when the chimes returned they brought the eggs with them.  In some parts of France children look for small chariots full of eggs pulled by white horses.

Children enjoy the traditional Easter game where raw eggs are rolled down a gentle slope.  The surviving egg is declared a victory egg, and symbolizes the stone being rolled away from Jesus' tomb.  The child whose egg travels the farthest without breaking is the winner.

Generally, there will be chocolate rabbits, eggs and other works of art made in chocolate but in the Alsace region there are special biscuits known as Osterlammele. They are baked in a clay mould and are in the shape of a lamb sitting on the ground.  The Osterlammele were traditionally given to children after the church service on Easter Monday. Bakers now sell them and these are often decorated with ribbons and paper banners.

On Easter Sunday lamb is traditionally cooked in France. A leg of lamb (Gigot D'agneau) is prepared in many Christian household in France, especially for the ceremonious occasion. The typical French recipe is prepared by making use of spring vegetables.

A gem in the Dordogne!

A gem in the Dordogne!

Are you looking for a perfect hideaway for 2 that is cosy, beautifully furnished and interior designed?  Then look no further! 

Located on the banks of the river Dordogne between Saint-Cyprien and Siorac-en-Périgord this stone cottage is set within 5 acres of grounds yet just a short distance from Soirac-en-Perigord with its selection of shops, two good restaurants and a well stocked supermarket.

Overlooking the Dordogne River and in a delightful setting, this stone cottage sits very privately within the grounds of the main manor house 150 metres away with it's own private drive and private swimming pool.

The cottage has been renovated and refurbished offering luxury accommodation perfect for a couple.  The design, fittings and top quality furnishings are superb and a perfect place for a romantic holiday!  The open plan living area with excellent kitchen has been cleverly designed to maximise the surface area giving a spacious living and cooking area.  Whilst the bedroom is integral it has been designed that it does not encroach on the living area yet faces the infinity style pool and the long terrace at the front.  The large and impressive shower room finishes off the interior to make this a smart, luxurious place to stay.

There is a long sun terrace that faces the infinity, heated swimming pool and a wonderful view of the meandering Dordogne River.  The pretty garden is stocked with flowering pots and mature trees offers privacy.  A covered terrace for al fresco dining and comfortable easy chairs and settee makes this a perfect place for outdoor relaxation.

Find more villas in the Dordogne (click here). All with pools to make a perfect stay.

What our Area Manager, Gill says about this gem.......

This gorgeous cottage is perfect for two and a kitchen that is full sized and very well equipped.  Lazing by the pool and viewing the Dordogne River is heaven.  This is a lovely part of the Dordogne and near so many wonderful villages, chateaux and fabulous ornamental gardens.  The pretty village of Soirac-en-Perigord is a delight with quaint stone houses and a couple of good restaurants notably 'Le Trèfles à Quatre Feuilles' restaurant in Siorac-en-Perigord is a very nice restaurant which serves good food with a smile. It’s clean and bright and I had a superb Perigourdine salad there. It was very well presented with plenty of foie gras and excellent home-made bread.

Last of the brussels now gone, we hear from diarist and blogger Gill...

Strong wind breaks out in Bourg de Visa

Whilst the South West of France enjoys a good climate with temperate weather we do have the occasional high winds that can wreck havoc especially in the rural areas.  Early in the week my area, the Midi Pyrenees was on Orange alert warning us of very strong southerly winds with gusts up to 100 Km/h.  

On Monday afternoon the winds got up and I could hear it outside, a whooshing sound of the heavy gusts which whacked my electricity off and then on again and caused my computer to crash more than once! The only thing to do when this happens is to stay indoors and wait until it clears.  Venturing out is done with caution as there are so many rural areas and with that numerous trees.  Fallen trees are the main hazard as well as the old telegraph poles we still have and old power lines. Fortunately by Wednesday the wind had moved on but not without causing some local damage, mainly fallen trees and electricity problems.

The wind, known as the Autan, is a regular occurrence at this time of year in the south west of France, generally affecting the Midi-Pyrenees and Languedoc regions, but also felt in the Dordogne.  The strong wind is caused by the sea breeze from the Mediterranean and it then accelerates through the gap between the Pyrenees and the Montagne Noire. 

In January 2009 winds of up to 190 km an hour paralysed southwest France. Our region was on the red alert the highest alert of its kind. Everyone was told to stay in doors for their own safety. My village was without electricity for 3 days as power lines came down, trees came down and roves were blown off. The airports at Bordeaux, Biarritz and Pau were closed and the cost of repairs ran into millions of Euros.

France is known for its winds with the Mistral being the one that is known to most people.  This wind hails from Provence and it’s a fierce and cold wind that occurs mainly in the winter and spring in the gulf of the Mediterranean Sea. The Mistral usually develops as a cold front moving down across France. The air piles up in the Alps before spilling over the mountain's top and rushing down into the Rhône valley between the Alps and Cevenes.  It will blow continuously for days travelling along from Marseille and towards the Riviera.  It can cause damage to crops and in Provence the trees are permanently bent in the direction the wind.

Fortunately, these winds do not spoil the normal weather pattern of warm and sunny days in South West France and as I write the sun is shining, the breeze is calm and the temperature is mild!

A dose of Vitamin C....

A dose of Vitamin C....
The Fete du Citron (The Lemon Festival) usually takes place between mid-February until March, in Menton on the Côte d'Azur.  This year it is the 80th edition and runs from February 16th until March 6th.  The theme for this year’s festival is “Around the World in 80 Days”. The festival started in the 1930s with a handful of carts loaded with orange and lemon trees and has turned into one of the largest festivals in the South of France and almost rivalling the Carnival of Nice.
This event attracts up to a quarter of a million people as well as using up to 150 tonnes of oranges and lemons. These massive fruity floats are up to 10 metres high with incredible decorations and for 3 weeks the Jardins Biovès and the streets are given over to these citrus giants.
As this event is held over a few weeks then it is divided up into various sessions, each one different but just as entertaining.  Listed below are just a few of what can be seen and enjoyed.

The Parade of Golden Fruit
The "Promenade du Soleil" parades are held on Sunday’s, when lots of cars and people parade towards the sea.  It’s a delight for children as there are costumes, fanfares, drums and lots of confetti sprinkling.

 Moonlit Parade
The French say that the fruits of the sun have a date with the moon and as its held around Valentine’s Day then whose to argue! As the night falls the preparation for the incandescent party follows. Fireworks and celebrations galore, this is a celebration of the sun, with everyone "dancing in the moonlight".  This is held on Thursdays.

The citrus "World Tour"
You can travel virtually all corners of the world in citrus flavour, at the Jardins Biovès with famous statues and building constructed of lemons and limes.

Gardens of Light
Held here every Tuesday and Friday evening are spectacular sound and light shows.

Menton villas include this one, worth a look if you want to visit the area: http://www.qualityvillas.com/cote-dazur/menton/villa-olivier