Cosy Twin room in the heart of the Gers

A lovely twin room in a traditional Gascon home within a pretty village in the heart of the Gers. Outside, there is a very pretty garden, terrace with BBQ and small swimming pool. 10mins by foot from local shops, and village bar/bistro. A great area for walking, cycling and sampling the local wine and gastronomy. No noisy traffic (other than the occasional tractor!) so a perfect rural retreat! Just 20mins from Nogaro and 30 from Marciac. The house was built more than 200years ago and the attached barn is even older. Over the last 10 years we have completely renovated our home, but have tried to keep as much of the original character of the house as possible. Because of it's shape, it's a bit of a "Tardis". Many of our guests have expressed surprise at the size inside compared to the view from outside!! I am offering a twin room which is ideal for one or two people. It has an ensuite shower room and WC. However, there is restricted head room above the beds due to the slopping ceiling. The room has air conditioning, essential for those very hot summer evenings in July and August and is heated during the winter. You control the temperature. There is a well equipped kitchen and huge lounge area which you are welcome to use share with any other guests. You have an independent access, so you can come and go as you please and we have private off road parking. Outside, you will find Clara, our somewhat over sized, free range, pot bellied pig; our four dogs; Poppy, Mutley, Jess and our new arrival, Cookie, as well as a varying number of chickens! All are used to guests coming and going and are very friendly. Sorry, but we cannot accept animals as our chickens have complete range of the garden and we have had some "interesting" experiences with guests dogs. We are situated within level walking distance of the village. Here you will find a range of local amenities including a bakery, grocery, pharmacy and hairdressers. There is also a bar/ bistro and, during the summer months, the village swimming pool is open to all (small charge) if you want something more substantial than ours. Sheets and towels are provided. There is a huge guest lounge which is equipped with TV (french TV), DVD, games including a billiard table and various board games. There is a well equipped kitchen area with hot plates, microwave/ Oven, fridge etc available for use. Downstairs, there is also french TV and feel free to sit by the log fire which has a grill insert. So, if you fancy something a bit different, you can even grill you own steak !! Outside, we have a terrace and large BBQ which our guests are very welcome to use. In the summer feel free to cool off in the pool and outdoor shower. There is independent access from the carpark and garden so you can come and go as you please! Whilst JP works during the week, I am here most of the time. I can give you lots of ideas to where to go and what to do. In a normal year there is plenty to do here almost the whole year round. Starting with the weekend in March with the Fête du St Mont (Wine festival ), there are plenty of events from the local village fêtes through to international music festivals of Jazz(Marciac/ August), Latin (vic fervensac/July) and country(mirande); all within an hour of here. There plenty of activities locally too (walking cycling, horse riding, water sports....) Outside the summer season, why not visit some of the many local vineyards or go off road with the local 4x4 club or go on an organised VTT randonee. New years eve is a unique experience here in Viella. There are demonstrations of ancient skills used in the vines, a traditional craft market, a theatre spectacle and torchlight procession through the village to the vines where you can take part in the last grape picking of the season and part take of a glass or two of mulled wine; Then finish off the year with a gala dinner here in the village or in a local chateau. Superb! However we live in difficult times and in 2022 it's unlikely that many of these events will be held or will be held in a reduced format, but there will be still lots to see and do, especially if you like the outdoors! Stuck for some ideas? Just ask! We are about an hour from Pau and Tarbes, the closest airports. Other airports within 2hrs include Toulouse and Bordeaux. The closest train stations are Tarbes, Pau and Mont de Marsan. Ideally, you need a car here as public transport is almost non existent. The nearest bus stops can be found in Riscle (8km), Barcenlone du Gers (10km, Garlin, and Aire sur l'Adour. The Spanish border is just over 90mins away as are the ski resorts and both make great days out. Sorry, but we cannot take any guest animals as we have dogs, a free range pig and free range chickens (all very friendly!). I am English and speak reasonable french and Jean-Pierre is French. He speaks a little English and can get by in Spanish. As mentioned above, we are more than happy to cater for special diets, just let us know when booking.